The Baltic Story recounts the shared history of the countries
around the Baltic, from the events of a thousand years ago to
today. It shows the ties of blood and commerce that have bound the
different lands which now lie in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Western Russia and eastern Germany. The
narrative encompasses the foundation of some of Europe's greatest
cities, including St Petersburg, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Gdansk.
The earliest settlers created a commercial network. As these Hansa
merchants became wealthier, they began to impose on the political
affairs of their neighbours. In Poland, descendants of her first
rulers eventually united their territories and created a state
offering religious tolerance and an elective monarchy. Meanwhile,
one of Europe's most ancient dynasties, the Oldenburgs, assumed
power in Denmark, but the king was deposed after his massacre of
Swedish nobles. When Gustav Vasa takes the Swedish throne, the
Kalmar Union collapses. The Catholic king of Poland invades Russia
and his son is elected tsar. Russia's turmoil ends with the
election of Michael, the first of the Romanovs. As the feud between
the Poles and Swedes continues, Karl X ravages Poland and moves on
to Denmark, where he crosses the frozen sea to attack Copenhagen.
Having stood firm against further Swedish assault, the Danish king
attains absolute power. This history shows the growth of autocracy,
from Denmark's absolutist kings to the opulent world of the
eighteenth-century Russian empresses. It analyses the period of the
Enlightenment, in particular the achievements of Frederick II of
Prussia and Catherine II of Russia and the problems facing Poland
that ended with the country's collapse. And it shows how
Enlightenment thinking influenced Denmark and Sweden and rocked the
monarchies. It also explores the threat of Napoleon's France to the
Baltic and the impact of the First World War and the Russian
Revolution, which led to the radical re-shaping of the region.
General
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