Tokens: 12
.
The
destruction
of
the
Lithuanian
,
Estonian
and
Latvian
national
partisans
was
a
key
priority
for
the
Soviet
occupation
regime
in
order
to
achieve
what
they
considered
a
complete
and
final
annexation
of
the
Baltic
States
.
For
propaganda
purposes
the
Soviet
government
labelled
the
national
partisans
as
armed
criminals
or
bandits
,
and
explained
the
Soviet
extermination
activities
as
a
response
to
criminals
who
were
illegally
using
arms
.
In
Soviet
terminology
this
was
not
a
national
resistance
war
:
it
was
a
fight
against
gangs
within
a
wider
context
of
ideological
struggle
.
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