Thus it was speeded up. and in one night. June 14. the most massive manhunt in history took place. Thirty thousand Lithuanians were seized and deported to the U.S.S.R. that evening. Additionally. in Estonia. about 10.000 persons were arrested and sent in cattlecars to the same destination. Finally. in Latvia 15.600 prisoners. including 1.877 schoolchildren were herded to northern Siberia. Most of these people died but a few escaped and gave testimony which is now part of the public record on Soviet genocide. During the 194041 occupation of the Baltic nations the overall losses through death by deportation were: Lithuania. 65.000. Latvia. 62.000. and Estonia. 61.000. The Soviet armies retreated shortly after these deportations but returned later to reestablish control over the area and to launch a second and even greater wave of purges during the period 194445. In Latvia. at least 290.000 underwent the tragedy of forcible expulsion. In Estonia. nearly 100.000 attempted to escape in small boats the approaching Red Army in the fall of 1944.
Keywords matched
deported deportations deportation