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VI. The Baltic Germans and German Policy towards Latvia after 1918
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
Extract
During the First World War Germany had aimed at the eventual annexation of the Baltic provinces of Russia, later to become the independent Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia. After Germany had been defeated in November 1918, the young German Republic faced the task of building up relations with these small states. A new and difficult situation existed in Eastern Europe. Especially aggravating was the setting up of a large Polish state possessing areas of land which had formerly belonged to Germany. Beyond, Soviet Russia presented a great attraction to Germans who were anxious to exploit the potentially unlimited new markets and at the same time to offset some of the disadvantages created by the Treaty of Versailles. Under such circumstances the German government was anxious to obtain good relations with the Baltic states since, apart from a hostile Poland, they provided a means of indirect access to Russia. In the attempt to obtain the friendly co-operation of the Baltic states the German government was compelled to change its attitude towards the so-called ‘Baltic Germans’ who had been especially important in Latvia. This article attempts to show why such changes were considered necessary and what were the general aims behind the new German policy towards the Baltic Germans.
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References
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25 These collections began in 1919.
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78 Köster was worried about the possible effects on public opinion if t h e German faction brought the Social Democrat government down so soon after the signature of the Latvian-Russian agreement. Köster, after talking with Schiemann, tried to get Berlin to wire its encouragement to the German faction to continue to support the government. Köster to Auswartiges Amt, 4 November, 1927.
Wallroth replied that though it was possible to go beyond normal practice in the matter of such ‘an acutely important foreign policy question as that of the Latvian—Russian Trade Agreement, where the proper interests of the German Baits and Latvians coincided so closely with the foreign policy aims of the Reich…’ it was quite another matter to send the sort of telegram demanded by Köster and Schiemann. Wallroth to Köster, 9 November 1927. Both letters are in Auswärtiges Amt files, Handakten Wallroth, Lettland. London Foreign Office Film, 5265 H/E 319679—E 319684.
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83 I wish to express thanks to Professor F. L. Carsten for his help and advice and also to Mr J. P. T. Bury for his helpful criticism of the article. Neither is, of course, responsible for my conclusions.