According to historian Robert Conquest, the selective deportations from the Baltic States represented the policy of "decapitation" of the nation by removing its political and social elite, "as was later evidently to be the motive for the Katyn massacre."
Ifølge historikeren Robert Conquest fulgte den selektive deportering fra de baltiske stater en politik om at halshugge nationerne ved at fjerne deres politiske og sociale eliter, "som det senere blev klart var motivet bag Katynmassakren."