Soviet Repression and Estonian Forest Brothers

Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 assault bombers over the Baltics
20.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS
Former SS-Schütze Ülo Altermann of the Estonian Forest Brothers
The Red Air Force conducted an air raid, leveling the historic town of Narva on March 6 1944. Soviet air assaults against civilians in Estonian towns were a part of the offensive, aimed at forcing the Estonians away from supporting the German side. Nevertheless, the European Waffen-SS volunteers succeeded in holding the western bank of the Narva River throughout the spring of 1944. Hundreds of thousands Baltic nationals took refuge from the Soviet army by fleeing to Germany and Sweden. For the next fifty years the people of Estonia would pay for their complicity with the Reich, a debt paid by their inclusion in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. As Stalinist repression intensified over the following years, Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian partisans, known colloquially as the Forest Brothers, waged unsuccessful guerrilla warfare against the Soviet invasion and occupation of the three Baltic states during, and after, World War II in a bid to regain their nations' independence (1944-1953). Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's authorization of a full withdrawal from Estonia in mid-September 1944 allowed any soldiers of his Estonian forces, who wished to stay and defend their homes to do so. Many Estonian Waffen-SS men evaded capture and fought as Forest Brothers in the countryside for years after the war. Captured freedom fighters often faced torture and summary execution while their relatives faced deportation to Russian Siberia. Top image: Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircrafts, also called Sturmovik, of the 6th Assault Aviation Corps in flight over the Baltics in 1944. Credit: Olga Shirnina. USSR photo. Fair use. Middle image: Estonian SS volunteers getting ready to be sent to the northern parts of the Eastern Front to fight off the Soviets in 1944. PD. Bottom image: Estonian Forest Brothers cleaning their German guns in Järva County in Estonia in 1953. At front is the SS-veteran and leader of the squad Ülo Altermann 1923-1954 and behind him is Erich Aleksander Teor 1924-1954, Voldemar Juga/Johanson 1928-1953 and Elmar Martins 1929-1954. By the late 1940s and early 1950s the Forest Brothers were provided with supplies, liaison officers and logistical coordination by the British MI6, American and Swedish secret intelligence services. Credit: Julius Backman Jääskeläinen. Fair use.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous22/2/20

    The Balts hated Soviets and Commies who took away their independece in 1940 and killed most of the nations elite. So joining the Germans was the only way to weaken the Red devil. If Communist partisans in France, Yugoslavia, Greece, etc. which Reddit lionises despite the fact that they were serving a murderous totalitarian ideology, get a pass for being anti-Nazi, why shouldn't these guys get a pass for being anti-Commie?

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  2. Mikael LaCas28/9/22

    Ülo Altermann served with the Estonian 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. He participated in the battles of Narva and Tannenberg. After the war he became a "forest brother" fighting the Russian occupiers. The "brothers" under his command were distinguished by high moral qualities and excellent discipline. Altermann was killed in an ambush aged 30. God bless them all.

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  3. JacOmac13/8/23

    It takes a particular kind of courage to carry on a fight knowing you have not the slightest chance of victory.

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