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Dispatch → Factbook → Overview
The Baltic Republic
Jungtinė Baltijos Respublika
The United Baltic Republic
1941 - 1965
Flag of the United Baltic Republic
Coat of Arms
The United Baltic Republic in green
The 20 districts of the United Baltic Republic
I Etymology
II History
. . .1 Northern Crusades
. . .2 Baltic dominions of the Swedish Empire
. . .3 Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire
. . .4 United Baltic Duchy
. . .5 World War II
. . .6 Modern Times
. . . . . .a Nationalism and Anti-Russian Sentiment
. . . . . .b Ashgabat Alliance
. . . . . .c New Caledonian War
III Geography and Climate
IV Demographics
. . .1 Ethnicity
. . . . . .a Lithuanian
. . . . . .b Latvians
. . . . . .c Russians
. . . . . .d Estonians
. . . . . .e Poles
. . . . . .f Jews
. . . . . .g Other
. . .2 Language
. . . . . .a Lthuanian
. . . . . .b Latvian
. . . . . .c Russian
. . . . . .d Estonian
. . . . . .e Other
. . .3 Religion
. . . . . .a Roman Catholics
. . . . . .b Lutherans
. . . . . .c Orthodox Christians
. . . . . .d Nonreligious
. . . . . .e Other Religions
. . .4 Cities
V Government
. . .1 Structure
. . . . . .a Executive
. . . . . .b Legislative
. . . . . .c Judicial
. . .2 Political Parties
. . . . . .Baltic Nationalist Union
. . . . . .b
. . . . . .c
. . . . . .d Minor Parties
. . .3 Foreign Relationa
. . .4 Military
. . . . . .a Army
. . . . . .b Navy
. . . . . .c Airforce
VI Economy
The Baltic Republic (Baltijos Respublika), officially known as the United Baltic Republic and informally known as the Baltics, is a sovereign nation in the Baltic region of northern-eastern Europe. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south and east by the Soviet Union, to the south by Poland, and to the southwest by Germany. The Baltic Republic has an estimated population of 6.5 million people, and its capital is Vilnius, while its largest city is Riga. The Baltic Republic is a diverse nation mainly comprised of Lithuanians, Latvians, Russians, and Estonians. The official language is Lithuanian, but the large majority of Balts are fluent in several other languages including Latvian, Estonian, English, and Russian.
The southeastern shores of the Baltic Sea were inhabited by various pagan Baltic tribes for centuries. The northern region of the Baltics known as Estonia and the central region known as Latvia were under successive Russian, Finnic, German, Polish, Swedish, and Danish rule, while the southern region known as Lithuania was united into the Kingdom of Lithuania in 1253. In the 14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country in Europe controlling modern-day parts of Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. With the Lublin Union of 1569, Lithuania and Poland formed a two-state union, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth lasted more than two centuries, until neighboring countries dismantled it from 1772-1795, with the Russian Empire annexing most of Lithuania's territory.
The United Baltic Duchy was formed after Germany conquered the Baltics from Russia in World War I. When WWII arrived, the Soviet Union invaded the Baltics and toppled the Duchy, putting the region under Russian rule again. In June of 1941, Balts throughout the former Duchy rebelled against Soviet rule and captured the entirety of their previous lands in what was named the June Uprising. The United Baltic Republic was established on July 14, 1941.
The Baltic Republic is a developed country with an advanced, high-income economy that is among the fastest growing in Europe. It ranks very high in the Human Development Index of Europe. It is a democratic republic with an elected president and prime minister who lead the Seimas (Parliament). In recent times, nationalism and ant-Russian sentiment has increased, and political freedoms and civil rights have decreased. The nation has many ethnic and religious groups with large communities of minorities including Polish, Russian, and Jewish majority cities.
Etymology
The term "Baltic" stems from the name of the Baltic Sea – a hydronym dating back to the 11th century and earlier. Although there are several theories about its origin, most ultimately trace it to Indo-European root meaning "white" or "fair". This meaning is retained in modern Baltic languages, where baltas (in Lithuanian) and balts (in Latvian) mean "white". However the modern names of the region and the sea, that originate from this root, were not used in either of the two languages prior to the 19th century.
The term "Baltic states" was, until the early 20th century, used in the context of countries neighbouring the Baltic Sea - Namely Sweden and Denmark, sometimes also Germany and the Russian Empire. With the advent of Foreningen Norden, the term was no longer used for Sweden and Denmark. After World War I the new sovereign states that emerged on the east coast of the Baltic sea became known as "The Baltics". The demonym "Balt" refers to an inhabitant of the United Baltic Republic, but is sometimes also used to refer to ethnic Balts (Lithuanians and Latvians).
History
Northern Crusades
In the 13th century, pagan and Eastern Orthodox Baltic and Finnic peoples in the region became a target of the Northern Crusades. In the aftermath of the Livonian crusade, a crusader state officially named Terra Mariana, but also known as Livonia, was established in the territory of Latvia and Southern Estonia. It was divided into four autonomous bishoprics and lands of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. After the Brothers of the Sword suffered defeat at the Battle of Saule, the remaining Brothers were integrated into the Teutonic Order as the autonomous Livonian Order. Northern Estonia initially became a Danish dominion, but it was purchased by the Teutonic Order in the mid-14th century. The majority of the crusaders and clergy were German and remained influential in Estonia and most of Latvia until the first half of the 20th century. Baltic Germans formed the backbone of the local gentry, and German served both as a lingua franca and for record-keeping.
of the Grand Dukes
The Lithuanians were also targeted by the crusaders, however they were able to resist and formed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania some time before 1252. It allied with the Kingdom of Poland. After the Union of Krewo in 1385 created a dynastic union between the two countries, they became ever more closely integrated and finally merged into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. After victory in the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War, the Polish–Lithuanian union became a major political power in the region.
Baltic dominions of the Swedish Empire
In 1558 Livonia was attacked by the Tsardom of Russia, and the Livonian war broke out, lasting until 1583. The rulers of different regions within Livonia sought to ally with foreign powers, which resulted in Polish–Lithuanian, Swedish and Danish involvement. As a result, by 1561 the Livonian confederation had ceased to exist and its lands in Latvia and Southern Estonia became the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and the Duchy of Livonia, which were vassals to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Osel island came under Danish rule and Northern Estonia became the Swedish Duchy of Estonia. In the aftermath of later conflicts of the 17th century, much of the Duchy of Livonia and Osel also came under Swedish control as Swedish Livonia. These newly acquired Swedish territories, as well as Ingria and Kexholm (now the western part of the Leningrad Oblast of Russia), became known as the Baltic Dominions. Parts of the Duchy of Livonia that remained in the Commonwealth became Inflanty Voivodeship, which contributed to the modern Latgale region of Eastern Latvia becoming culturally distinct from the rest of Latvia as the German nobility lost its influence and the region remained Catholic just like Poland-Lithuania, while the rest of Latvia (and also Estonia) became Lutheran.
Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Swedish Empire was attacked by a coalition of several European powers in the Great Northern War. Among these powers was Russia, seeking to restore its access to the Baltic Sea. During the course of the war it conquered all of the Swedish provinces on the Eastern Baltic coast. This acquisition was legalized by the Treaty of Nystad in which the Baltic Dominions were ceded to Russia. The treaty also granted the Baltic-German nobility within Estonia and Livonia the rights to self-government, maintaining their financial system, existing customs border, Lutheran religion, and the German language; this special position in the Russian Empire was reconfirmed by all Russian Tsars from Peter the Great to Alexander II. Initially these were two governorates named after the largest cities: Riga and Reval (now Tallinn). After the Partitions of Poland which took place in the last quarter of the 18th century, the third Ostsee governorate was created, as the Courland Governorate. This toponym stems from the Curonians, one of the Baltic indigenous tribes. Following the annexation of Courland the two other governates were renamed to the Governorate of Livland and the Governorate of Estland.
In the late 19th century, nationalist sentiment grew in Estonia and in Latvia morphing into an aspiration to national statehood after the 1905 Russian Revolution.
The United Baltic Duchy
World War I rapidly reached the Baltic region. Germany's push to the east drove the forces of the Russian Empire to retreat. By the end of 1915, Germany occupied the entire Baltic region. A new administrative entity, Ober Ost (short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is German for "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East"), was established. Lithuanians lost all political rights: personal freedom was restricted, and at the beginning the press was banned.
However, the Baltic intelligentsia tried to take advantage of the existing geopolitical situation and began to look for opportunities to restore its independence. Baltic Germans began forming provincial councils between September 1917 and March 1918. On April 12, 1918 a Provincial Assembly composed of 35 Baltic Germans, 14 Lithuanians, 12 Estonians, and 8 Latvians passed a resolution calling upon the German Emperor to recognize the United Baltic Duchy as a monarchy and make them a German protectorate. The Baltic lands were recognized as a sovereign state by emperor Wilhelm II only on April 22, 1918.
On May 5, 1918 a temporary Regency Council (Regentschaftsrat) for the new state led by Baron Adolf Pilar von Pilchau was formed. The capital of the new state was designated Riga. It was to be a confederation of 11 cantons: Courland, Riga, Latgale, South Livonia, North Livonia, Saaremaa, Estonia, Vilnius, Klaipeda, Kaunas, and North Lithuania. The first head of state of the United Baltic Duchy was proclaimed Adolf Friedrich, not as a sovereign monarch, but as a subordinate to the German Kaiser, similar to other dukes and grand dukes of the German Empire. The appointed Regency Council consisting of four Baltic Germans, three Estonians and three Latvians functioned until November 28, 1918 without any international recognition, except from Germany.
In October 1918, the Chancellor of Germany proposed to have the military administration in the Baltic replaced by civilian authority. The new policy was stated in a telegram from the German Foreign Office to the military administration of the Baltic: The government of the Reich is unanimous in respect of the fundamental change in our policy towards the Baltic countries, namely that in the first instance policy is to be made with the Baltic peoples.
An elected parliament convened on May 1, 1920, and adopted a liberal constitution, the Satversme, in February 1922. The constitution was partly suspended by Duke Adolf Friedrich after his coup in 1934. With most of the United Baltic Duchy's industrial base evacuated to the interior of Russia in 1915, radical land reform was the central political question for the young state. In 1897, 61.2% of the rural population had been landless; by 1936, that percentage had been reduced to 18%.
By 1923, the extent of cultivated land surpassed the pre-war level. Innovation and rising productivity led to rapid growth of the economy, but it soon suffered from the effects of the Great Depression. The United Baltic Duchy showed signs of economic recovery, and the electorate had steadily moved toward the center during the parliamentary period.
World War II
Initially prior to World War II, the Duchy declared neutrality and its Seimas passed the neutrality laws. Though, on the eve of World War II, as the geopolitical situation in the region started to change, the Duchy was forced to accept the ultimatums of the neighboring countries. On 20 March 1939, the Baltics was handed an ultimatum by Germany. A request was made to transfer the Klaipėda Region to Germany. Two days later, without seeing the way out, the Baltic government signed the agreement.
Moscow, where they later were tactically
forced to sign the Soviet–Baltic
Mutual Assistance Treaty
Another large neighbor — the Soviet Union also began preparing for the occupation of the Baltic territory. On 7 October 1939 the Baltic delegation departed to Moscow where they later had to sign the Soviet–baltic Mutual Assistance Treaty due to the unfavorable situation. The treaty resulted in five Soviet military bases with 20,000 troops established across the Baltics. According to the Baltic Minister of National Defence Kazys Musteikis, Baltic Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys initially said that the baltic Republic refuses the Russian garrisons, however Joseph Stalin threatened Urbšys into submisson. Two of the military bases with thousands of Soviet soldiers were established close to Kaunas in Prienai and Gaižiūnai.
The next step made by the USSR was accusations of the abduction of the Red Army soldiers. Although the Duchy denied such allegations, the tensions became heightened on both sides. On 14 June 1940, the USSR issued an ultimatum, demanding to replace the government and allow Red Army's units to enter the territory of the United Baltic Duchy without any prior agreements, which would mean the occupation of the country. On 14 June 1940 just before midnight, the last meeting of the Duchy's Government was held in the Duke's Palace, in Riga. During it, the Soviet's ultimatum was debated. In the morning, the government resigned while the duke left the country to avoid the fate of the Soviet's puppet. Soon the Red Army flooded the Baltics through the Belarus–Baltic border with more than 200,000 soldiers and took control of the most important cities, including Riga where the heads of state resided. The Baltic Armed Forces were ordered not to resist and the Baltic Air Force remained on the ground. At the time, the Baltic Armed Forces had 26,084 soldiers (of which 1,728 officers) and 2,031 civil servants. While the Baltic Riflemen's Union, subordinate to the army commander, had over 62,000 members of which about 70% were farmers and agricultural workers.
After the occupation, the Soviets had immediately taken brutal actions against the high-ranking officials of the state. Both targets of the ultimatum: the Minister of the Interior and the Director of the State Security Department of the United Baltic Duchy were transported to Moscow and later executed. Soldiers, officers, senior officers and generals of the Baltic Army, who were seen as a threat to the occupants, were quickly arrested, interrogated and released to the reserve, deported to the concentration camps or executed, trying to avoid this many joined the Baltic partisans forces. The army itself was firstly renamed to the Baltic People's Army, however later it was reorganized to the 29th Rifle Corps of the Soviet Union. The wealthy and powerful Baltic Germans returned to Germany to seek refuge from the Soviet wrath after being a highly influential group on the Baltics since the 13th and 14th centuries.
In the United Baltic Duchy, World War II began on 15 June 1940, when the USSR invaded, and Sovietization started right away. The USSR banned opposition, its press, and organizations and also restricted ties with foreign countries. Shortly, on 17 June 1940 the puppet People's Government of the Baltics was formed, which consistently destroyed Baltic society, political institutions and opened the way for the Communist Party to establish itself. In order to establish the legitimacy of the government and design the plans of the Baltics' "legal accession to the USSR", on July 1, the Seimas was released and the forced elections with falsified results to the People's Seimas were organized, which were won by the Baltic Labor People's Union. The new government obeyed the occupiers' proposal to "ask" the Soviet authorities to have the Baltics admitted to the Soviet Union. Nationalization of property and deportation of the local population was in full swing.
After the occupation, the Baltic Diplomatic Service did not recognized the new occupants authority and started the diplomatic liberation campaign of the Baltics. In 1941, Kazys Škirpa, Leonas Prapuolenis, Juozas Ambrazevičius and their supporters, including the former Commander of the Baltic Army General Stasys Raštikis, whose whole family was deported to Siberia, began organizing an uprising. After realizing the repressive and brutal Soviet rule reality, in early morning of 22 June 1941 (the first day when Germany attacked the Soviet Union) Balts began the June Uprising, organized by the Baltic Activist Front, in Riga where its main forces were concentrated. The uprising soon expanded to Vilnius and other locations. Its main goal was not to fight with the Soviets, but to secure the city from inside (secure organizations, institutions, enterprises) and declare independence. By the evening of June 22, the Balts controlled the Duke's Palace, post office, telephone and telegraph, radio station and radiophone. The control of Vilnius and most of the Southern Baltic territory was also shortly taken by the rebels. Multiple Red Army divisions stationed in the Baltics' territory, including the brutal 1st Motor Rifle Division NKVD responsible for the June deportation, and the marionette Baltic SSR regime commanders were forced to flee. Commander of the Red Army's 188th Rifle Division colonel Piotr Ivanov reported to the 11th Army Staff that during the retreat of his division through Kaunas "local counterrevolutionaries from the shelters purposefully and severely fired to the Red Army, the flocks suffered heavy losses of soldiers and military equipment". About 5,000 occupants were killed in the Baltics. On June 23, 1941 at 9:28 AM Tautiška giesmė, the national anthem of the United Baltic Duchy, was played on the radio in Kaunas. Many people listened to the Baltic national anthem then with tears in their eyes. From Kaunas radio broadcasts, other Balts learned that the rebellion was taking place in the country, and the insurgents took Kaunas.
On July 14, 1941, The Proclamation of the Independence and Formation of the United Baltic Republic was announced, establishing the current form of government. Baltic forces managed to maintain its gained lands as the USSR focused on fighting Germany. In May of 1943, Germany deployed its armed forces into the Baltics in operation Weiße Erlösung (White Redemption), driving Soviet forces out of the central and northern Baltics. Germany maintained a fraction of its troops to keep the peace, but allowed the Baltic Republic to be revived and have full autonomy. Germany slowly removed its troops from the region after the war was over and also kept control over Klaipeda. Germany maintained close ties with the Baltic Republic just as it had before the Soviet invasion.
Modern Times
Nationalism and Ant-Russian Sentiment
Anti-Russian sentiment rapidly increased during and after the war. The ravages of the Soviet occupation left the Baltic people resentful towards their oppressors, prompting them to release their aggression on Russians living in the Baltic Republic. The suppression of Baltic culture and the forcing of Russian culture onto Balts through Russification led to increased nationalism among Balts. The Baltic Nationalist Union returned to prominence in the late 1940s, promoting nationalism and racism. The Night of Red Crosses of the 20th of August, 1946 caused the death of approximately 200 Russians in Vilnius. Nationalist groups broke into Russian homes and slaughtered families, and several Orthodox Churches were burned down. Similar events on smaller scales occurred every few years throughout the nation. Russians were generally treated unfairly by the justice system with Russians being sentenced to harsher punishments than Balts. Police brutality against Russians continues to be rampant, and politicians and public officials openly slander Russians with little backlash.
Night of Red Crosses
In January of 1965, the USSR mobilized troops to the Baltic-Soviet border as a threat to the Baltic Republic to stop the mistreatment of Russians. In response to Russian denunciation of the Baltic Republic for its treatment of Russians, President Waldemar Sernas released a statement saying, “the Seimas and I already recognize that Russians are being mistreated in some parts of the country, and we have been working on a solution for weeks now. I do not need Soviet help to recognize my own nation’s problems. And the Russians and Soviets act as if it is only ethnic Balts that are being violent, when on several occasions Russians have been viscious against Balts, like the recent riot against the Baltic National Union’s head quarters. But anyway, we understand that Russians and Balts do not get along and may not get along anytime soon, so we have come up with a final solution to this problem between.” This solution was the Russian Relocation Act which allows Russians living in the Baltics to immigrate to the Soviet Union and mandates that all Russians who continue living in the Baltics be “peacefully and humanely” relocated to strictly Russian communities in the north. The Act also mandates that these housing facilities be well gaurded to protect the Russians from external threats. Relocation will begin as soon as possible. The military forces near the border have been increased in response to the Soviet build up.
After the passage of the Russian Relocation Act, the Seimo Rūmai, the Siemas Palace where the Lithuanian parliament meets, was set on fire. No one was harmed since it was carried out at night, but the building suffered heavy damages. When the police arrived at the Seimo Rūmai, they found Nikita Alexeev, a prominent Russian communist from Estonia, near the building. Alexeev and three other Russians suspected of being part of the arson attack were arrested. The Vilnian Times and several other major newspapers reported that Alexeev was working with the Soviets, and that the arson was a Soviet ploy to inspire revolution. Following the attack, President Sernas called an emergency Seimas meeting, and the Seimo Rūmai Ugnis Decree (Seimas Palace Fire Decree) was passed. The decree reads: “On the basis of Article 39 paragraph 4 of the Constitution of the Baltic Republic, the following is ordered in defense against Communist motivated acts of violence:
1. Articles 87, 88, 90, 92, 93, and 106 of the Constitution the Baltic Republic are suspended until further notice. It is therefore permissible to restrict the rights of personal freedom, freedom of (opinion) expression, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications. Warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.”
The Soviet threats also prompted the mutual defense alliance between the Baltic Republic and the Central Austrian Empire. Austria placed a military base with nuclear missiles in the Baltics as a counter threat to the USSR and as a safety measure to protect the Baltics, and important buffer between Austria and Soviet influence.
Ashgabat Alliance
Due to the Soviet threat to all ex-Russian nations, the Baltic Republic, Konratopia, Quintipoli, and Sweden at conference held in Ashgabat formed a mutual defense alliance in 1961 in which the nations agreed to protect each other from the invasion of superpowers, especially the Soviet Union. Yurizlansia was also invited to join the alliance but the it refused. The Baltic Republic supported by Sweden attempted to convince the other two delegations to allow Germany into the Alliance, but they vehemently refused to involve a world superpower like Germany into the alliance. The allied nations never acted in accordance to the alliance, and it fell apart after Sweden pulled out. Seeing that one of the main powers in the alliance left and feeling an increased alienation towards Germany, the Baltic Republic also removed itself from the alliance, and Konratopia followed suit.
Mardasian and French forces in Noumea.
In February of 1961, the Mardasian Navy invaded the small island of New Caledonia, an Oceanykan territory. Mardasian ships landed at the southern tip of the island and made their way up north through jungle and violent militias. Oceanyka sought the help of Crimson
Sky Defense, a private military company from the Baltic Republic. The mercenaries landed in New Caledonia and engaged with Mardasian troops alongside Oceanykans. France also joined into the conflict and secured a Mardasian-French victory, capturing the island. Although the Baltic Republic remained neutral during the war, the involvement of mercenaries form the Baltics soured relations with Mardasia but also strengthened relations with Oceanyka, allowing future trade agreements to occur.
The United Baltic Republic is located in northern-eastern Europe, on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, and covers an area of 175,117 km˛. It lies between latitudes 53° and 59.5° N and between latitudes 21° and 29° E. The Baltic states are bounded on the west and north by the Baltic Sea, which gives the region its name, on the east and south by Russia, and on the southwest by Poland and an exclave of Russia. The underlying geology is sandstone, shale, and limestone, evidenced by hilly uplands that alternate with low-lying plains and bear mute testimony to the impact of the glacial era. Glacial deposits in the form of eskers, moraines, and drumlins occur in profusion and tend to disrupt the drainage pattern, which results in frequent flooding. The Baltic region is dotted with more than 7,000 lakes and countless peat bogs, swamps, and marshes. A multitude of rivers, notably the Neman and Western Dvina, empty northwestward into the Baltic Sea.
The climate is cool and damp, with greater rainfall in the interior uplands than along the coast. Temperatures are moderate in comparison with other areas of the East European Plain, such as in neighbouring Russia. Despite its extensive agriculture, the Baltic region remains more than one-third forested. Trees that adapt to the often poorly drained soil are common, such as birches and conifers. Among the animals that inhabit the region are elk, boar, roe deer, wolves, hares, and badgers.
LEFT MIDDLE: White stork is the national bird of the Baltic Republic and it has the highest-density stork population in Europe.
RIGHT MIDDLE: Venta Rapid in Kuldīga is the widest waterfall in Europe and a natural monument of the Baltic Republic.
RIGHT: One of the many soft sand beaches along the Baltic Sea.
LEFT MIDDLE: The Neman river which divides the Baltic Republic and the Soviet Union.
RIGHT MIDDLE: Wild European bisons are found in the Baltics.
RIGHT: Marsh and wetlands dot the region such as the this area of the northern Baltics.
Ethnicity
Language
Religion
Cities
The government of the United Baltic Republic is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic based on the Constitution of the United Baltic Republic, whereby the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the President and the Government, which is led by the Prime Minister. Legislative power is held by the Government and by the unicameral Seimas. Judicial power is vested in judges appointed by the President. The Judiciary consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and separate administrative courts. The government is a multi-party system, whereby numerous parties must cooperate to form coalition governments.
The Constitution of the United Baltic Republic was drafted in 1941 shortly after the nation's independence from the USSR. In the early years of the republic, the Peasant Popular Union (PPU) and the Christian Democratic Party (CDP) were the dominant parties. All of the presidents other than Waldemar Sernas, the current president, were part of either the PPU or CDP. The country has taken a drastic turn in recent years. The Baltic National Union (BNU) became the dominant party after getting the plurality in the Seimas in the 1954 midterm election and winning the presidential election of 1956. The passage of the Seimas Palace Fire Decree practically nullified the articles in the Constitution that ensured civil rights and political liberties. The Executive Empowerment Act allowed the President to dominate the government by granting the powers of all three branches to the president, thereby rendering the Seimas and courts powerless. The system of governance described in this factbook is based off the constitution, not the current government.
Government
The Government of the United Baltic Republic is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch checks the power of the other branches in order to maintain the balance of power.
Executive Branch
The President is the head of state and is elected directly to serve a five year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Presidents first order of business upon election is selecting a Prime Minister to be approved by the Seimas. Then the President approves of the Council of Ministers, which are chosen by the prime Minister, and appoints other top civil servants and court justices. The President serves as the commander-in-chief, oversees foreign and security policy, addresses political problems, and approves laws.
The current President is Waldemar Sernas of the Baltic National Union who has served since 1956. He is serving his second term which ends in June of 1966; however, many do not expect him to step down after recent events such as the implementation of the Executive Empowerment Law. ADD INFO BOUT PREV PRSDNTS
No | Term | President | Party |
1 | 1941-1946 | Kazys Škirpa | Christian Democratic Party |
2 | 1946-1951 | Konstantin Päts | Peasant Popular Union |
3 | 1951-1953 | Antanas Merkys | Christian Democratic Party |
4 | 1953-1956 | Kārlis Reinholds Zariņš | Baltic National Union |
5 | 1956-current | Waldemar Sernas | Baltic National Union |
The Prime Minister of the United Baltic Republic, the head of government, is appointed by the President and approved by the Seimas. The Prime Minister chooses the Council of Ministers for the President to approve. The Prime Minister is in charge of the general affairs of the country, maintains homeland security, carries out laws and resolutions of the Seimas and decrees of the President, and maintains diplomatic relations with foreign countries and international organizations.
No | Term | Prime Minister | Party |
1 | 1941-1946 | Mykolas Sleževičius | Christian Democratic Party |
2 | 1946-1947 | August Rei | Social Democratic Party |
3 | 1947-1951 | Adrian von Fölkersam | Christian Democratic Party |
4 | 1951-1953 | Augusts Kirhenšteins | Christian Democratic Party |
5 | 1953-1956 | Waldemar Sernas | Baltic National Union |
6 | 1956-current | Lukas Rimsa | Baltic National Union |
The Council of Ministers is a cabinet of 14 ministers chosen by the Prime Minister and approved by the President. Each minister is in charge of a separate ministry.
Ministry | Area of Responsibility | ------Minister------ | --Since-- |
Ministry of Agriculture | Agriculture, food industry and fisheries. | Kārlis Dinbergs | 1956 |
Ministry of Culture | Cultural and public information policies, copyright, libraries, museums and galleries, cultural education and reading promotion, preserving and digitizing cultural heritage, literature and publishing, music, theatre, visual arts and film. | Edgaras Pocius | 1963 |
Ministry of Economy | Business environment, investment, export, innovation, state-owned enterprises, public procurement, tourism. | Bronislovas Ulanovas | 1961 |
Ministry of Education and Science | Formal and non-formal education, science and studies. | Raivo Manitski | 1965 |
Ministry of Energy | Fuel, electricity, and supply. | Julia Beekman | 1965 |
Ministry of Environment | Environmental protection, forestry, utilization of natural resources, geology and hydrometeorology, territorial planning, construction, provision of residents with housing, utilities and housing. | Uldis Kalniņš | 1961 |
Ministry of Finance | Budget, taxation, state debt management, financial services, accounting and reporting, internal audit and internal control, and renewal of the state-owned immovable property. | Eduard Lieven | 1961 |
Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Foreign relations and diplomatic network, consular services, international organizations, strategic international projects. | Victor Kettler | 1956 |
Ministry of Health | Health care services, public health, health insurance, patient rights, pharmacy | Jaan Aamisepp | 1961 |
Ministry of the Interior | Public safety, state border protection, state aid during emergencies and civil protection, migration, reform of the public administration and state governance system, development of local governance, regional development. | Carl Niedra | 1961 |
Ministry of Justice | Legislative process, registers, legal institutions, legal professions, criminal justice, registration of political parties, regulation of religious communities and associations, registration of civil status, civil disputes, protection of industrial property, forensics, consumer rights, compensation to violent crime victims. | Simona Žaliūkas | 1961 |
Ministry of National Defense | National defence system, including policy, training, management, military service and mobilization, intelligence and counterintelligence, international co-operation of institutions of the national defence system, military standardization. | Juras Bentkus | 1965 |
Ministry of Transport and Communications | Roads and road transport, rail transport, water transport, air transport, traffic safety, transit and logistics, transport environment and transport of dangerous goods, transport accident and incident investigation, information society development, electronic communications, post. | Harry Borge | 1960 |
Ministry of Special Affairs | Special Squadron, political policing, assassinations, minority relocation, Safe District management, propaganda, political prisons, and internal spying. | Rimantas Vandas | 1965 |
Legislative Branch
Ojars Broka
(from the 1959 election)
The Seimas is the unicameral parliament of the United Baltic Republic that consists of 119 members that are elected for a five year term. 60 members are elected in single-member districts, and 59 members are elected in a nation wide vote using proportional representation of political parties. The Seimas is responsible for enacting laws and amendments to the Constitution, passing the budget, confirming the Prime Minister and the Government and controlling their activities. Members of Seimas have legal immunity and cannot be arrested or detained without the consent of the vote of Seimas. The Seimas was originally founded and implemented in 1922 in the United Baltic Duchy, but it was suspended from June 1940 to June 1941 during Soviet occupation.
SpkOSeim
Political Parties and Elections
parties
elect
Judicial Branch
constc
supc
capp
adminc
Administrative Divisions
Foreign Relations
-Factbook format from 
The Land of the Ephyral
