The Soviet Union remained conciliatory with Baltic states in 1937–1938. Moscow had welcomed the Baltic Entente earlier and Soviet marshal Alexander Yegorov visited all three Baltic capitals in 1937.Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 101. However, during the same period the Soviet Union built defences on the borders of Finland, Estonia and Latvia, and committed airspace infringements. In early 1939, the Germans and Soviets started secret meetings toward an agreement. The British had abandoned the idea of naval intervention in the Baltic with the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935. However, British politicians made visits to the area, and exported armaments.Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 99. In 1939, the British and French tried to arrange a "guarantee" of the Baltic states to the Soviet Union. The Baltic states would have preferred to remain neutral, but the only security systems on offer were German or Soviet.Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 102. In June 1939, Estonia and Latvia yielded to German pressure and signed non-aggression pacts.Hiden & Salmon (1994). p. 103.
