As a latvian, i just want to say thank you for giving us and our baltic brothers some love.

Everyone: *Poor Poland has gone trough so much in ww2...* Baltic states: *Hello? Anyone here?*

Basically Soviet or German, the people of the Baltics were stuck between a no win situation.

And Russians still ask why the Baltics don’t like them...

Fun fact: In Baltic states natives don't celebrate Victory day. Only russians does. For us it is reminder of ocupation.

What could be emphasized is that the Forest Brothers partisan movement is the largest partisan movement by ethnical population percentage and the longest lasting resistance movement in European History.

"While 2nd world war ended in 2. september 1945 for the rest of the world, it didn't for the baltic people until 1991/1994 when the last russian troops left."

I'm from Latvia. There are still many Russians in Baltics. Every year on 9th of may they gather and celebrate the great victory. They do it here on our soil. But for us it was not victory. It was only the beginning of suffering and repressions. So imagine how we feel when they celebrate it. They do not understand it. That's why there is a lot of hate.

Best wishes to our Estonian, Lithuanian brothers and sisters from Latvia !

Thanks for the video. I thought everyone forgot we existed in ww2. My Great Grandfather was part of the 16th Lithuanian Rifle division.

As i Lithuanian, i am Proud that our Patriots didn't gave up and kept fighting for decades. So now, i can enjoy our freedom

Lietuva 🇱🇹 Latvia 🇱🇻 Estonia 🇪🇪 brothers for life

Finally, someone speaks about us :D

Finally the baltics never get like any attention during history and the Baltic people during world War 1 and 2 suffered a lot

As a Latvian person myself, it makes me really happy that our (As in Baltic States, not just Latvian) history is finally getting some recognition

Even before WWII, the Baltic States suffered under the Czars and the Kaiser. A relative gave us a tour of the old family farm. Pointed to a spot, and said “that’s where we had our first house; but the Germans had their artillery on that hill, the Russians on the other. That was the end of that house.” That was WWI. WWII, supported the Forest Brothers/Partisans, deported to Siberia. Amazingly, most survived, and once de-collectivized, got back some of the farm after independence.

By the way, biggest deportation to Siberia of Lithuanians by soviets was only 8 days before Germans attacked USSR. No wonder Germans initially were welcomed as savers.

MY great grandfather was taken to Nazzi Germany to work at their farms, somewhat easier penalty than a concentration camp. He was allowed to return home briefly: married, had a family, built a farm. When asked about his experience in Germany he replied only with one sentence: "only stones are not edible". And the Soviets came, his whole family, was exiled to Syberia for collaboration with Nazzis. There literally was no win situation during those times... 😥 Luckily most of them were allowed to come back home 10 years later so we are here to tell their stories.

When it comes to World War Two, EVERYBODY knows the Leningrad Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich. But who has heard of the Latvian composer Lūcija Garūta or her cantata Dievs, Tava zeme deg! premiered in Rīga Cathedral during the 1944 Battle of Rīga, and in the original recording of the work, one could hear the sounds of the battle.

As a Latvian I can say that this was pretty much an unfair war, the baltics were just getting punched around by Russia and Germany

As Estonian, my great grandfather was a forrest brother and my grandfather’s family was sent to Siberia because they did well and had a farm. Also a lot of his uncles died.

no choices that don't suck when you neighbors are Stalin and Hitler

It's so strange to think that this all happened not long ago. My mamma often talked about how she and her brothers-sisters spent months hiding in the forest with -30 degrees while suffering from pneumonia. People had barely anything to eat and no proper roof on top of their head!!! Most of them were sure that they will die in the forest but no matter - they weren't ready to surrender.

As a lithuanian i want to say thank you for giving us and our baltic brothers love

My grand grandmother got informed to hide at a forest for the night. She did what the mystery person said, tommorow she came back to a empty place no poeple no electricity everyone was sent to either holocaust or somewhere else, im so lucky to be alive.

What have we learned? Well if Russia ever wants to send in troops for drinks and snacks. They don't leave and all their friends turn up uninvited.

"If we had to summarize countries and their history, countryballs would probably be the best way to do it."

Finally someone speaks about us and not Poland even though we suffered literally the same.

Finnaly someone speaks about us!

There is a good movie called "1944" it is about estonian soldiers. Half of estonians fought for Germany and half for Soviet union. It shows both sides. Were intresting movie actually and the most important thing is that there is no propaganda.

Theres one important fact that is perhaps not stressed enough. That baltic waffen-ss were seen by allies (and also soviets) as something different than rest of waffen-ss units, being more alike wermacht and totally different in ideology and purpose. Something even Nuremburg trials aknowledged- it wouldve been also been perfect chance to link your earlier video about said soldiers being guards in Nuremburg trials!

I'm Estonian and very proud of my country now. Changes is impressive. It's in top 30 most democratic countries now. Giant step further in last 30 years.

Been to all 3 baltic states, you guys have come a long way since being occupied, I loved visiting your countries and hope to visit again 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹

As a person with Lithuanian ancestry I am happy you mentioned the forest brothers a Lithuanian partisan group that resisted both Soviet and Nazi tyranny they will not be forgotten 🇱🇹❤️🇪🇪❤️🇱🇻

As a Lithuanian i gotta say you did gives us and our baltic brothers attention that we needed so thank you from the bottom of my heart

Hello from Lithuania ty so much for The support guys ❤️❤️

9:55 Interesting story behind that: when mobilisation for Waffen-SS began only 77 young men showed up in Kaunas, which had population of over 150 000. 68 of them were criples therefore unfit for the military. Bacause mobilisation failed, 46 famous people were arested and sent off to Stutthof concentration camp. Among those was a writer Balys Sruoga which later wrote satyrical book based on his experiences "Forest of Gods". The book was released to the public only 10 years after writer's death. Some speculate that Soviet goverment was reluctant to release it because similar practices were executed in USSR.

More on the forest brothers please

Better Dead than Red. Love from Lithuania🇱🇹🇪🇺

2:58 The photo is actually of Lithuanian Partisans Left to right: Klemensas Širvys-Sakalas, Juozas Lukša-Daumantas, Benediktas Trumpys-Rytis

My great grandmother's dad was the "book carrier". Only God knows how many horrible encounters and torture he went through during the years. Unfortunately, the whole family was slaughtered out in the end, and only my great grandmother survived as she was away in town. Imagine her coming back home and not being able to open the door as the bodies of her parents, brothers and sisters were tortured and fallen from bullets. My great grandfather from dad's side also been exiled to Siberia for years and his poor wife had to look after all the kids and the farm all by herself knowing her husband is being tortured and most likely she will never see him alive again. Luckily he survived and got back. I even have his release paperwork framed as the biggest treasure and history of my family. There was so much cruelty, torture but there was also just as much unity and stories of fallen heroes out there that did their share to keep the Baltics free.

My great grandfather was a partisan. My grandpa didn't know him, and his mother was sent to Siberia. Up until this day he keeps trying to use the internet to read about the partisans or find any information he can about what happened to his dad.

Feels good being validated in a video like this. As a Latvian we only yet had history of the blockade in Rīga in the 90s but not yet times like this, thank you for making this video.

A few years back I saw a video of a NATO German troop convoy driving through the Baltic’s. In the clip you can see an older gentleman, with missing legs, cheering for the convoy. God knows what he has seen.

As a latvian, it's really nice to see something about us on the internet

Hi im from Lithuania and i want to say thank you most people eather dont know about our egsistance or just don't care. Its fun to watch someone like you to notice not just our country but also our baltic sisters. So as a lithuanian i will accept the honor to tell you that lithuania is now a safe escape for you in trouble

And this my friends is why no one in Eastern Europe is going to respect a Twitter warrior from America who thinks communism is great, and proudly states it on their bio. Your grandfather wasn't part of the 3000 who survived. Who fought on the Russian side, then the German side, and then our side! Bless all my brothers from Lithuania and Estonia! And thank you The Front for bringing this topic up and speaking about the atrocities that the Russians committed! To this day those same people live here and refuse to speak or learn our language. Forcing us to learn Russian if we want work opportunities.

Forest brothers is a great topic

Myself being Lithuanian but going to school in UK at 2004, history books at that time(not that long ago if you think about it) did not have Lithuania marked, jt was still showing as part of Russia. Makes you think the educational system at that time, hence why at that time no one knew where Lithuania was lol.

There are noone from the baltic states, whose family wasnt affected by ww2. My fathers grandfather escaped deportation as he was able to jump off the train somewhere between Narva and St. Petersburg and hiking back home, and theres a collapsed forest brother bunker on the farm territory of my grandfather from my mothers side. Also ive heard of hushed talks about guns still hidden on the property, although my grandfather doesnt know where. Just shows how almost every family in estonia atleast and probs the other states suffered from the war

For the people out of Baltics, just think how much worse must USSR have been if Germany was seen as a liberator?

Thank-you for putting this out... I am Lithuanian ... The Balts are the most amazing people...very special people ♥️🇱🇹🇱🇻♥️

Please make a dedicated video about the "Forrest Brothers".

Lietuva!! Hello all Baltic sisters, Latvia and Estonia. If someone attacks. And NATO can't help. All 3 countries will become as one again, and fight as one again. But NATO will help. Btw Laba dien and Terë.. Fun fact. When soviet union crashed estonians said "We will fight, until last Lithuanian dies" (for independence The baltic road).

Thank you so much for this video!!!

Thank you for making this

When I worked on a farm in the early 1960's I met Urnst. He was from either Latvia or Lithuania. My father , the local Policeman, was dealing with his naturalisation papers. Urnst, had been severely injured whilst fighting against the Russians. He had massive burns to the right side of his body and was missing part of his right hand. Somehow he had got to England in the chaos at the end of the war, along with his wife. He hated the Russians with real venom but feared them also. He could never go home. He got his naturalisation papers and settled down in the English countryside. As a teenager I had never heard about the Baltic States until I met Urnst, his story showed me the stupidity of war and the duplicity of Governments.

Thank you for this video! I love seeing me and my brothers getting the attention that we usually never get. Paldies Jums visiem!

Much love to the Baltic states from Georgia, we know what you've been through.

The thing with Baltic States was also the fact, that they had fought against Russia in WW1 where they finally gained their independence (except for Lithuania of course, that had been a kingdom in the past) from Russia. So when the WW2 came and Red Army marched in, the people who had fought against Russia during WW1 or had anything to do with the governance of the republics, were either shot dead, sent to Siberia or sent to Siberian Gulag camps.

my grandmas family survived deportation to siberia. She keep telling me that I need to eat everything I have, because in siberia they were lucky to get some potatoe peel while russians ate all the good things and laughed at deported people.

G’day my fellow baltic brothers (Latvians and Estonians) and other brothers. This video means kinda a lot to everyone, a lot of people even forget we exist. This is probably a reminder that the Baltic Brothers really suffured.

Thanks for the video.

This is honestly really cool! Glad to have a famous channel talk about us and deal us justice.

Sometimes when I feel sad I go read comments of modern russians judging the peoples of the baltik states and eastern Europe for siding with the germans after what the red menace had done to them. A great laugh when it doesn anger.

As an Estonian I will say that it is a very dark thing to talk about among the people. Thousands of people were sent to Siberia for “death camps”. Btw Estonia was really badass in WW1 they beat the Russian invasion and also freed Riga from the Germans. But also it is history and there is no hate to Russians because history has done what it has done and our purpose is to look forward and learn from the past :)!

You should make a video about the independence wars in the baltic states during 1919. That the most confusing conflict ive ever seen.

Great video Thank you

Better dead than red.From Lithuania💛💚❤

Hey great seeing the spotlight on the baltics. I would love a video about Estonia.

As a Latvian ,Thanks for giving some love . This is awsome.

Thanks again for another great video!

I CANNOT MAKE THIS UP THE GUY IN THE MIDDLE IS MY GRAND UNCLE 3:01 🇱🇹

Greetings from Latvia in X-mass, and thanks for video buddy! :) you should talk about history so all can learn from it (and not do old mistakes) , as all good people should be known and remembered.

Thanks for giving us the attention!

Thanks for making this, love from Latvia !! :D

It was terrible time that harmed a lot of our people, thank you for discussing this important issue, greetings from Lithuania 🇱🇹

My grandmother and grandfather was seperate in train wagons, grandfather was sent to Germany and from that day my grandmother never saw him.. so many people was shot without reason in front of people’s eyes 👀

thank you for this.

As a Lithuanian American, i'm happy you made a video about the baltics, we have a rich history and very unique events from 1900-2000. 🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪💪🏼

i mean russians ocupied lithuania killed a bunch of people then the germans came in, alot of people celebrated but then the same thing happened more then 1 mil. people died throught all that

Finally, someone talks about our suffer... Latvians, Lithuanians, my Baltic States brothers and sisters... We will go all the way together🇱🇻🇱🇹👊

Great video! Greetings from Latvia 🇱🇻

Hello I am from Latvia and I am surprised you made a video about us thanks!

The Russians disliked this video😂

From Russia with love. Despicable that the Wedt turned the blind eye to all the atrocities commited by Stalind and his henchmen to the Baltic States and Poland

Thanks fro the vid! You need to talk more abuot the Forest Brothers and the Blue Mountin battel fought in Estonia!

Thank You! 👍

I'm from Latvia. Brothers or relatives being in the opposite sides in the war (conscripted or else) was pretty common. One of my grandfathers fought on the USSR side and the other in German. They shot at each other near their own village where they went to school together. That's pretty well sums up of the Baltics destiny in the war.

Thank you for recognising the Baltic states. My pop fled latvia to Germany with his family as a young boy in ww2 where he later immigrated to Australia after the war ended

so much thanks

Fun fact about the diplomacy between Latvia and the USSR at the time: the countries signed a peace treaty in 1920, in which the USSR agreed to forever give up any claims they had on the land of Latvia. But in Soviet lingo forever turned out to mean about 20 years. I'm not sure about the other Baltic states, but I assume they had something similar going on.

It's so sad to see what my country suffered in these hard times. (Latvia)

I vaguely recall a Japanese diplomat arranged passage to China for some of the Jews in one of these nations.

Thanks for making this video😌. I’m from Latvia, and I want people to know our history.😌😌

Well balanced, and some remarkable details.

Touched upon but not explained. The "Orzel incident" was 'amazing' in it's own right and shows how stupid the politics where. Basically when USSR went to war with Poland. A Polish submarine came to port due to sick people in Estonia, they actually escaped with force as Estonia was trying to make them disarm. Now the 'amazing' sentence. Basically USSR who just had declared war on Poland, said that Estonia was working against USSR by helping their enemies - Poland. Like how far can you stretch the logic. Poland that was getting whooped by a combined Soviet/German force was suddenly a threat, and by proxy Estonia also a threat. Kind of strange to think that now the current modern Russian spin on the story is that the Soviet state came in support to Poland to help against the Germans. Also some who say "Baltics should of fought", we just did - well we just had more like. During WW1, when Russia went into civil war. All these Baltic nations fought an independence war. By that time we were among "Europe" in losing plenty of good men and civilians. I mean sure, most European nations lost men but to small states this is even more of a stepping stone to follow up one independence war with basically another one against someone with the possibility to outmatch your entire population with their army. Remember during WW1 Russia at least was fighting other European powerhouses. At the start of WW2 Russia, or then USSR, had most of their forces ready and without any other big wars. It's the definition of a lose-lose situation. Gamble with losses against a powerhouse or hope they won't drag your nation down going the diplomatic route. At the end though at least independence was won back for all these nations.

I'm Lithuanian, and the history is sort of accurate if comparing to school and grandparents, just one thing that is really important, lithuanian language, Russians killed us for speaking lithuanian, lithuanian books were banned, schools teached only russian, but when guards went away, the teacher taught us lithuanian, we had these people called "Knygnešiai" (book carriers) basically these people brought lithuanian books for us to learn from, we had a portable school where these "teachers" taught us lithuanian, when the guards heard that there was a secret school they'd arrest or kill the people involved if they caught them or had snitches, if it wasn't for knygnešiai, i wouldn't be able to speak lithuanian as i can now. All of this info is from relatives, where I typed 'us' i meant by my relatives POV. this was just an important part of history for me, since lithuania is truly a beautiful language, although its hard, i can be proud of having a unique and beautiful language :)

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO GIVES ATTENTION TO THE BALTCS I don't understand why they are so underrated

Would love to know more about Latvia, or any country in depth