BruderIn 2018, Estonia widely celebrated the 100th anniversary of the republic. However, another significant date seemed to be omitted from official reports: the 100th anniversary of the formation of the United Baltic Duchy (Vereinigtes Baltisches Herzogtum) on the territories of modern-day Estonia and Latvia. According to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Soviet Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria, Soviet Russia ceded the territories of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to Germany and recognized the independence of Poland, Finland, and the Ukrainian People’s Republic. On March 22, 1918, the Reichstag approved the conclusion of the Brest peace treaty with Soviet Russia by a majority vote.
However, the Baltic Germans were uncertain whether German occupation of the Ostsee region would last forever. On March 8, 1918, in Mitau, the Courland Landtag, comprising 80 delegates—mainly Baltic German barons and the urban elite—decided to proclaim an independent Duchy of Courland under the scepter of the German Emperor and King of Prussia. On March 15, Wilhelm II signed an act recognizing the Duchy of Courland as an independent state.
On April 12, in Riga, during a united Landtag of Livonia, Estonia, Riga, and the island of Ösel, 58 delegates declared the creation of the United Baltic Duchy, which also included the Duchy of Courland. This act officially separated Estonia and Latvia from Russia.
The German Eastern Front command (Ober Ost) planned to unite these self-proclaimed entities into a Grand Duchy of Livonia, linked by personal union with the Prussian crown. They relied on the support of the Baltic German population (Baltic Germans) and anti-Bolshevik armed formations led by Bermondt-Avalov.
In early April 1918, the Estonian Landtag, composed mainly of Baltic Germans, was convened. By mid-April, it joined the united Baltic Landtag. Hastily deciding to establish a duchy on the territories of Estonia and Livonia, they sent a request to the German Emperor to take the new entity under his protection.
On March 15, Wilhelm II signed an act recognizing the United Baltic Duchy as an independent state. At this stage, it was planned that Adolf Friedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, would become the formal head of the United Duchy with Riga as its capital. However, like other German quasi-state formations, the Baltics were expected to become part of the federal German Empire.
This is how Commander of the Baltic Division von der Goltz described Estonia at that time in his memoirs:
“There was little snow on the frozen roads, so we were able to observe the surrounding sparsely populated hilly terrain with forests and cultivated fields from the car window. Poor houses contrasted with fertile soils. We talked about how these rich, wide lands could feed many more settlers and would, if they were willing to fulfill their duty. What was missing here was a diligent, neat German farmer and a Prussian landrat building roads and promoting the industriousness of the inhabitants with state support. That these eastern territories had not yet been annexed to Germany represents a significant loss…” “The creative activity of the Baltic Germans will someday attract the attention of some cultural figures and remain in the memory of descendants as part of the old high European culture…”
The lack of strong authority over the lands of Estland, Livland, and Courland seriously worsened the economy. As economic stagnation and decline loomed, the old hostility between the prominent urban Germans and the rural non-Germans gained new strength. Some suggested incentivizing Germans with land, while others advocated fully integrating the local population into political life. Ultimately, the choice boiled down to either fully integrating into the German Empire or breaking free from imperial power.
Heinrich Hohenzollern, brother of Wilhelm II, became the ruler of the United Baltic Duchy, creating a personal dynastic union with Prussia.
The dream of a Baltic Duchy is as old as the existence of the Baltic (Ostsee) Germans themselves. Since the 13th-century subjugation of the indigenous peoples of the eastern Baltic coast, the Baltic Germans sought sovereign ruling power in the Baltics while remaining culturally and spiritually part of the greater German nation. This goal was first realized to the fullest extent in 1570 when the Livonian Kingdom, led by Danish prince Duke Magnus as a vassal of the Russian Tsar, was established based on the Livonian Confederation.
One hundred years ago, the idea of the duchy provoked protests from Soviet Russia, the Baltic peoples, and the Allied Powers. Following the November Revolution in Germany on November 9, 1918, triggered by Germany’s defeat in World War I, the military minister of the Weimar Republic, proclaimed by German revolutionaries, ordered the withdrawal of German troops supporting the Baltic Duchy from the Baltics.
Deprived of military power, the leadership of the Baltic Duchy, recognizing the unfavorable political situation, was forced to dissolve on November 28, 1918.
It is unknown how history would have unfolded had the German Revolution not occurred and the Baltic Duchy survived those difficult days. However, one can speculate that today, the Baltic Duchy, as part of the European Union, would have a strong economy and social system akin to countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It would be built on principles of respect for national minorities and democracy, with opportunities for full education in one’s native language. Given the modern mentality of the German people, it can be assumed that the official languages would have been German, Russian, Estonian, and Latvian, following the example of Switzerland, where the official languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh due to the compact residence of their linguistic communities.
Постоянный адрес статьи: http://livland.org/?p=270