Reichskommissariat Ostland | |||||||||||||||||||
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1941–1945 | |||||||||||||||||||
Anthem: Horst-Wessel-Lied (Horst Wessel Song) (1941-1945) | |||||||||||||||||||
![]() Reichskommissariat Ostland in 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||
Status | Reichskommissariat of Germany | ||||||||||||||||||
Capital | Riga | ||||||||||||||||||
Common languages | German (official) | ||||||||||||||||||
Religion | |||||||||||||||||||
Government | Colony of Nazi Germany | ||||||||||||||||||
Reichskommissar | |||||||||||||||||||
• 1941–1944 | Hinrich Lohse | ||||||||||||||||||
• 1944–1945 | Erich Koch | ||||||||||||||||||
Historical era | World War II | ||||||||||||||||||
• Baltic Operation | 22 June 1941 | ||||||||||||||||||
• Established | 25 July 1941 | ||||||||||||||||||
1 September 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||
5 December 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||
1 April 1944 | |||||||||||||||||||
• Soviet retake | July–Nov. 1944 | ||||||||||||||||||
• Formally dissolved | 21 January 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
• Surrender of Courland Pocket | 10 May 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
Currency | Reichskreditkassenscheine (de facto) | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Reichskommissariat Ostland (RKO) was created by Nazi Germany in 1941 during World War II. It became the civilian occupation regime in the Baltic states and the western part of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.[1]
In the week following [...] 2 May [1941], Alfred Rosenberg produced three papers relating to his preparations for the future administration in the occupied East. The first, dated 7 May, was entitled 'Instruction for a Reich Commissar in the Ukraine'. [...] The second, produced a day later, was its equivalent for the area of 'Baltenland', as the Baltic States and Belarus were at this stage being collectively referred to. In his drafting of the paper, Rosenberg crossed through 'Balten' and replaced it with 'Ost'. [...] The designation 'Ostland' would stick.
((cite book))
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