ABSTRACT
Two types of de facto national units existed at the outbreak of World War II: territorial infantry corps of the recently annexed Baltic republics and reserve formations of the Red Army. Both types proved unreliable. The previously existing Baltic national armies formed the basis for the new units. But war broke out before the Soviets were able to purge the Baltic territorial militia units sufficiently, and their personnel collaborated with the Germans—whom the Baltic nationalities welcomed as liberators. A Soviet source observes that National units were formed on the basis of internal resources of the union and autonomous republics—an added mobilization of their means and capabilities for the defense of the country. The GKO authorized the creation of the first official post-1938 national unit, the 201st Latvian Division, on August 3, 1941, ostensibly in response to a request from evacuated Baltic refugees.
