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Summary: The Baltics in the 20th century
Review: This book will help you to better understand Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which have remarkably different personalities, although often collectively referred to as the Baltics. The countries are treated separately, as they deserve to be, illustrating their individual ambitions, which are often at odds to each other. I was very impressed with Thomas Lane's scholarly but easily accessible account of Lithuania. In it he gives one of the most balanced appraisals of the country which I've read, taking it up to 1997 with the election of Valdas Adamkus. He charts Lithuania from its post WWI independence to its post Soviet independence, noting its tremendous resiliency in the face of two totalitarian regimes -- the Soviet Union and Germany. The country had a difficult time carving out its niche in the 1920's, battling Poland as well in staking out its independence, only to lose Vilnius to Poland's overextending claims. Lane gives special attention to this inter-war period, as it served as the inspiration for Lithuania's post-Soviet independence in 1991. He recounts Lithuania's uneasy relationship with Germany and its role in the Holocaust, but is very careful in assessing blame. Lithuania quite literally found itself between a rock and a hard place, falling victim to the Soviet Union in the end. Lane provides a detailed study of the Soviet era and the impact it had on Lithuania's agrarian economy. Through this period, Lithuania still managed to retain its identity despite the prevailing Soviet influence. Lane covers the key events of the 80's which led to independence, and the difficulties Lithuania faced in the 90's as it tried to distance itself from Moscow. He provides an excellent appraisal of the various political parties and the affect the rural vote still has on the outcome of the elections. Although Lithuania was still struggling to form a market economy by the time Lane concludes his account in the late 90's, the country has since enjoyed an economic boom, with the highest growth rate in Eastern Europe. There is also a fine appraisal of Lithuania's current foreign policy and its ability to form key European alliances in the 90's, which it had been unable to do in the 20's. It no longer has a heavy reliance on Russia, having become an integral part of the European economy.
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