Europe 271
Memel to the Reich and in exchange the Germans would not seek to occupy Lithu-
ania proper, and Lithuania would be able to continue to use the ports in Memel. The
Lithuanian government was given four days to make a decision, and after those four
days, was warned that diplomatic talks would cease, and the use of force would begin.
Memel was ceded to the German Reich by Lithuania on March 22, and the next day,
Hitler sailed into Memel with naval and air escorts as German troops marched across
the border from East Prussia.
255 Germany/375 Finland
MID#3719
Dispute Number: 3719
Date(s): November 6, 1939 to January 4, 1940
Participants: 255 Germany/375 Finland
Outcome (and Settlement): Released (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On November 6, German merchantmen seized the Finnish steamer Otava
in the Gulf of Bothnia as it carried wood pulp to England. In response on November 8,
Finland seized the German ship Blumenthal in Finnish waters. By November 17, Ger-
man warships entered the Gulf of Finland at the request of the Soviets after Finland
dismissed Soviet military and territorial demands. The Soviets wanted to halt Finnish
exports, and Germany could seize the ships because as part of its war it had imple-
mented a blockade. Germany seized at least 14 more Finnish steamers. On December
4, the Allies implemented a blockade on German exports. The Germans responded
with tighter blocks on Baltic trade. By early January the Germans had seized about
125 cargo ships from the Baltic, 37 of which appeared headed to the United States.
Despite pressure from the US government, the German government submitted three
Finnish vessels loaded with wood pulp to a prize court on January 4; however, most
of the seized vessels were released by the German contraband control after only a few
weeks in German custody.
Coding changes: Settlement changed from Negotiated.
255 Germany/380 Sweden
MID#375
Started in March 1848. See the narrative in the 255 Germany/390 Denmark dyad
dispute list.
MID#1774
Dispute Number: 1774
Date(s): November 30, 1914 to November 11, 1918
Participants: 255 Germany/380 Sweden