Soviet Bornholm

At the end of WW2 the Soviets occupied a rather strategic Danish island.

It was a rather brutal occupation at that.

"Bornholm was heavily bombarded by the Soviet Air Force in May 1945. The German garrison commander, German Navy Captain Gerhard von Kamptz (1902–1998), refused to surrender to the Soviets, as his orders were to surrender to the Western Allies. The Germans sent several telegrams to Copenhagen requesting that at least one British soldier should be transferred to Bornholm, so that the Germans could surrender to the western allied forces instead of the Soviets. When von Kamptz failed to provide a written capitulation as demanded by the Soviet commanders, Soviet aircraft relentlessly bombed and destroyed more than 800 civilian houses in Rønne and Nexø and seriously damaged roughly 3,000 more on 7–8 May 1945. The population had been forewarned of the bombardments, and the towns were evacuated, but 10 local people were killed, of which 1 in Nexø. Also soldiers were killed and wounded. Some of them were Baltic allies of Germany fighting the Soviets to remain independent.

During the Soviet bombing of the two main towns on 7 and 8 May, Danish radio was not allowed to broadcast the news because it was thought it would spoil the liberation festivities in Denmark. On 9 May Soviet troops landed on the island, and after a short fight, the German garrison (about 12,000 strong ) surrendered."-from Wikipedia. *

Supposing however the Soviets keep the island.

Given its strategic importance it wouldn't be out of place.

After some agreement the locals are repatriated to Denmark.

Of course Denmark won't be happy, neither will the US.

But what's really to be done?

Would this have heated up the cold war? Would it still be Russian today? Possibly a still lingering source of contention?

*https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bornholm
 
The USA might well try to impose a naval blockade and air cordon around it in response to the blockade of Berlin if that crisis still goes as otl. Otherwise, I'm not sure it changes much, AFAIK, the NATO naval defense was always more focused on the Skagerrak and GIUK gap than in the Baltic sea. The Cold War's contours will start to appear before missiles stationed there becomes a significant possibility, though aircraft are possible. It might dissuade Denmark from joining NATO, but I imagine revanchism will have a greater impact pushing them towards NATO membership than the security concern of having Soviet planes (and later missiles) a bit closer to Copenhagen.
 
The Soviet justification for the occupation of Bornholm was two-fold:

1) Bornholm was EAST of the occupational zoning of Germany/Europe
2) According to USSR, Bornholm - as part of Denmark - was occupied territory, not liberated territory.

The difference was important: Based on Denmark working for German interests in the beginning of the German occupation, USSR claimed that Denmark fell in the category of countries supporting Nazi-Germany; hence Bornholm situated EAST of the zoning was theirs.

It might have been one of the earliest USSR/US-UK confrontations. Western powers did not appreciate this distinction. That might have been based on Denmark's strategic position as the 'owner' of the only way in and out of the Baltic.

After a bit of pressure, USSR recognized Denmark as 'liberated' territory and pulled out of Bornholm in 1946.

Splitting off Bornholm would not be acceptable to Denmark and in any event would have created an A-L situation.

However: could USSR have kept Bornholm? Highly unlikely. US-UK would not have accepted it because of its complications of Danish sovereign status and USSR would not have been able to go to war on this issue.

And if they did? Naval blockade by US-UK and then putting Danish police on Bornholm to evict the (few after all) USSR forces.

Calling it a police action would have softened the blow and provided USSR with an excuse to pull back.
 
It didn't have many people but what about a tiny people's republic of Denmark?

Or Autonomas Danish 'republic' within East Germany?
 
The issues is that the Soviet Union had bigger problems postwar then a small island. Though I do agree that if for whatever reason they hold onto it the allies might counter blockade it when [if] the Soviets blockade West Berlin.
 
If the Soviets really wanted to, they would have had ample time to fill Bornholm up with troops, making any effort to send Danish police over there prohibitively bloody.

Also, there's a difference between not allowing transports through a country's territory (West Berlin situation) and implementing a blockade of international waters.
 
If the Soviets really wanted to, they would have had ample time to fill Bornholm up with troops, making any effort to send Danish police over there prohibitively bloody.

Also, there's a difference between not allowing transports through a country's territory (West Berlin situation) and implementing a blockade of international waters.

If UK and USA was willing to back the Danes, they could simply mine the Sound and the Belts, and then the Soviet could choose between WW3 or just complain about it.

But if UK and USA doesn’t back the Danes, there’s little Denmark can do to regain Bornholm, but the Danish government won’t recognize the Soviet occupation of Bornholm, which will mean it will simply be a frozen conflict until the fall of USSR, what happened afterward will depend on how USSR have treated Bornholm under the occupation, a independent Bornholm or a Bornholmian SSR will rejoin Denmark, a Bornholm which are simply a Russian oblast or ASSR will be much more complex issue, a ethnic cleansed Bornholm even worse.
 
If UK and USA was willing to back the Danes, they could simply mine the Sound and the Belts, and then the Soviet could choose between WW3 or just complain about it.

But if UK and USA doesn’t back the Danes, there’s little Denmark can do to regain Bornholm, but the Danish government won’t recognize the Soviet occupation of Bornholm, which will mean it will simply be a frozen conflict until the fall of USSR, what happened afterward will depend on how USSR have treated Bornholm under the occupation, a independent Bornholm or a Bornholmian SSR will rejoin Denmark, a Bornholm which are simply a Russian oblast or ASSR will be much more complex issue, a ethnic cleansed Bornholm even worse.
The Soviets had minesweepers though
 
The Soviets had minesweepers though

They would all sadly be lost to rogue mines or sank because they sailed into Danish territorial water, it was all very sad. Minesweepers are a way to deal with mines placed by submarines in your territorial or clear international waters, not a way to sail into other countries territorial water or the international waters close to them and remove mines.
 
They would all sadly be lost to rogue mines or sank because they sailed into Danish territorial water, it was all very sad. Minesweepers are a way to deal with mines placed by submarines in your territorial or clear international waters, not a way to sail into other countries territorial water or the international waters close to them and remove mines.

Bornholm is rather far away from Denmark proper. The Allies would need to keep an actual fleet on stand-by in order to protect their minefields, and would be forced to fire the first shot

Plus, said fleet would be rather exposed in that position, a fact which they would surely be aware of
 
Bornholm is rather far away from Denmark proper. The Allies would need to keep an actual fleet on stand-by in order to protect their minefields, and would be forced to fire the first shot

Plus, said fleet would be rather exposed in that position, a fact which they would surely be aware of

The point is not that Denmark would mine the area around Bornholm, they would close the Baltic access to the Atlantic, and before you think Denmark wouldn’t do that, it had done so before, and if UK and USA are willing to back Denmark, the only thing USSR could do about it was starting WW3.
 
The point is not that Denmark would mine the area around Bornholm, they would close the Baltic access to the Atlantic, and before you think Denmark wouldn’t do that, it had done so before, and if UK and USA are willing to back Denmark, the only thing USSR could do about it was starting WW3.

You'd probably see the Soviets forced to import or export through the Baltic via Finnish or Swedish flagged ships acting as middle-men
 
You'd probably see the Soviets forced to import or export through the Baltic via Finnish or Swedish flagged ships acting as middle-men

For Swedes the Soviet Bornholm is very dangerous and I suppose they would oppose the occupation and Soviets using Swedish ships would be a no-no. Finland in the other hand is in the pocket of the Soviets and even if Finnish merchant fleet isn't that big the Soviet could use that.

I could see Sweden joining the NATO when it is founded if Soviets wouldn't leave Bornholm.
 
The point is not that Denmark would mine the area around Bornholm, they would close the Baltic access to the Atlantic, and before you think Denmark wouldn’t do that, it had done so before, and if UK and USA are willing to back Denmark, the only thing USSR could do about it was starting WW3.

when has denmark ever closed the strait without a world war erupting around them?

and backing a declaration of war against the soviet union (which happens to be what you are actually picturing here) is a rather big "if" on the western allies part. even if one assumes they utterly lost their minds there are better ways to start the war.
 
A Soviet base within sight of the Swedish coast on a clear day? That will give Sweden an excuse to join NATO if Soviet do not leave. A bit to close to the biggest Swedish naval base at Karlskrona and third Swedish city of Malmö.
 
If UK and USA was willing to back the Danes, they could simply mine the Sound and the Belts, and then the Soviet could choose between WW3 or just complain about it.

But if UK and USA doesn’t back the Danes, there’s little Denmark can do to regain Bornholm, but the Danish government won’t recognize the Soviet occupation of Bornholm, which will mean it will simply be a frozen conflict until the fall of USSR, what happened afterward will depend on how USSR have treated Bornholm under the occupation, a independent Bornholm or a Bornholmian SSR will rejoin Denmark, a Bornholm which are simply a Russian oblast or ASSR will be much more complex issue, a ethnic cleansed Bornholm even worse.
Stalin clearly had absolutely no qualms ethnic cleansing. Knowing him, he might just deport the Danes and replace them with someone else thinking that this will eventually settle the question. So yes, there would be cause for concern.
 
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I think last Denmark tried to close the belts was during the Margereth I.

It is international waterways and cannot be closed just like that. Like the Bosporus cannot be closed, etc

If USSR keep on claiming that Denmark is conquered territory there can be a problem in terms of international arbitration - (where would that happen prior to UN?)
 
I think last Denmark tried to close the belts was during the Margereth I.

It is international waterways and cannot be closed just like that. Like the Bosporus cannot be closed, etc

If USSR keep on claiming that Denmark is conquered territory there can be a problem in terms of international arbitration - (where would that happen prior to UN?)

Denmark closed the belts in 1914-18. It won’t do so without American support, but if USA decides to back Denmark it will do so again.
 
when has denmark ever closed the strait without a world war erupting around them?

and backing a declaration of war against the soviet union (which happens to be what you are actually picturing here) is a rather big "if" on the western allies part. even if one assumes they utterly lost their minds there are better ways to start the war.

It won’t be a declaration of war, Denmark will simply mine the waterways for defensive reasons.
 
You'd probably see the Soviets forced to import or export through the Baltic via Finnish or Swedish flagged ships acting as middle-men

Yes, here’s how I imagine it will go, Denmark will continue to protest Soviet occupation of Bornholm 1946-48, with the Berlin Blockade, USA decides to give the Danes their go, and Denmark close down the Belts and Sounds, as the Berlin Blockade end Denmark open them up again, but this becomes a tool through the Cold War, that if USSR push too hard, the Americans let Denmark close the Belts and Sound.

This end in 1991, where the collapse of USSR result in some agreement finally being reach over Bornholm, it of course depend on what have happened to the population of the island.
 
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