Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

00:01:49
13/07/2017

ru.sputniknewslv.com/politonline.ru

On the official page of NATO on Twitter the movie trailer in English for “Forest brothers. Fight for the Baltics” was published, telling how “forest brothers” (today in Latvia they are called “national partisans”) fought for the independence of the Baltic countries against the USSR.

This is the story of the Forest Brothers who fought the Soviet army for their homelands after WWII pic.twitter.com/4JcfuJPmeO

— NATO (@NATO) July 11, 2017

​”After World War II partisans across the Baltic States disappeared in the forests in order to wage the most bloody guerrilla war in Europe against the occupying Soviet troops,” it is said in the trailer.

The eight-minute movie was published on YouTube, also on the official channel of the North Atlantic Alliance. Thus, it seems that nobody is worried about the fact that in Latvia many former SS legionaries and other henchmen of German fascist invaders fought in the ranks of the “forest brothers” .

Reference

Forest brothers (Latvian. mežabrāļi), the informal name of the armed national liberation forces that were operating in the 1940’s-1950’s on the territory of the Baltic Republics of the USSR — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — and opposing the Soviet power, for the restoration of the State independence of these Republics, lost in 1940 as a result of accession of the Baltic States to the USSR. This movement obtained the greatest scope in Lithuania in 1944-1947.

“Forest brothers” combined methods of guerrilla war with terror against those whom they considered as “traitors” and “collaborators” (especially clearly it is seen when one considers the period of 1944-1947). Thus, during 1944-1958 from hands of “forest brothers” in Lithuania more than 25,000 people died, from them about 23,000 were Lithuanians who were killed [and who started to collaborate with the Soviet power – ed]. For comparison: the general losses of the NKVD for all the post-war period was about 8,000 people (from them 4,000 in Western Ukraine).

In Latvia “forest brothers” substantially consisted of the former soldiers of the Latvian SS legion. The total number of partisans totalled up to 20,000, and 80,000 activists helped them with provisions and shelter. Latvian “forest brothers” destroyed from 1,500 (according to Soviet sources) to 3,000 (according to Latvian sources) supporters and officials of the Soviet power.

In January, 1946, across all the Baltic States 419 nationalist anti-Soviet groups with a total number of about 31,300 people were active. Their greatest number was in Lithuania — 300 groups, with a total number of about 30,000 people. In Latvia — 64 groups, with a total number about 20,000 people, in Estonia — 55 groups, numbering about 15,000 people.

Do your search, google it.
One from Estonia⤵ pic.twitter.com/VieBfV3S9I

— Malinka (@Malinka1102) July 12, 2017

NATO officially praised anti-Soviet partisans

But, most likely, propagandists in NATO already definitively defined that Russia all along the path of its historical development is an absolute evil, and that “Stalin is worse than Hitler”, and that’s why in the video material they weren’t ashamed at all.

So we shouldn’t be ashamed either to remind that all these “liberation armies of the Baltics” actively fought precisely against the USSR, starting from 1944, when the Baltic countries were liberated from fascist occupation. In “open and independent” sources it is said that they fought exclusively against Soviet Russia and for their independence, but for some reason it isn’t specified that “for the most convinced anti-Soviet persons the road to the SS was opened. Many of them later formed the skeleton of the Baltic “forest brothers”.

However, the ideology of russophobia seems to rise one step higher (or lower, it depends how you look at it), and soon it will be fashionable and prestigious to speak about war against the Red Army and to support the Third Reich, as about a glorious feat in the name of “European integration”.

However, this video has a practical sense. The fact is that in Baltic States the traditions of “forest brothers” aren’t forgotten. In Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, each of these countries has its own “people’s militia”. In Lithuania, by the way, it is the most modest in number. But all these paramilitary formations possess surprising similarity.

Firstly, they act in closest communication with the local Ministries of Defence, secondly, in the same close bond with NATO. There joint drills are periodically staged. Thus, at this time the main objective of the Latvian “Zemessardze“, Estonian “Kaitseliit“, and the Lithuanian “Riflemen’s Union” are identical – to hold on for 48 hours and to slow down the advance of the “aggressor” until the arrival of the main forces of NATO. In general, the same guerrilla warfare, and again against Russia.

All these militiamen already earlier expressed their attitude towards Russia almost directly and not being especially ashamed, but in the last three years they managed to stage a number of joint drills already with “Ukrainian guests”. For example, from “Azov” and similar “volunteer battalions”, which are also covered in swastikas up to their eyeballs.

It’s true that Lithuania against the background of its Baltic “colleagues” looks to be obviously lagging behind both in numbers and activity of the militia. So that’s why, probably, the “senior partners” reminded the citizens of Lithuania that they should act more actively. Especially as historical traditions oblige them, and in general, “it’s not for white people to risk their noble and most valuable lives in the marshes in the fight against ‘Russian barbarians’.”

On the telegram channel “Washington-Petushchki” on this occasion it is maliciously noted: “considering that by the estimates of NATO, in the event of Russian aggression in the Baltics, these countries will be occupied within 48 hours, the Alliance decided not to be worn out with ‘policy of restraint’ and to remind the Balts how it is necessary to independently resist the ‘aggressor’ in the conditions of ‘occupation’. For this purpose they decided to make a small video on the base of an already ready narrative: about the guerrilla fight of ‘Forest brothers’ against Soviet troops after the end of World War II. The German regimentals of the former somehow is a hint”.

In general, the flirting with nazi symbols takes place in the US and also in NATO in recent years, and it’s not like someone actively hides it. And if, joking apart, the same US Congress at first imposed a ban on the financing of “nazi organizations”, and then itself hastily cancelled it in order to quietly finance the notorious “Azov”. So liberalism and democracy, when there is a need for it to be liberalism and democracy, and where ever it is needed, there is another concept there: “the grandfather died, but his cause is alive”.

As for the Balts, here in general everything is quite sad, even irrespective of “glorious fascist traditions”. The most sad thing is that, actually, they are directly told that here they are needed as “cannon fodder” and they must unquestioningly go and create the first buffer zone with the “aggressor”.

In general, they clearly made it known how exactly the “white Western world” relates to the “proud sons of Baltic States”. However, Balts themselves long ago grovel for such sentiment.

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