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Latvia is located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. After a
brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was
annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in
1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last
Russian troops left in 1994. Latvia continues to revamp its economy
for eventual integration into various Western European political
and economic institutions. Since May 2004 Latvia is a member of the
European Union. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of
Latvia contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an
extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500
cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics,
economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an
excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to
know more about Latvia.
Since the end of the Cold War there has been an increased interest in The Baltics. The Baltic States brings together three countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to provide a comprehensive and analytical guide integrating history, political science, economic development and contemporary events into one account. Since gaining their independence each country has developed at its own pace with its own agenda and facing its own obstacles. The authors examine the tensions accompanying a post-communist return to Europe after the long years of separation, and how each country has responded to the demands of becoming a modern European state. Estonia was the first of the former Soviet republics to enter membership negotiations with the European Union in 1988 and is a potential candidate for the next round of EU expansion in 2004. Lithuania and Latvia have also expressed their desire for future membership of NATO and the EU.
The past one hundred years have been a very trying time for Latvia, complete with success, tragedy, and still unrealized promise. Within the course of a generation, the country experienced revolutions, wars and independent statehood, and then the slide into authoritarianism. World War II brought new occupations. The tragedies were staggering: holocaust, executions, and an exodus of refugees. Soviet consolidation bred deportations, forced collectivization and partisan warfare. Almost fifty years later, Latvia regained its independence and emerged from decades of disastrous Soviet rule. This book comprehensively surveys Latvia's recent past and prospects for the new millennium, placing contemporary events in historical perspective. The authors address the evolution of the country from the movement against Soviet rule to the dilemmas of contemporary politics: party formation, the problem of corruption, the quest for the future and a regional and international role, the struggle to develop a civil society, the issue of ethnic relations and the recurring tendency towards statist solutions. Proper attention is also given to economic developments.
Since the end of the Cold War there has been an increased interest
in the Baltics. The Baltic States brings together three titles,
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to provide a comprehensive and
analytical guide integrating history, political science, economic
development and contemporary events into one account. Since gaining
their independence, each country has developed at its own pace with
its own agenda and facing its own obstacles. The authors examine
the tensions accompanying a post-communist return to Europe after
the long years of separation and how each country has responded to
the demands of becoming a modern European state. Estonia was the
first of the former Soviet republics to enter membership
negotiations with the European Union in 1988 and is a potential
candidate for the next round of EU expansion in 2004. Lithuania and
Latvia have also expressed their desire for future membership of
NATO and the EU.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - most accounts of modern European
history group these nations together under the umbrella term
'Baltic states'. In reality, these three separate, quite different
countries are each continually struggling to find their own place
within Europe whilst preserving their local identity. The idea of
'the Baltic' is a facade and yet the countries are tied together in
many ways historically. Baltic Facades presents a radical new
reading of the region, one that dispels the myth of a single,
coherent Baltic identity. Instead Aldis Purs takes account of the
uniqueness of each of the so-called Baltic states, whilst also
examining the shared anxiety that the people of Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania feel about their own identities and how others see them.
Purs locates the three countries within the larger context of
European history, stressing their similarities with the rest of the
continent rather than their differences. Giving equal weight to
developments in politics, economics, and social and cultural
trends, Purs develops a thematic framework that places contemporary
events in a longer perspective than traditional Cold War inspired
views of the region. This title will appeal to the intellectually
curious reader, one who seeks an account of the Baltic nations that
provides a strong sense of place and goes beyond the confines of
traditional political history.
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