Why did thousands of Estonians flee to Sweden and Germany in 1944?

In 1944, thousands of Estonians fled to Sweden and Germany to escape the advancing Soviet forces as the U.S.S.R. reoccupied the country during World War II.12

Following the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of 1939, Estonia had already suffered through a brutal period of Soviet occupation beginning in 1940, characterized by the arrest and deportation of political leaders and tens of thousands of citizens. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Estonia remained under German occupation for three years.12

By February 1944, Soviet troops had returned to the Narva front, signaling the imminent collapse of the German-held territory. Fearing the return of Soviet repression, approximately 30,000 Estonians escaped by sea to Sweden and 33,000 to Germany, with many thousands tragically perishing during the dangerous journey. Soviet forces subsequently captured Tallinn on September 22, 1944.12