Ethnic Relations in the Baltic Reconsidered

This path-breaking and well-researched collection of essays, by leading experts in the field, seeks to understand the history of the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia—through an investigation of the relations between the peoples of this region over the past century and a half. It thus concentrates on the implication for these groups of their relations with the hegemonic imperial power, the Tsarist Empire and then the Soviet Union rather than on the emergence of the modern Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian nations. This provides a novel and innovative way of examining the history of the area, which is compared in the volume to the related, but in some ways dissimilar, developments in the South Caucasus. It is essential reading for all interested in the history of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union, the nature of empire and the development of modern nationalism. . Antony Polonsky, Emeritus Professor of Holocaust Studies, Brandeis University. Chief Historian, Global Education Outreach Project, Museum of Polish Jews in Warsaw This study offers a fascinating new perspective on the dynamics of interethnic collaboration, conflict, and violence in the Baltic region. It sheds new light on the lived experiences of its peoples from the nineteenth century to the present day. . Ulrike von Hirschhausen, Director, German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C. A timely and insightful re-evaluation of ethnic relations across a region notable for its complexity and diversity. Bringing together internationally leading scholars from a range of disciplines, this volume foregrounds the relational and contingent nature of identity, its links to governance, and the impacts it has carried for Baltic societies over the past two centuries. David J Smith, Alec Nove Chair of East European Studies, University of Glasgow.