24.07.2022. Lithuania reminds of the pre-war period, Lithuania’s Echo
Česlovas Iskauskas
In the language of Kaliningrad, we can call it whatever we want – Karaliaučius, Konigsberg, Memel. This does not change her position. After the Potsdam Conference, when the Allies, hypnotized by the Soviet achievements and in a hurry to shake off the ashes of the war as soon as possible, left this land under the temporary administration of the USSR – until the Peace Conference, which never took place, it turned into a real pain in Europe. And he had an ulcer again today.
It also hurts Lithuania. Some naively remember an old story. Post-war party boss Antanas Sniečkus, 1973 after meeting with the artists on his birthday, that in 1944 in July or August he talked with J. Stalin himself about Vilnius. Soon it was created, which had to determine how much territory of the Kaliningrad region should be annexed to Lithuania. Tilžė, Įsrutis, Gumbinė, Tolminkiemis were to be annexed to the Lithuanian SSR – the border of Soviet Lithuania was to approach in a semicircle within 60 kilometers of the city of Karaliaučius, which, according to the commission, was to become a free city like Danzig before the war.
But A. Sniečkas was dissuaded from further hopes by his excessive loyalty to the Kremlin, which did not already mention a different status of the Kaliningrad region. And in Vilnius, claims began to circulate that this land was more widely abandoned in order to properly adapt it to agriculture. Although the leader of the LKP as early as 1960 in his notes after the Lithuanian visit to the Kaliningrad region, he poured out sentiments: “Oh, the old Prussian land, how many relatives are there…” On the other hand, after Stalin’s death, A. Sniečkus had fallen into the displeasure of Lavrentijs Beria and was especially careful to raise such risky questions. On the other hand, is it realistic that the interests of the victorious Soviet Union would be ignored – to have the ports of Mēmel and Königsberg in the Baltic Sea that do not freeze.
As they say, it is what it is. Calling today to take back the old land of the Balts, or at least to consider its annexation, when a fratricidal war is going on in Ukraine, would mean adding fuel to the fire. Lithuania has more serious matters.
The Kaliningrad transit storm simply overwhelmed her. Brussels duly muddied the water, and now it is easy for Russia to graze propaganda fish in that water. Moscow’s diplomacy is powerful. Vilnius was still waiting for the European Commission to clarify the transit restrictions, and Russian Kremlin propaganda was already trumpeting that “Lilliputian Lithuania is experiencing a huge humiliation from Brussels”. Who can doubt that long before this explanation, Moscow did a great job of persuading Berlin or Washington “step by step” to make concessions on sanctions against Russia. After all, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has greatly exhausted the vacation-seeking Western politicians, sanctions have reduced the profits of business sharks, and Western leaders will not risk their lucrative positions and – likely – solid dividends from business with Russia.
Participants of the Potsdam Conference and their main advisers. Seated (left to right): Clement Ettle, Harry Truman, Stalin. Standing: Admiral William Leahy, Ernest Bevin, James Byrnes, Vyacheslav Molotov
Tul will ask: where are the evidence, where are the facts? I like analogies, this time with the situation of Lithuania before the war. In any history textbook, it is written that the use of pressure was caused by the occupation of the USSR, that in 1939 October 10 the transfer of Vilnius and the Vilnius region to Lithuania and the mutual aid agreement between Lithuania and the USSR would be signed, according to which the Vilnius Region, already occupied by the Red Army at that time, was transferred to Lithuania, and 20,000 Red Army soldiers were deployed in four Lithuanian areas. The annexation of Lithuania to the Soviets was favorably viewed by the West, which was already trembling against the creeping Nazism.
Again from the textbook. in 1940 The USSR takes real action: after concentrating the large forces of the Red Army on the border in April-June, on June 11 the Lithuanian occupation plan is finally approved. June 13 Military readiness is announced in Red Army units. The offensive was scheduled to begin on June 15. 9 o’clock An ultimatum is issued to Lithuania. Having no choice, she raised her hands. At the night meeting of the government, only the president Antanas Smetona objected to the surrender, so the Soviets’ ultimatum text of acceptance did not include even smooth words of protest.
Why did this happen? It is easy to blame that Lithuania was lazy at that time and did not resist. In slang terms, it was “stabbed”: the West was intimidated by the already raging World War II, and was also comforted by the fact that the Nazis had actively cooperated with it before the first attack on the Soviet Union…
So what are the analogies with today? For the sake of holy peace, Brussels dropped its interpretation on Lithuania and left it to the will of fate. As Moscow had expected, a debate humiliating Lithuania boiled over in Vilnius, and at that time Russia was making new demands. At first – due to transit, later we will receive ultimatums.
In these comments, I am not deliberately criticizing our politicians, because it is hopeless, and it is not appropriate to expect unity on this issue. Another thing is clear: neither blind loyalty to Brussels nor spontaneous hostility to Moscow will bring us political dividends. The pre-war situation is being repeated, and we have to preserve our national pride by finding compromises that avoid humiliation.
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