u/Kukurbezdis

I need help to determine what era this Soviet leather trench coat was made either war time or post war.

It could just be a civilian 1950's coat but the cut really looks old.

This post is talking about the mass deportations of the baltic states, but the main subject is about Lithuania.

Brief history of Lithuania -

In 1795 Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth was annexed by the Russian empire. After its dissolution on Feburary 16 1918 Lithuania became a independant nation. Later on in late 1918 The Bolsheviks launched a westward military offensive to illegally occupy The new independant Baltics. In reponse the Lithuanian voluntary army was organized quickly to kick the Bolsheviks out of thier land. By 1919 almost all Bolshevik troops were pushed to the border. By July 12 1920 a peace treaty was signed and Lenin himself officially recognized Lithuania to be independant nation.

Independance (1920-1940) -

Lithuania once again became an idependant state. As any other country they adapted and grew. They stabelized thier own currency (litas). They became strong in the farming industry due to thier befenitial location having the great plains of europe and fertile land. Lithuania built hundreds of schools Literacy increased up to 85%. With standard living comparable to stable countries like Finland.

First Soviet occupation (1940-1941) -

In June of 1940 the Soviet Union broke the 1920 treaty and illegally using force annexed Lithuania into the USSR. Using rigged elections Lithuania became a puppet of the Soviet Union. The NKVD swiftly started repression against anyone who resisted. June 14 1941 marked the first mass civilian deportation wave. About 17 000 - 18 000 "political prisoners" (innocent people) were shipped to the deep taiga or the dreadful one-way ticket of death to the Artic circle.

Those "ennemies of the state" were packed into cattle cars and given complete unsanitary conditions. those cars were not ventilated had only small barred windows, the carts were ways locked when gaurds were not on watch. These brutal journeys lasted 2-4 weeks, they were not given food only if they brought some along when the NKVD officers first raided thier homes and given only a couple minutes to pack, deportees were given only a bucket of water for the whole 40-60 people inside the car at random stops. Armed NKVD officers intently monitored the trains, at stops any attempt to escape meant you got a bullet on the spot.

The German occupation of 1941-1944 -

On June 22nd 1941, Nazi Germany invaded The Soviet Union and occupied the Lithuanian territory This period of time brought the horrors of the Holocaust almost 195 000 jewish people were murdered by Nazi German forces along with thousands of other innocent victims. 3 years of brutal dictatorship under the Nazi regime.

The second Soviet occupation and "Liberation" 1944-1953 -

In 1944 Nazi German troops were pushed out of Lithuania. But this did not mark the freedom of Lithuania instead it marked the second brutal terror of the Soviet regime.

To break the freedom fighthers (Lithuanian partisans)

Who routinely disrupted and sabotaged oppressive military organs like NKVD, MGB, Red Army, military infastructure like blowing up railroads to disrupt the flow of supllies to the occupiers. Unable to break them using military force the NKVD,MGB resorted to using mass deportation, ipersonation of partisans. When the KGB, MGB ipersonated partisans they massacred vilages, ransacked homes, did horrible acts, just to keep the population in a state of fear.

The post ww2 mass deportation waves -

Operation "Весна" (Spring)

May 22-23 1948

Over 40 000 innocent civilians deported.

Operation "Прибой" (Coastal gale)

March 25-28 1949

Around 29 000 innocent civilians deported.

Operation "Осен" (Auttum)

October 2-3 1951 over 16 000 people deported.

In 1953 after Stalin died. Victims of mass exile were granted to return home.

Overall 1941 1944-1951 had over 130 000 innocent people exiled to special settlements for being teachers, doctors, priests, intelectuals, people who were deemed ennemies of the state for refusing to submit to the Soviet regime. Furthermore 70% of those 130 000 deporties were women and children.

Additionally 200 000 "criminals" (inocent people) suspected partisan kolaboratists, partisans, doctors, teachers. Were deported to forced labour camps (gulags) way more brutal than special settlements. making it in total more than 330 000 deported victims.

Special settlements

Over 130 000 thousand innocent people were exiled here. Over 70% were women and children dumped into the remote uninhabited siberian wilderness Thier duties were clearing out the Taiga for 12-14 hours a day, Fishing trips (if they happend during winter they were one-way tickets to death since a person litteraly froze to death in a day or two.) Work in dangerous Salt mines and coal mines.

Mind you the NKVD,MGB officers only gave food for completing the absolute imposible quatas instead they fed the laborers scraps left by the gaurds or often did not even feed them at all. These deporties had to build everything themselves they did not get dropped of fully built vilages but some did and they got lucky this dosent excuse the majority

Gulags (forced labour camps)

200 000 "criminals" were deported to these gulags were way more brutal than special settlements they were strict heavilly armed military facilities surounded by barbed fences and watch towers. They were forced to mine coal or other materials year round and had to survive in rackty wooden huts. These gulags had a exeptionally high mortality rate and many did not survive the brutal conditions. Not to mention that they were rarely fed and used like disposable mining tools

The ultimate goal -

To completely break and dissolve a country from within.

Final note I will not respond to blatant propoganda, lazy arguments or insults. And yes i am fully aware i made a million spelling and grammar mistakes and did miss some factual archive backed information.