1. The Battle of the Baltics
Dyuthi Nair, Adam Callahan, Chirag Kikkeri, Isaac Romero
World War II Battles Project
Directions: Your group will be assigned one major battle from World War II. After spending a few days in the computer lab/library researching the topic, your group will be expected to give a presentation of your battle to the class. Your presentation should be minutes long and will act as the class’ lecture on that particular battle—there will be no additional lecture, so be sure to be as comprehensive as possible. Each member of your group must participate in both the planning and the presentation itself. Grades will be based mainly on the group but there will be an individual component scored. Decide how to tackle each of the following:
1. Create a map showing the battle’s location relative to the rest of the front as well as its movement and how and why the fighting occurred.*
2. Develop a timeline of key events of your battle explaining the battle’s relationship to World War II.*
3. Explain some key, relevant details of the battle. (Do not get bogged down in unnecessary information.) **
4. Explain, with a thesis and analysis, the importance of the battle and what impact it had on World War II.
5. Add any cool facts or long term effects the battle might have had on the land or military strategy/use, etc. to help your peers remember this. (Again, do not get bogged down in unnecessary information.)
6. You must also include a works cited, this should include all research and pictures used in your project.
Each group should create one presentation—it may be a PowerPoint but it does not have to be. Each group should make sure Mr. Myers gets a copy of your presentation and your works cited page.
REMEMBER THE GOAL IS TO TEACH, SO USE ANY AND ALL MATERIALS TO DO SO!!!
* You may find a good map or timeline online and may use one of the two, if cited correctly, in your project, but you must make the other one from scratch.
** if you plan to show any film clips, check with me first as I may be showing them between presentations—for example, before Operation Overlord we will watch the first 25 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, so showing a clip from that would be superfluous.
***if you are absent for your presentation you must do the presentation for me before or after school, by yourself.
Assessment: 80 culminating points – See website for rubric
Assignment due by midnight (via ) Monday 4/24/17 – Presentations start the next day in the following order…

2. What is it? Battle of the Baltics was divided into two major parts:
Baltic Operation (1941): Germany takes over Baltics
Baltic Offensive (1944): Russia takes Baltics back from Germany
Baltics :)

3. What are the Baltic countries?
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
These countries had a history of being
“bullied” by the Soviet Union.

4. German-USSR Relationship Before the Battle
The USSR and Germany signed the Non-aggression Pact in 1939 (Senn)
Gave Latvia and Estonia to Russia, and later Lithuania
Russia stationed troops in the Baltics and established Soviet governments in these countries.
Mass deportations were held to reduce opposition within the Baltics
Operation Barbarossa (1941): Germany invades the Baltics and kicks the Red Army out (Senn)
1. Halted the sovietization of the Baltics
2. Try to gain land for lebensraum

5. Commanders USSR Germany General Ivan Bagramyan
General Ivan Bagramyan
Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner

6. Thesis
The Battle of the Baltics caused Germany to fight a multi- fronted war, spreading out their resources and men, which decreased their ability to battle effectively and led to losses at the hands of the USSR, giving the Allies momentum in the war and allowing them to win.

7. Baltic Operation (1941)

8. Baltic Operation of 1941: Russia’s Attempt to Defend against Germany
This was in response to Operation Barbarossa (June 22nd 1941), which took Russia completely by surprise.
The Baltic Operation was a failure because Russia ignored British warnings that Germany would turn on them, leading to confusion and disorder among the Red Army (Axelrod).
End Result: German Victory
Talk about how they destroyed all da planes and stuff

9. How it Went Down
The Russians had a fleet of ships stationed in the Baltic Sea that were supposed to defend the Baltic areas, interrupt German sea communications and transports, and protect the Red Army's sea flank. However, when the war broke out they were unprepared and consequently unsuccessful. Germany managed to force the Soviet’s out, captured Riga and other Baltic states, and set up extensive minefields.

10. Baltic Operation: Russia’s (Attempt) to Defend against Germany
The German military consisted of North, Center, and South army groups.
Northern Group: Invaded the Baltic States
Center Group: Trapped Soviet troops during the Battle of Bialystok-Minsk, which destroyed the Soviets western flank
Southern Group: Dealt with more Russian resistance, however they advanced towards Kiev (Current capital of Ukraine), where the germans performed the largest encirclement in the history of warfare, capturing almost 500,00 Soviet Troops
Because of Germany’s Blitzkrieg strategy, Russia was far from prepared to prevent German invasion.

11. German Advances in 1941 Tan= Up to July Pink= Up to September
Green= Up to December

12. Baltic Holocaust-Interesting Facts
The grandparents of the speaker that we met on Friday lived through the Baltic Holocaust. Their lives, which were dominated by fear, were heavily impacted by the Battle of the Baltics. During these battles, the Jews were transported to different parts of Europe. The fact that only 10% of Jews in the Baltic states survived shows the incredulity that two of his grandparents lived through this horror.

13. Baltic Offensive (1944)

14. Baltic Offensive: Counterattack by USSR
The USSR launched its campaign to push back Germany in 1944 (Axlerod)
The Baltic Offensive included the Soviet’s plan Operation Bagration
This operation marks huge success for the USSR and nearly destroyed the German army’s center group
The German Army was weak from Russian offensives (Axelrod)
Many German casualties and 6700 German tanks destroyed
This sets up the stage for the Red Army’s advance towards Germany and the end of World War II.
End Result: Russian re-occupation of the Baltics

15. Baltic Offensive: Counterattack by USSR
Army strength:
Germany- Seven hundred thousand troops
USSR- 1.5 million troops

16. Battle of Narva (Feb-Aug 1944)
Belligerents: Germany, Finland, some Estonians; USSR
German aims: Keep access to the Gulf of Finland
USSR aims: Get access to land of Estonia
Outcomes
Germans lose the land, but suffer much less casualties
Finland signs Moscow Armistice- Leaves war
USSR gets access to Baltic Sea and foothold in Estonia

17. Moonsund Landing Operation
The Soviets attack an island near Estonia,
where German troops were located
Soviets launch amphibious operation
Soviets win easily, forcing the Germans to
retreat to the Courland Pocket
Pic:

18. Courland Pocket (Oct 1944-May 1945)
Eventually, USSR traps the Germans in the Courland Peninsula
5 battles until the Germans surrender
Outcomes:
USSR captures 200,000 men
This is the last battle of the Baltics

19. Baltic Offensive (1944-45) Battle of Narva Karelian Offensive
Vilnius Offensive
Šiauliai Offensive
Tartu Offensive
Riga Offensive
Tallinn Offensive
Moonsund Landing Operation
Siege of Memel
Courland Pocket 7 1 8 5 10 6 9 3 4 2

20. Timeline (Relative to the Rest of WWII)
August 1939: Non- Aggression Pact signed between Germany and USSR
August 1942: Battle of Stalingrad results in USSR victory.
1944: Baltic Offensive by USSR drives Germany out of the Baltics, and Russia re-occupies the Baltics.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
June 1941: Operation Barbarossa initiates the USSR’s Baltic Operation and conflict on the Eastern Front. The Red Army is driven out of the Baltics.
March 1944: Operation Bagration was a major defeat of Germany on the Eastern front.

21. Impacts on WWII
The Soviet troops at the Baltic were able to break communications between the German army group North and army group Center, which forced Army group North back to Courland Peninsula.
The decision to fight a two-front war may be the reason Hitler lost WWII. Because the Soviets were able to ultimately have victory over Hitler, his forces were severely weakened and spread out, making it a victory for the allies.

22. Works Cited
Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. “World War II on the Russian Front.” Wars in the Early 20th Century (1900 to 1950), Facts On File, History Research Center, online.infobase.com/Article/Details/208115?q=baltic operation. Accessed 2017.
"Battle of Narva (1944)." World History Project. WorldHistoryProject.org, n.d. Web. 24 Apr
"Викторина." Информационный портал города Киржача. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr
"Eastern Front Map." Eastern Front Map - Never Again | JCHB.org. Eastern Front Map, n.d. Web. 24 Apr
Еременко Андрей Иванович. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr
"Europe." World Atlas - Maps, Geography, Travel. World Atlas, 29 Sept Web. 24 Apr
John Simkin. "Ferdinand Schoerner." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational, n.d. Web. 24 Apr "Kliment Voroshilov KV-1 Heavy Tank, WWII." Kliment Voroshilov KV-1 Russian (Soviet) Tank, WWII. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr
"Moonsund Defensive Operation of the Great Patriotic War Began." Moonsund Defensive Operation O... Presidential Library, n.d. Web. 24 Apr
O'Brien, Patrick K. “Baltic States.” Encyclopedia of World History (George Philips), Facts On File, History Research Center, online.infobase.com/Article/Details/252991?q=baltic countries. Accessed 2017.
Operation Bagration Eastern Front Key Moments WW2History.com. WW2 History, n.d. Web. 24 Apr
Senn, Alfred Erich. “The Sovietization of the Baltic States.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 317, 1958, pp. 123–129., Soviet Union in World War II. Infobase. History Research Center. Web. 24 Apr "The Courland Fortress " Latvian History. Latvia History, 29 May Web. 24 Apr "The World at War, " World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2017, worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/ Accessed 24 Apr "World War Ii." World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 2017, worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/ Accessed 24 Apr
“The Sovietization of the Baltic States”:

23. Thank You
C: 5, 9,12, 16, 19 time: 2 45
A: 2, 7, 10, 11, 13, 17, 22 time: 3:10
Isaac will do: 4, 8, 14, 20: time 7:50
Dyuthi: 1, 3, 6, 15, 18, 21 -I stretched it out to 3:34