The Baltic states’ Territorial Defence Forces in the face of hybrid threats. OSW Commentary Number 165, 19.03.2015

From the Introduction. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its aggression in eastern Ukraine have triggered a debate about the main directions of defence policy in the Nordic and Baltic region. In the Baltic states, but also in the Nordic countries and Poland, much attention is being paid to questions of Territorial Defence Forces (TDF). TDF are viewed as one of the elements in the national defence systems’ response during the early stages of a hybrid conflict. The Baltic states have decided to adapt their Territorial Defence Forces to new threats by making a number of changes to their functioning, depending on the local conditions in each case. Given the growing uncertainty in the region, they have opted not to undertake any in-depth reforms of TDF at this stage, as that could entail a temporary disorganisation in the armed forces. In the coming years Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will invest in increasing the size and combat readiness of their Territorial Defence Forces, providing them with better training and equipment, and creating a system of incentives to encourage more people to serve in volunteer formations.

NATO’s presence in the Baltic states – reassurance of allies or deterrence for Russia? OSW COMMENTARY Number 169, 29.04.2015 2015-04-29

In late March and early April, the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) held an exercise in Estonia, during which US F-16s destroyed ground targets in an Estonian firing range. Around the same time the Americans held a drill with the Swedish and Finnish Air Forces over the Baltic Sea. The United States has been playing a leading role in the process of strengthening NATO’s presence in the Baltic states. As far as the Western European allies are concerned, Germany will follow in the footsteps of Denmark and the United Kingdom, both of which made significant military contributions to the strengthening of the allied presence in 2014, and will deploy the largest number of troops in 2015. Non-aligned Sweden and Finland, key for the performance of NATO operations in the Baltic states, have been emphasising their military and political readiness to co-operate with NATO in the event of potential crises or conflicts. Comparing NATO ‘s military presence in the Baltic states before and after the outbreak of the Russian intervention in Ukraine, it is clear that NATO has stepped up its engagement considerably. However, its scope is still relatively small, given the much larger military potential and mobilisation capacity of Russia. Moreover, the message sent by NATO’s actions may be diminished by the political, military and financial constraints faced by the allies and Sweden and Finland. It seems that the greatest risk to the military security of the Baltic states currently appears to be the possibility that Russia could wrongly assess the reliability of NATO’s security guarantees.

Pro-American non-alignment. Sweden and Finland develop closer military co-operation with the United States. OSW COMMENTARY NUMBER 205/31.03.2016

Russia’s increasingly aggressive policy and its enhanced military activity in the Nordic-Baltic region has led to revaluations in Sweden’s and Finland’s security and defence policies and a rethinking of the formats of their military co-operation. While remaining outside NATO, the two states have been developing closer bilateral defence co-operation and working more closely with the United States, while at the same time developing co-operation with NATO. Sweden and Finland perceive the United States as the guarantor of regional and European security. From their point of view, the United States is currently the country that has both the necessary military capabilities and the political will to react in the event of a conflict between Russia and NATO in the Nordic-Baltic region, in which both countries would inevitably become involved despite their non-aligned status. For Sweden and Finland, intensified co-operation with the United States offers an alternative to NATO membership, which is currently out of the question for domestic political reasons. Meanwhile, the US has also become increasingly aware of the strategic importance of the two states, which, for the purposes of contingency planning, are in fact an extension of NATO’s north-eastern flank.

Preliminary review of existing studies of the number of illegal residents in the United States /

Caption title.

More needs to be done to reduce the number and adverse impact of illegal aliens in the United States, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice;

"B-125051."

Fifteenth census of the United States, 1930. Number of farms, farm acreage, and values of farm land and buildings, farm buildings, farmers' dwellings, and farm implements and machinery by minor civil divisions.

At head of title: U.S. Department of Commerce. R.P. Lamont, secretary. Bureau of the Census. W.M. Steuart, director.

Sixteenth census of the United States, 1940. Number of inhabitants: Minnesota.

Mode of access: Internet.

100 great battles of the rebellion; a detailed account of regiments and batteries engaged -- casualties, killed, wounded and missing, and the number of men in action in each regiment; also, all the battles of the Revolution, War of 1812-5, Mexican War, Indian battles, American-Spanish War, and naval battles. State rosters from the several northern states, giving the enrollment, number killed, wounded, died and deserted from each organization during the war,

Mode of access: Internet.

U.S. census of population, 1960 : number of inhabitants, United States summary : totals for cities, SMSA's, counties, urban & rural, etc. /

Tables.

Electricity on farms : an analysis of the United States by counties, showing the number of farms with electricity.

Mode of access: Internet.

Child welfare and juvenile justice : federal agencies could play a stronger role in helping states reduce the number of children placed solely to obtain mental health services : report to congressional requesters /

"GAO-03-397."

The United States songster : a choice selection of about one hundred and seventy of the most popular songs: including nearly all the songs contained in the American songster... To which is added The pizing sarpent, Settin on a rail; Jim Brown, and a number of new and original songs, written expressly for this work.

Without the music.

The American orator : with an appendix containing the Declaration of Independence, with the fac-similes of the autographs of the signers; the Constitution of the United States; Washington's Farewell Address; and fac-similes of the autographs of a large number of distinguished individuals /

Mode of access: Internet.

George Battenʼs directory of the religious press of the United States. A list of all religious periodicals with their denomination; frequency of issue; number of pages; size of pages; whether illustrated; subscription price; circulation; disbribution; editor and publisher.

Mode of access: Internet.