1944 - 1957 III Национальное движение сопротивления, “лесные братья” - хронология
В начале советского периода многие мужчины отказывались от сотрудничества с оккупационным режимом, они уходили в леса и боролись с властями как могли. Многие, не без основания, боялись репрессий, коснувшихся тех, кто в свое время служил в армии Германии или Финляндии.
November 1944 - May 1945
Emergence of the national partisan movements
As the war continued on the front lines, armed partisan movements known as the forest brothers began to appear in Soviet-occupied territories. These included deserters from German and Soviet forces, as well as those who had avoided conscription into either one of them. The partisans hoped that at the end of the war, Western powers would help to restore independence. Most of the partisans had military experience, but they had little knowledge and skills in terms of partisan operations during a modern war.
March 2-3, 1945
Battle of Stompaki
One of the largest partisan camps was in the Stompaki Swamp near Balvi, with 350-360 people including 30 women. Soviet Interior Ministry forces with 483 men attacked the partisan camp. After an intensive battle, including 28 dead, 40 injured and 7 captured members the partisans managed to break through to the North under the cover of night and snow. After this battle, partisans changed their tactics and never again established large groups.
1945-1978
National partisans after World War II
Some 20,000 people in Latvia spent longer or shorter periods in the partisan units, and some 80,000 provided them with support. The Latvian Fatherland Guard (Partisan) Alliance was established in Latgale, the Latvian National Partisan Organisation was established at Talsi in Courland, and the Latvian National Partisan Unit "Kurzeme" was established in Kabile, all of them in 1945. The Soviet regime actively combatted the partisans with the use of armed units. Traitors and agents were infiltrated into the groups, and there were merciless attacks against anyone who supported the partisans.
Armed resistance continued in Estonia after WW II as well. It is estimated that there were approximately 14 000 - 15 000 Forest Brothers in Estonia, together with their companions the total number of people hiding for some time in the forests could mount up to 30 000.
Christmas of 1945
Attack of the partisan group of Fricis Kārkliņš
At Christmas 1945, a group of 20 partisans commanded by Fricis Kārkliņš took Kabile village and released the partisans and supporters imprisoned there. In response, an anti-guerrilla operation by the USSR Ministry of the Interior began. A battle took place in the forest between Kabile and Renda on January 1, 1946. National partisans repulsed the force, killing 50 enemies while losing three.
1946-1949
The largest organisation of Forest Brothers – the Union of Armed Struggle – operates in Estonia
The organisation ceased to exist when senior resistance figures in the Union were killed in a battle with the USSR Ministry of the Interior forces in February 1949.
March 17, 1949
The last guerrilla battle in Īle
The last major partisan battle took place near Īle. 760 militants of the USSR Ministry of the Interior are fighting against 24 Latvian and Lithuanian partisans. 15 partisans fall in front of the huge force, but 9 partisans were captured and deported to Siberia.
1953
Crackdown of active armed resistance to Soviet regime completed
Small number of clashes between Forest Brothers and Soviet security forces continued to occur through to 1957.
1957
The last group of guerrillas
The last group of partisans in Latvia surrendered to the Soviet authorities in 1957, however the last illegally living forest brother, Jānis Pīnups, from the Preiļi district was legalized only on May 9, 1995 - after the Russian troops left Latvia.
Summer 1967
Hugo and Aksel Mõttus are the last Estonian Forest Brothers to be captured alive
1978