Baltic States during the Second World War and their Comparison with Slovenia

Abstract

The author compares the situation in the Baltic states with that in Slovenia during the Second World War when all were occupied by Germany. His conclusion is that the final objective of the German occupier was essentially the same in each country: the extermination and deportation of the majority of population or the Germanization of those fortunate enough to pass the racial tests. In the case of the Baltic peoples, such an objective was to be achieved in the long-term, whereas in Slovenia, it was supposed to be more immediate. This policy was reflected in the different types of occupation and measures applied by the Germans in the respective countries. The German occupation in the Baltic states resembled more that of Italians than that it applied in Slovenia. The main difference between Slovenia and the Baltic states was that, in the former, the resistance movement was strong, well-organized and military active, whereas in the latter, this was limited to mere political and propagandist activity.