1940
Red Navy in the Bay of Tallinn Red Navy in the Bay of Tallinn The policy of non-involvement of the democratic West in the 1930s left Estonia between the devil and the deep sea.
Berlin and Moscow wasted no time: with the Hitler-Stalin Pact of August 1939, Estonia became one of many nations the Nazis and Soviets 'shared' between themselves. A couple of weeks later, openly threatened with invasion by the Soviet Union, Estonia had to accept the establishment of Red Army and Navy bases on its territory.


In June 1940, a de facto military take-over ensued. At a time when the bewildered eyes of the world were focused on the Nazis' entry to Paris, few took any notice of the beginning of Soviet occupation in the Baltic countries.


Local and immigrant communists (in spring 1940 the Estonian CP had only 133 members!), installed in power by overtly farcical elections, promptly 'asked' for Estonia's attachment to the Soviet Union.
Red Army o Soviet troops marching through Estonia
1940 o The Soviets did not even bother to hide the role of their military in the 'democratic decision-making' processes of the Estonian people
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