Could Latvia have resisted Russia in 1940 or did K.Ulmanis betray Latvia?
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Ribbentrop and Molotov Pacts. As a result, Poland, the Baltics, part of Finland lost their independence. Did the then President Karlis Ulmanis betray Latvia?
I like when Latvia in 1940 is compared to Finland. You see, the Finns resisted, but Latvia did not, and K.Ulmanis is to blame. To be honest - I thought so too. But as an educated person, someone who also has military education, I studied this issue more closely, and also in the context of Estonia - Finland, Lithuania - Finland at that time.
And here are what conclusions I came to briefly.
If Latvia was cowardly [let's say it], then the cowardly Estonians, who had the support of the Finns, were Lithuanians, who did not even do anything. Yes, Latvia was economically developed at the time. But military? 30000. '' big '' army. Armored cars that could have been shot through with a Mosina-type shotgun? Cannons from which even a real battery could not be created. Old English and French rifles. Was there at least something similar to the Mannerheim line in Latvia? At the same time, the Finns had at least ten tanks and small but combat-capable aviation, advanced artillery.
Finns resisting lost 9% of its national territory, which they are not returned even to this day. Latvia has a total area of 64,000 km2. Thus, this area is equivalent to half the territory of Latvia, which Russia took away from Finland in the Winter War - 30 thousand km2. Finland, on the other hand, was one front passing through a wooded and swampy area, while for Latvia, the Eastern border, plus if the Estonians did not oppose it, a full and total siege, as the fleet would not be able to protect the western borders and the bay.
On top of all this, the 'Molotov and Ribbentrop Pact', after which Latvia's territory departs for Russia [the German had already predicted that it would be revived in one way or another], and it is unknown how Germany would behave if Latvia began resisting its current ally. The Polish option is not entirely ruled out. It is possible that the Germans even waited for such resistance to take the Baltic before "Barbaros", as if in a "hurry" to "help", giving a "helping" "hand" to Latvia. But what was Latvia's further role in Nazi Germany's vision is no longer a mystery.
Therefore, those who say that Karlis Ulmanis conveyed to Latvia that we could as Finns, etc., are simply nothing more than what is now called modernly - sofa patriots who listen to what they want, and then foam their lips to start defending sometimes stupid ideas.
Yeah, and oh ... I also know that a bunch of "smart" shooters will be flogging me, both as a "Kremlin troll" and as a "traitor" and "Conspirator." Don't waste time, I'm immune to you, though if you want to show your "high" intelligence - can you deny it?