United Baltic Duchy

The United Baltic Duchy,^[1] (German: Vereinigtes Baltisches Herzogtum), was a short-lived client state of the German Empire during World War I, proclaimed by leaders of the local Baltic German nobility in regions of Estonia, Livonia and Courland, but never fully realized. It was initially proclaimed on 12 April 1918 in Riga, as the Baltic Duchy, encompassing territories of Estonia and Livonia. It was later expanded, by incorporating the neighboring short-lived state of Courland, thus creating the United Baltic Duchy, that was recognized by Germany on 22 September 1918. On 5 November, Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was proclaimed ruler of the United Baltic Duchy, but never took over the throne. The Duchy was thus headed by the Regency Council. Since newly created states of Estonia and Latvia emerged in the autumn of 1918, the Duchy was dissolved.^[2]

In 1915, during the First World War, German forces captured territory of the Courland Governorate, including its capital city of Jelgava (German: Mitau), and the region was incorporated into the wider military district known as the Ober Ost. By September 1917, German armies succeeded in capturing Riga, capital city of the neighboring Governorate of Livonia, but at that time major part of the governorate remained under control of the Russian Provisional Government. In February 1918, German forces captured the rest of the Governorate of Livonia, and also the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia, thus establishing full control over those Baltic lands.^[3]

Under the German military administration, political leaders of Baltic Germans gained further prominence within administrative structures on various regional and local levels of governance, and also established cooperation with some conservative leaders of Latvians and Estonians in all three regions (Courland, Livonia, Estonia).

By the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3 March 1918), Soviet Russia accepted the loss of all lands to the west of the agreed demarcation line, thus effectively relinquishing all claims on Courland, and also accepting that regions to the east of the demarcation line (Livonia and Estonia) will remain under provisional German occupation until the conclusion of the general peace in Europe. Thus two politically and legally distinctive situations were created: political leaders of Baltic Germans in Courland felt free to regulate the future status of that land directly with Berlin, while those in Latvia and Estonia were facing additional challenges.

Taking advantage of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, local Germans leaders of Courland met in Jelgava on 8 March (1918) and proclaimed the re-establishment of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, offering the ducal crown to the German emperor, who officially recognized Courland as independent country already on 15 March.^[4]

Encouraged by such developments, leaders of Baltic Germans in Livonia and Estonia initiated similar activities and introduced various plans for future status of their regions.

After the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia, the Russian Provisional Government granted limited autonomy to the Governorate of Estonia and on 12 April [O.S. 30 March] 1917 incorporated northern (ethnically Estonian) portion of the Governorate of Livonia into the Estonian autonomous governorate. After the October Revolution later that year, the elected Estonian Provincial Assembly declared itself the sovereign power in Estonia on 28 November 1917. On 24 February 1918, a day before the arrival of German troops, the Estonian Salvation Committee of the Provincial Assembly issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence. The Western Allies recognized the Republic of Estonia de facto in May 1918.^[5]

In the same time, the Latvian Provisional National Council was constituted on the basis of the law of self-government, which the Russian Provisional Government granted to Latvia on 5 July 1917.^[6] The Latvian Provisional National Council first met on 16 November 1917 in Valka. On 30 November, the Council declared an autonomous Latvian province within ethnographic boundaries.^[5]

In early 1918, German troops started advancing from Courland, and by the end of February 1918 captured entire Livonia and Estonia, adding those regions the zone of German occupation (Ober Ost). Following the example of Courland, leaders of Baltic Germans in Livonia and Estonia initiated the creation of a new state in their regions. One of several initiatives that were proposed at that time advocated for creation of the 'Grand Duchy of Livonia', a term reminiscent of the historical Duchy of Livonia, that existed in those regions during the 16th and 17th centuries, thus providing a base for historical justification of modern political plans and aspirations.^[7]

On 12 April 1918, political representatives of Baltic Germans in Livonia and Estonia met in Riga, together with some conservative Latvian and Estonian leaders, and created the "Assembly of Baltic Lands" (Baltische Landesrat), composed of 35 Baltic Germans, 13 Estonians, and 11 Latvians. By majority of votes, they proclaimed the creation of a Baltic Duchy, encompassing those two lands (Livonia and Estonia), thus initiating negotiations with Berlin in hope of achieving support and recognition similar to that already given to Courland.^[8]

In order to achieve personal union with Germany,^[9] the Assembly proposed to German emperor to accept the throne and crown of the newly proclaimed state, offering him the title: "Gran Duke of Livonia".^[10]

Learning of those proclamations, Soviet Russia protested formally on 24-26 April (1918), expressing reservations and also questioning the right of local German leaders to act on behalf of Latvians and Estonians. Soviet Government also claimed that all actions regarding the statehood of those regions should be the product of mutual negotiations and further agreements between Russia and Germany.^[2]

In order to create legal grounds for further actions in the newly proclaimed Baltic Duchy (Livonia and Estonia), Germany used further negotiations with Soviet Russia to gain favorable concessions. By the Treaty of Berlin (27 August 1918), Soviet Russia renounced all sovereignty over Estonia and Livonia, as well as any interference in their internal affairs (Article 7), thus accepting new political and legal realities in those regions.^[11]

By the ratification of the Berlin Treaty, newly created situation allowed Germany to impose an united solution for both Courland and the initial Baltic Duchy (Livonia and Estonia). That political union was recognized by Germany on 22 September 1918 as a single state, known as the United Baltic Duchy.^[2]

The new state was to have its capital in Riga and was to be a confederation of seven cantons: Kurland (Courland), Riga, Lettgallen (Latgale), Südlivland (South Livonia), Nordlivland (North Livonia), Ösel (Saaremaa) and Estland (Estonia), the first four cantons correspondings to today's Latvia and the last three corresponding to today's Estonia.

On 5 November 1918, a temporary Regency Council (Regentschaftsrat) for the proclaimed state, led by Baron Adolf Pilar von Pilchau, was formed on a joint basis from both local Land Councils.

The first head of state of the United Baltic Duchy was to be Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, not as a sovereign monarch, but as a subordinate to the German emperor, similar to other princes of the German Empire. However, Adolf Friedrich never assumed office. The appointed Regency Council, consisting of four Baltic Germans, three Estonians and three Latvians, functioned until 28 November 1918 without any international recognition (except from Germany).

In October 1918, the Chancellor of Germany, Prince Maximilian of Baden, proposed to have the military administration in the Baltic replaced by civilian authority. The new policy was stated in a telegram from the German Foreign Office to the military administration of the Baltic: "The government of the Reich is unanimous in respect of the fundamental change in our policy towards the Baltic countries, namely that in the first instance policy is to be made with the Baltic peoples".^[13]

On 18 November 1918, Latvia proclaimed its independence. August Winnig, the last representative of the German government, signed an agreement with representatives of the Estonian Provisional Government on handing over power in Estonian territory on 19 November.^[14] In Latvia, the German military authorities formally handed over power to the Latvian national government, headed by Kārlis Ulmanis on 7 December 1918.^[15]

The Finnic nation of Estonia and the Baltic nation of Latvia were established as republics.

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