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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
During the First World War Germany had aimed at the eventual annexation of the Baltic provinces of Russia, later to become the independent Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia. After Germany had been defeated in November 1918, the young German Republic faced the task of building up relations with these small states. A new and difficult situation existed in Eastern Europe. Especially aggravating was the setting up of a large Polish state possessing areas of land which had formerly belonged to Germany. Beyond, Soviet Russia presented a great attraction to Germans who were anxious to exploit the potentially unlimited new markets and at the same time to offset some of the disadvantages created by the Treaty of Versailles. Under such circumstances the German government was anxious to obtain good relations with the Baltic states since, apart from a hostile Poland, they provided a means of indirect access to Russia. In the attempt to obtain the friendly co-operation of the Baltic states the German government was compelled to change its attitude towards the so-called ‘Baltic Germans’ who had been especially important in Latvia. This article attempts to show why such changes were considered necessary and what were the general aims behind the new German policy towards the Baltic Germans.
1 Maydell, Kurt Baron, ‘Die Baltendeutschen vor ihrer Umsiedlung: Ein statistischer Riickblick’, in jomsburg, 4 Jahrgang. (Berlin, 1940), p. 62.Google Scholar
2 Ibid. p. 64.
3 Handwörtembuch des Grenz und Auslandsdeutschtums (herausgegeben von Carl Peterson, Paul Hermann Ruth, Hans Schwalm. Ferdinand Hirt, Breslau, 1938), 11, 113.
4 Maydell, op. cit. p. 74.
5 Jahrbuch des baltischen Deutschtums (Riga, 1927), pp. 51–3.Google Scholar
6 Stavenhagen, Kurt, Das Deutschtum in Lettland. Taschenbuch des Grenz und Auslandsdeutschtums. Heft 20, Deutscher Schutzbund (Berlin 1927), p. 4.Google Scholar
7 Werner von Knorre, ‘Vom Wirtschaftsleben des baltischen Deutschtums’, in Wir Balten (herausgegeben von Max Hildebert Boehm and Hellmuth Weiss. Akademischer Balten (herausgegeben von Max Hildebert Boehm and Hellmuth Weiss. Akademischer Gemeinschaftsverlag. Salzburg/Munchen, 1951), pp. 112–16. Schiemann's article is printed in Wachtsmuth, W., Von deutscher Arbeit in Lettland (Köln, 1953), III, 5–9.Google Scholar
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10 The Allies insisted that German troops should stay in the areas formerly belonging to Russia until they were told to move. The German troops were to act as a temporary defence against the advancing Red armies.
11 Memorandum of Wipert von Blücher in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Reichsratsauschuss fiir Auswartige Angelegenheiten. 1. The memorandum is dated 17 May, 1920. (London Foreign Office Film. L 1757/L 512034–512036).
12 The text of the Provisional Agreement is in Albat, G., Reeueil des principaux traités conclus par la Lettonie avec les pays étrangers, 1918–1928 (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riga, 1928), pp. 31–7.Google Scholar
13 Lecture given on 26 January, 1921. Text in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Schadenersatz Kommissions. Handel Lettland 11, Nr. 3. Deutsches Zentralarchiv (DZA), Potsdam, 64746/1.
14 Unsigned memorandum of 6 June 1921, in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen der Randstaaten zu Deutschland, 1, Politik 2, Baltikum. Foreign Office Film, K 1752/K 429126–K 429129.
15 See note 20 for source.
16 See yearly report of the Bund der Auslandsdeutschen, 26 July 1920, in Reichsfinanzministerium files, Akten betreffend die Geschaftsberichte des Bundes der Auslandsdeutschen. 1, Schadeo 36 Generalia, Nr 1. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 2/Zg 29/1959/874.
17 See for instance the opening speech of the first Congress of Auslandsdeutschen held at Hamburg between 6 and 7 December 1920, in Alte Reichskaznlei files, Akten betreffend Auslandsdeutschtum. Auswärtige Angelegenehiten, in. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 4/31/544
18 For an important recent discussion of this point see Theodor Schieder, ‘Die Entstehungsgeschichte des Rapallo-Vertrages’, in Historische Zeitschrift, cciv, Heft 3 (June 1967), PP 545–602
19 Memorandum of Wipert von Blücher. See source cited in note 11.
20 Memorandum of Graf von Medem dated 20 January, 1920, in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Friedensverhandlungen. Allgemeines Material, 1, Frieden n, Wirtschaftliches Baltenland Nr. 1, Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 4/31/49. The winding-up authorities finished handing over the reins of government from the German wartime military and occupation authorities to the new Baltic governments after November 1918.
21 See letters from G. A. d. Russ to Auswartiges Amt, 10 and 19 December 1919, in Reichsfinanzministerium files, Akten betreffend Bund der Auslandsdeutschen und andere. I, Schaden 3b Generalia. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R z/Zg 29/1959/870.
22 Letter from Auswartiges Amt (Heilbron) to Reichsministerium des Innern, dated 8 February 1922, in Reichskanzei files, Akten betreffend Auslandsdeutschtum, Auswärtige Angelegenheiten. iv, Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 4/31/545.
23 This organization continued the work of the Rückwanderhilfe. See the letter from the Rückwanderhilfe to the Reichsministerium für Wiederaufbau enclosing details of the V.d.A., on 22 April 1922. In Reichsfinanzministerium files, Akten betreffend die Vereinigte Fursorge fur das Auslandsdeutschtums. I, Schaden 7 Generalia. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 2/Zg 29/1959/1013.
24 See e.g. the agreement of the German Reichsbankdirektorium to such a fund being set up in the ‘Stockholm Trade Bank’ of 150,000 Ost Rubel and 50,000 Ost marks. Letter of Reichsbank dated 19 February 1919, in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Finanz, Bank- und Wirtschaftsfragen, I, Frieden II, Wirtschaftliches Baltenland Nr 9. Bundesarchiv Koblenz.
25 These collections began in 1919.
26 For the text of the’ Bekanntmachung fur die Zuwendung von Reichsmitteln an Deutsche für Schäden im Ausland’ see Reichsfinanzministerium files, Akten betreffend Gründung einer Rückwanderfonds Kommission bei den Darlehnskassen. I, Schaden 7 Generalia, Nr 1. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 2/Zg 29/1959/1011. Compare the memorandum on compensations sent to the Reichsministerium für Wiederaufbau by the Schutzverband für deutsche Auslandsforderungen in December 1919 and written by Professor Walter Schücking. In Reichskolonialamt files, Akten betreffend Schadensforderungen der Auslandsdeutschen Generalia. I, Schaden 3 Generalia. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 2/Zg 29/1959/867.
27 Report of Bund des Auslandsdeutschen dated 26 July 1926 in Reichsfinanzministerium files, Akten betreffend die Geschäftsberichte des Bundes der Auslandsdeutschen. 1, Schaden 3b Generalia. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 2/Zg 29/1959.
28 See ‘Das Vereinsleben: Mitteillungsblatt der deutschen Schutzbundes’, sent by the ‘Committee for minorities’ rights' to Regierungsrat Dr Poeschel (Auswärtiges Amt) on 30 March 1921. Reichskanzlei files, Akten betreffend Auslandsdeutschtum, III. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 4 31/544.
29 Crohn- Wolfgang, H.F.: Lett lands Bedeutung für die östliche Frage (Berlin—Leipzig, 1923. W. de Gruyter & Co.), pp. 44–5.Google Scholar
30 On the general problem of rights of minorities and trade agreements in Latvia, see DrKroeger, E., Die rechtliche Stellung des Ausländers in Lettland. Lettländisches Fremdenrecht in internationalrechtliche Abhandlungen (Dr Walther Rothschild Verlag, Berlin-Grunewald, 1930) pp. 5–76.Google Scholar
31 In Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Deutschtum im Ausland. Lettland 1. Politik 25 Lettland. Political Archives Bonn (henceforth PAB).
32 Rüdiger, W., Aus dem letzten Kapitel Deutsch-Baltischer Geschichte in Lettland, 1919–1939 (Hannover-Wülfel, 1955), p. 35.Google Scholar
33 Maydell, op. cit. p. 88, shows that in 1935 there were 56,441 Latvian citizens of German origin compares with 3,003 German citizens in Latvia.
34 See e.g. his cautionary letter to Wedding, the German Ambassador in Reval on 12 July 1923. ‘We must base our policy in Estonia on the Estonians and not on the German Baits. I began this policy three years ago under great difficulties and carried it through.’ Auswärtiges Ami files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen Estland zu Deutschland, 1. London Foreign Office Film, K 246/K 075748-K 075749.
35 Schiemann to Maltzan, 4 September, 1920, in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen Deutschland zu Lettland, I. Politik 2 Lettland. PAB.
36 For von Bliicher's reply, dated 21 December 1920, see Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Deutschtum im Ausland. Lettland. 1. Politik 25 Lettland. PAB.
37 Wachtsmuth, Wolfgang, Wege, Umwege, Weggenossen (Winkler-Verlag, Müinchen, 1954) p. 222.Google Scholar
38 Cf. Rüdiger, op. cit. p. 35. Matters improved somewhat after 1923 partly because the German Baits were better organized by then, partly because Koster, who was appointed German Ambassador to Latvia in 1923, was a man interested in literature and the arts. Hans Riesser, appointed Legation Secretary to the German Embassy at Riga in April 1923, is as tantalizingly vague on the sums of money advanced by the German government. ‘It was a consolation that our efforts to preserve the German cultural heritage in Latvia had far greater success.’ Riesser, Von, Hans E.Versailles zur Uno (H. Bouvier & Co. Verlag, Bonn, 1962), p. 117.Google Scholar
39 Wachtsmuth, Wege, Umwege, Weggenossen, p. 188.
40 See e.g. letter of Professor Dr R. Euchen (undated) on his recent lecture tour of Latvia in 1922. Of visits of Reich German scholars to Riga he remarked.‘It would be very important if the term spent at the Herder Institute in Riga could be counted as part of the period of study in German; this would mean a great gain and would bring the German Baits still closer to the Reich Germans.’ Reichskanzlei files. Akten betreffend Auslandsdeutschtum, Auswartige Angelegenheiten, iv. Bundesarchiv Koblenz, R 4 31/545, fo. 1.
41 Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Deutschtum im Ausland. Lettland I, Politik 25 Lettland. Köster to Auswärtiges Amt, 10 January 1925. PAB.
42 Report of Henkel headed ‘End of June 1920’ in Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen Estland zu Deutschland. 1. Foreign Office Film K 2325/K 663535–K 663546.
43 Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Reichseignen Güter in Lettland und Litauen. Entschädigung I, Frieden II. Wirtschaftliches, Baltenland Nr 4a. Bundesarchiv Koblenz. The memorandum is dated 23 January 1920.
44 Ibid.. Note from Ministerium des Innern dated 3 February 1920.
45 See e.g. the memorandum of Ministerialrat Nasse of the Reichsministerium für Wiederaufbau dated 11 February 1921. In Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Schadnersatz Kommissions. Handel Lettland 11 Nr 3. DZA Potsdam 64746/1.
46 Up to 18 May 1925, between 800 and 900 claims involving German Baits had passed through the ‘Reich compensation office for War damages’. A total of 37,596,833 marks had been paid out. Ibid., 17 July 1925 report of’ Reichsentschadigungsamt für Kriegsschäden’.
47 Hans von Rimscha, ‘Die Politik Paul Schiemanns wahrend der Begründung der Baltischen Staaten im Herbst 1918’, Zeitschrift für Ostforschung, v (1956), 68.Google Scholar
48 Rimscha, , ‘Paul Schiemann als Minderheitenpolitiker’, in Vierteljahresheft für Zeitgeschichte, iv (1956), 45.Google Scholar
49 Unfug, Douglas, ‘The Baltic Policy of Prince Max of Baden’, Journal of Central European Affairs, (1963), 157–8Google Scholar
50 Wilhelm von Rüdiger, op. cit. pp. 5 ff.
51 Wachtsmuth, Wolfgang, Von deutscher Arbeit in Lettland. III. Das politische Gesicht der deutschen Volksgruppen in Lettland in der parliamentariscken Periode, 1918–1934 (Köln, 1953), pp. 37–8.Google Scholar
52 Rtmscha, Paul Schiemann als Minderheitenpolitiker, p. 51.
53 Rüdiger, op. cit. p. 5.
54 Cf. Ibid pp. 13–15.
55 Wachtsmuth, Von deutscher Arbeit in Lettland, III, 42–4.
56 Wachtsmuth, Wege, Umwege, Weggenossen, p. 222.
57 Radowitz to Auswärtiges Amt, 9 October 1920. Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend Deutschtum im Ausland, Lettland. 1. Politik 25 Lettland. PAB.
58 Rimscha, , Die Staatswerdung Lettlands und das baltische Deutschtum (Riga, 1939), p. 161.Google Scholar
59 See e.g. Schiemann, Paul writing in Jahrbuch des baltischen Deutschtums (Riga, 1927), pp. 23–6.Google Scholar
60 For Rosenberg's attitudes see his memoir, Für Deutschtum und Fortschritt in Lettland (Riga, 1928).Google Scholar
61 RUdiger, op. cit. p. 13.
62 The ‘ Kongress der organisierten nationalen Gruppen in den Staaten Europas’ was known for short as ‘ Europäischer Nationalitätenkongress’. It was founded by a German Bait from Estonia, Dr Ewald Ammende. It met every year between 1925 and 1938. See Hellmuth Weiss, ‘ Der deutsch-baltische Beitrag zur Lösung der Minderheitenfrage in der Zeit zwischen den beiden Weltkriegen’, in Leistung und Schicksal. Abhandlungen und Berichte über die Deutschen im Osten (Köln-Graz, 1967), pp. 325–6.Google Scholar
63 Schiemann, Paul, Ein europäisches Problem. Unabhdngige Betrachtungen zur Minderheitenfrage (Reinhold Verlag, Wien-Leipzig, 1937), p. 9.Google Scholar
3 von Hehn, Jürgen, Die Baltischen Lande. Geschichte und Schicksal der baltischen Deuts-chen (Holzner Verlag, Kitzingen/Main, 1951) p. 22.Google Scholar
65 Wachtsmuth, Wege, Umwege, Weggenossen, pp. 229–30.
66 Ibid. p. 230.
67 Rüdiger, op. cit. p. 35.
68 Handwörterbuch des Grenz und Auslandsdeutschtums, Bd. II. 162.
69 Schiemann's ‘Guidelines’ can be seen in Rigasche Rundschau, 12 January 1920, cited by Rüdiger, op. cit. pp. 22–3.
70 See e.g. Jahrbuch des Baltischen Deutschtums (Riga, 1927), pp. 51–3.Google Scholar
71 For source see note 57.
72 Rüdiger, op. cit. p. 18.
73 von Hehn, Jürgen, Lettland zwischen Demokratie und Diktatur. Jahrbücher für Geschichte Osteuropas, Beiheft 3 (Isar Verlag, München, 1957), p. 9.Google Scholar
74 Ibid p. 10.
75 See e.g. von Firks, Baron Wilhelm, ‘Lettländische Inennpolitik und Wir’, Baltische Monatsschrift (58 Jahrgang, Heft 3, Riga, 06 1927), p. 180.Google Scholar
76 See Schiemann's, ‘Innerpolitische Jahresiibersicht’ in Jahrbuch des Baltischen Deutschtums (Riga, 1927),Google Scholar pp. 23 ff.
77 Ibid Köster, however, advocated co-operation with the Social Democrats on the grounds that they would be more sympathetic to the rights of minorities. See e.g. Köster to Auswärtiges Amt, 12 March 1923. Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen Deutschland zu Lettland, III. London Foreign Office Film, K 2331/K 664063–K 664065.
78 Köster was worried about the possible effects on public opinion if t h e German faction brought the Social Democrat government down so soon after the signature of the Latvian-Russian agreement. Köster, after talking with Schiemann, tried to get Berlin to wire its encouragement to the German faction to continue to support the government. Köster to Auswartiges Amt, 4 November, 1927.
Wallroth replied that though it was possible to go beyond normal practice in the matter of such ‘an acutely important foreign policy question as that of the Latvian—Russian Trade Agreement, where the proper interests of the German Baits and Latvians coincided so closely with the foreign policy aims of the Reich…’ it was quite another matter to send the sort of telegram demanded by Köster and Schiemann. Wallroth to Köster, 9 November 1927. Both letters are in Auswärtiges Amt files, Handakten Wallroth, Lettland. London Foreign Office Film, 5265 H/E 319679—E 319684.
79 See e.g. Lehnich, O., Währung und Wirtschaft in Polen, Litauen, Lettland und Estland (Verlag R.L. Prager, Berlin, 1923), pp. 258–60,Google Scholar 302.
80 See e.g. the paper of the Democratic Centre in Latvia, ‘Latviijas Westnesis’ (hitherto against an orientation of Latvia's policy towards Germany) on the Locarno Agreement. Auswärtiges Amt files, Akten betreffend politische Beziehungen Deutschland zu Lettland, IV. London Foreign Office Film, K 2331/K 664219–K 664221.
81 Schiemann, , ‘Innerpolitische Jahresöbersicht’, Jahrbuch des Baltischen Deutschtums (Riga, 1927), p. 26.Google Scholar
82 Brenneisen, Lettland, Das Werden und Wesen, p. 56.
83 I wish to express thanks to Professor F. L. Carsten for his help and advice and also to Mr J. P. T. Bury for his helpful criticism of the article. Neither is, of course, responsible for my conclusions.