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Baltic Duchy (1918)

by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2001

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At the end of the First World War there were plans to create Baltic Duchy on the lands of Estonia and Latvia. This had to be governed by Baltic Germans and would be in personal union with Germany. Head of the state would have been duke of Mecklenburg - Adolf Friedrich . On 5 November, 1918 temporary government under regent-council was created to prime the declaration of duchy. But with the beginning of revolution in Germany plans were stopped. 25 December regent-council stopped the action.
Source: Estonian Encyclopedia
Erki Kurrikoff, 14 April 2001

So this would have been a duchy within the German Empire, am I right? Like all other duchies, principalities, kingdoms etc. in Germany at the time, and with Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg as duke but not as sovereign but under the German emperor? This is how I interprete the use of the term "personal union" in this context, because otherwise it would have been a personal union with Mecklenburg.
Would the borders of this duchy perhaps have had the same borders as the old province of Livonia? Livonia still had its traditional borders in the pre-WWI Russia and its arms is now present in the state arms of Latvia (the griffin in the arms).
Elias Granqvist, 24 April 2001

This thing is also little bit described in Courland page. Subjects of this project was all former territories of Livonian ordem: Courland, Livland and Estland - three gouvernorates in Russia. Also declaration in 11.5.1918 is not so serious event because in 1918 in Baltic was no real power to support this project. Real strength have Bermont-Avalov (supporting Russian monarchy), Red Army and joint Estonian-Latvian troops.
Gvido Petersons, 24 April 2001

This was probably something planned to be created following the new border of Russia set in the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk, according to which Russia would lose the Baltic countries. The date should perhaps be 5 November 1917 instead of 1918? (Gvido writes 11 May 1918)
Elias Granqvist, 24 April 2001

In Flag Report 15 we can found:
Estonia April 1918 - The Balto-German party, leaded by Baron Dellingshansen, did not recognize the government proclaimed on 24 February 1918 and called the German troops, that occupied the country (March - April 1918). The Germans established a military occupation regime that lasted eight months. During this time they projected to establish a Baltic Duchy under the rule of a German prince, member of the Confederation. Due to the war, the project never came into existence, and no flag represented the hypothetical duchy.
In Latvia April 1918 - After the failure of the Russian front, the German lords of Curlandia, who were a powerful military force in the region, and were collaborating with the German forces that occupied the territory, helped the German army to occupy the rest of the country (March 1918), where Germany esta