After breaking free from the Bolsheviks in 1918, Estonia enjoyed independence until 1940, when the country was subsumed by the Soviet Union. Not until 1991 was Estonia able to make its next successful bid for sovereignty. In this book, Rein Taagepera traces the evolution of Estonia from prehistory to the present, when a radical turn of events in the former Soviet Union once again altered the destiny of this Baltic nation.The author explores in depth the remarkable changes in Estonia since 1980, framing his analysis within the larger picture of the Soviet Union and its demise. He also examines...
After breaking free from the Bolsheviks in 1918, Estonia enjoyed independence until 1940, when the country was subsumed by the Soviet Union. Not until...
The lands of Central Asia are united by a common history and historical identity as well as by common traditions. A heritage of tribal mountain and steppe confederations and oasis emirates gave way in the Soviet period to the creation of artificial nation-states in the heart of Asia. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, these nationsKazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tojikiston, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistonwere thrust back into the international community as separate countries. Independence came as had bondage to Soviet power seven decades earlierit was imposed from without. These new states are now...
The lands of Central Asia are united by a common history and historical identity as well as by common traditions. A heritage of tribal mountain and st...
Known to most as a realm of exile and labor camps, Siberia is also one of the world's wealthiest resource bases. This harsh, vast land constitutes nearly three-quarters of Russia's territory, yet after four centuries of Slavic migration and procreation it is home to a mere 32 million people.In this comprehensive book, Victor Mote illuminates the dichotomy between Siberia's rich treasurehouse of resources and its peripheral relationship to the rest of the world. With this paradox in mind, he traces the region's history from the Stone Age to the present, emphasizing the unique blend of wit and...
Known to most as a realm of exile and labor camps, Siberia is also one of the world's wealthiest resource bases. This harsh, vast land constitutes nea...
In 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to break with the communist empire by declaring the restitution of political independence. Depicting a country at the crossroads of imperial designs, Vardys and Sedaitis trace the history, development, and ultimate triumph of the Lithuanian nation.They begin by exploring Lithuania's pagan ancestry and epochal struggles with Germanic and Russian states, with special emphasis on the first period of political independence between the two World Wars and on the effort to regain freedom in the wake of the perestroika reforms. The authors conclude...
In 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to break with the communist empire by declaring the restitution of political independence. Depicti...
With the expansion of NATO, Ukraine is frequently described as the linchpin of security in Central Europe. And after Russia, it is the largest and most important of the post-Soviet states. Yet it is a country about which most westerners know very little, subsumed as it was for decades beneath the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Ukrainian Politics and Society is the first comprehensive study of politics in post-Soviet Ukraine, and is therefore vital reading for anyone concerned with European security, or with politics in the former Soviet Union.The authors' extensive experience in...
With the expansion of NATO, Ukraine is frequently described as the linchpin of security in Central Europe. And after Russia, it is the largest and mos...