Historical Dictionary Of Estonia

Estonia is a small European Union country (population 1.3 million but physically the size of Netherlands and Switzerland) at the historic interface of East and West, Europe and Russia, free from Soviet occupation only for twenty-five years. Estonia boasts many notable achievements in the past has one of the most advanced economies in the region. It has made impressive progress politically, having shed a half century of communist domination and shifted to democracy, making it a model for other transitional states. It is at the forefront of Internet services: its secure digital ID cards are used for all interactions with government agencies, for voting at elections, and among government agencies, as well as in private banking. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Estonia covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, glossary, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Estonia.

Finland was part of Sweden until 1809, it then became a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire until it declared its independence on December 6, 1917. From these humble beginnings, Finland has emerged as an important player in the European Union and the world. Historical Dictionary of Finland, Third Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Finland.

Drawing on newly accessible archives as well as memoirs and other sources, this biographical dictionary documents the lives of some two thousand notable figures in twentieth-century Central and Eastern Europe. A unique compendium of information that is not currently available in any other single resource, the dictionary provides concise profiles of the region's most important historical and cultural actors, from Ivo Andric to King Zog. Coverage includes Albania, Belarus, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Moldova, Ukraine, and the countries that made up Yugoslavia.

Sweden’s transformation in the last century was brought about not by the military prowess of exceptional Swedes (indeed neutrality has been a key element in Swedish policy for almost two centuries) but by the creative ability of its people. Sweden has emerged as a model welfare state and a well-ordered democracy, to which economists, sociologists, feminists, architects, and scientists from sophisticated nations have paid study visits. Sweden now depends on international trade to preserve its high standard of living and, in a world of harsh international competition, often has to struggle to maintain its welfare system and its reputation. Despite its present difficulties, however, it remains one of the world’s most advanced and affluent democracies. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Sweden contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and a dictionary section with more than 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Sweden.

Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia did not emerge as an independent country until the twentieth century, having been occupied at different times in the past by its larger neighbors: Russia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. In 1993, Latvia held its first parliamentary election and elected its first president after 50 years of a Communist dictatorship. With the entrance of Latvia in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union in 2004, the "post-Communist" era appears to be over. The first edition of the Historical Dictionary of Latvia was written shortly after the liberation of the country from the U.S.S.R. when much about the country's future seemed uncertain. The new edition details the changes the country has undergone since and tells the turbulent history of Latvia through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, an appendix, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, and events.

An integrated history of three Baltic peoples - Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians - from their origins as tribal societies to separate nations.

In this key textbook, Andres Kasekamp masterfully traces the development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, from the northern crusades against Europe's last pagans and Lithuania's rise to become one of medieval Europe's largest states, to their incorporation into the Russian Empire and the creation of their modern national identities. Employing a comparative approach, a particular emphasis is placed upon the last one hundred years, during which the Baltic states achieved independence, endured occupation by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and transformed themselves into members of the European Union. This is an essential textbook for undergraduate students taking modules on Eastern or Central European History, Communism and Post-Communism, the Soviet Union, or Baltic Culture and Politics. Engaging and accessible, this is also an ideal introduction to the Baltic States for general readers.

As Russia rattles its sabres in the Baltic, Neil Taylor reconsiders the history of Estonia and its struggle to achieve statehood.