Occupation of The Baltic States - Soviet and Russian Historiography

Soviet and Russian Historiography

Soviet historians saw the 1940 incorporation as a voluntary entry into the USSR by the Balts. The Soviet historiography inherited the Russian concept from the age of Kievan Rus carried through the Russian Empire. It promoted the interests of Russia and the USSR in the Baltic area, and it reflected the belief of most Russians that they had moral and historical rights to control and to Russianize the whole of the former empire. To Soviet historians, the 1940 annexation was not only a voluntary entry but was also the natural thing to do. This concept taught that the military security of mother Russia was solidified and that nothing could argue against it.