Administrative change
Soviet annexation of Latvia, 1940
Following the secret protocols of the August 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and a forced mutual-assistance agreement, the Soviet Union militarily occupied and forcibly annexed Latvia in the summer of 1940, overthrowing its lawful government.
What happened
On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, whose secret protocols assigned Latvia to the Soviet sphere of influence. Under threat of military force, Latvia was compelled to sign a mutual-assistance pact permitting Soviet military bases on its territory. In the summer of 1940, the Soviet Union militarily occupied and forcibly annexed Latvia, together with Estonia and Lithuania, overthrowing the lawful government and imposing Soviet rule by force.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: On 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, whose secret protocols assigned Latvia to the Soviet sphere of influence; under threat of military force, Latvia was compelled to sign a mutual-assistance pact permitting Soviet military bases on its territory. In summer 1940 the Soviet Union militarily occupied and forcibly annexed Latvia, together with Estonia and Lithuania, overthrowing the lawful government and imposing Soviet rule by force.
- Estonia in the grip of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the realpolitik of great powers (Estonian World) link, article text. Source record