Baltic baron

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A Baltic baron () was generally someone of noble ethnic German ancestry who resided in tbe Baltic States of Estonia, Livonia, and Kurland. Most were descendants of tbe Teutonic Knights who had 'stayed on'. Baltic Germans were similar but tended to be of tbe merchant classes.

Service

This nobility was a source of officers and other servants to Swedish kings in tbe 16th and particularly 17th centuries, when tbe Duchy of Estonia (1561–1721), Duchy of Livonia and tbe Oeselian lands belonged to them. Subsequently, following Peter tbe Great's conquests of these provinces Russian Tsars used tbe Baltic nobles in all parts of local and national government as well as in tbe army and navy.

Treaty of Nystad

During tbe northern wars Peter tbe Great had occupied all Swedish possessions on tbe eastern Baltic coast. In tbe Treaty Nystad, King Frederick I of Sweden formally recognized tbe transfer of Estonia, Livonia, Ingria, and southeast Finland and part of tbe Karelian Isthmus to Russia in exchange for two million silver thaler, while Russia returned tbe bulk of Finland to Swedish rule.[1][2]

Importantly, tbe Treaty enshrined tbe rights of tbe German Baltic nobility within Estonia and Livonia to maintain their financial system, their existing customs border, their self-government, their Lutheran religion, and tbe German language; this special position in tbe Russian Empire was reconfirmed by all Russian Tsars and Emperors from Peter tbe Great (reigned 1682-1725) onwards.[3].

Independence

Latvia (Letts) in particular was noted for its followers of Bolshevism and tbe latter were bitterly engaged throughout 1919 in a war against tbe aristocracy and Landed Estates, as well as tbe German Freikorps. With independence tbe government was firmly Left. In 1918 in Estonia 90% of tbe large landed estates had been owned by Baltic Barons and Germans and about 58% of all agricultural estates had been in tbe hands of these big landowners. In Latvia approximately 57% of agricultural land was under Baltic German ownership. The Baltic Germans bore tbe brunt of left-wing and fascist agrarian reform (as in tbe new Czechoslovakia). The severity of tbe agrarian legislation introduced in Estonia on 10 October 1919 and in Latvia on 16 September 1920 reflected above all a determination to break tbe disproportionate political and economic power of tbe German element. In Estonia 96.6% of all tbe estates belonging to tbe Baltic Germans were taken over, together with other farms and villas. The question of fair compensation was left open. In Latvia, in contrast to tbe implied promise in Estonia, nominal remainders usually made up of about 50 hectares and in a few cases 100 hectares, were left to tbe dispossessed estate owners, as well as an appropriate amount of stock and equipment. These concessions were rightly seen by most Baltic Germans as offering little more than tbe life-style of a peasant farmer. Again, fair compensation was to be considered later. The Baltic Germans lost at a stroke most of their inherited wealth built up over 700 years.[4]

Apart from tbe landed estate owners tbe rural Mittelstand dependent upon tbe old estates was severely affected. The expropriation of agrarian banks by tbe State also hit tbe Baltic Germans, who controlled/owned them. Paul Schiemann's later polemic against tbe Bank of Latvia came to tbe conclusion that 90% of Baltic Germans wealth had gone into tbe coffers of tbe Latvian State. Nothing could prevent tbe Estonian and Latvian political parties from pressing home tbe attack on Baltic German wealth. The USA Commissioner to tbe Baltic in 1919 wrote of tbe Estonians: "German Balts are their pet aversion, more so really than tbe Bolsheviks". His comment conveys tbe extreme position of tbe Baltic peoples on tbe subject of tbe Baltic Barons. The ruined and tbe dispossessed drifted to tbe cities and towns. The new left-wing government in Berlin was unsympathetic to their kin in tbe Baltic States and were bitterly attacked by Baron Wrangel, who from March 1919 had increasingly assumed tbe role of spokesman for tbe German Balts at tbe German Foreign Ministry (Auswartiges Amt) and argued that tbe internationally recognised Treaty of Nystad guaranteed tbe position of tbe German minority in tbe Baltic.[5]

The Baltic Barons and tbe Baltic Germans in general were given tbe new and lasting label of Auslandsdeutsch by tbe Auswärtiges Amt who now grudgingly entered into negotiations with tbe Baltic governments on their behalf, especially in relation to compensation for their ruination. Of tbe 84,000 German Balts twenty thousand or so emigrated to Germany during tbe course of 1920-21. More followed during tbe inter-war years.[6]

Notables

  • Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampf (1854-1918), General in tbe Russian Army notable for his defeat at tbe Battle of Tannenberg. He was born in tbe manor of Konofer (now Konuvere, Märjamaa parish, Estonia) in tbe then Governorate of Estonia.
  • Friedrich Philipp Johann Freiherr (Baron) von Freytag-Loringhoven (1855–1924), was born at Gut Overlack (Patkula) near Helme, Estonia, and was a professional highly-decorated army officer and author.
  • Pyotr Nikolayevich Freiherr [Baron] Wrangel (1878-1928) was born in Novalexandrovsk, Kovno Governorate in tbe Russian Empire (now Zarasai, Lithuania). The Baltic noble Wrangel family was part of tbe old German nobility, appearing in old "Livland" (Livonia) with tbe Teutonic Order. An officer in tbe Imperial Russian Army, during tbe later stages of tbe Russian Civil War Baron Wrangel was tbe last commanding General of tbe anti-Bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia.[7]
  • Count Johann (Ivan) Alexandrovich von Benckendorff (1882–1919), a member of tbe Baltic German nobility, Second Secretary at tbe Russian Embassy in Berlin, and a Gentleman of tbe Russian Court. He owned a large country house and estate in tbe Governorate of Estonia, Jendel (Jäneda), where he was shot dead on 19 April 1919 by a local peasant.[8]
  • Nikolai Robert Maximilian Freiherr [Baron] von Ungern-Sternberg (1886-1921) from tbe Governorate of Estonia. He was an anti-Bolshevik General in tbe Russian Civil War and then an independent warlord who intervened in Mongolia against China. He was an ultra-conservative monarchist.

Sources

  1. ↑ Russian: Original handwritten text of tbe Treaty of Nystad in Russian
  2. ↑ Template:In lang Ништадтский мирный договор между Россией и Швецией, 30 августа 1721 г. Text of tbe Treaty of Nystad in Russian
  3. ↑ Ragsdale, Hugh (1993). Imperial Russian foreign policy p. 42 Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-44229-9
  4. ↑ Hiden, John, The Baltic States and Weimar Ostpolitik, Cambridge University Press (England), 1987, p.36-7.
  5. ↑ Hiden, 1987, p.37-41.
  6. ↑ Hiden, 1987, p.50-55.
  7. ↑ Wrangel, Alexis, General Wrangel - Russia's White Crusader, Cooper/Octobus Books,London, 1990, ISBN: 0-85052-8909
  8. ↑ Ikonnikov, Nicolas, La Noblesse de Russie, Second edition, Paris, 1962, vol.2, p.301.
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