Latvia

Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights, Vol. 2: The Stone Castles of Latvia and Estonia, 1185-1560 (Fortress 19)

The original forced conversion of pagan Livonia, what is now the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, was carried out by a military order known as the Brethren of the Sword. In 1236 this order was incorporated into the Teutonic Knights following a catastrophic military defeat. The knights had always consolidated their conquests through networks of castles and fortified places, and the Livonian Chapter of the Teutonic Order built castles of stone. This title covers the developmental and operational history of these fortresses over the length of the Middle Ages. It details how the Baltic fortifications of the Teutonic Knights evolved to reflect the changing nature of siege warfare and the increasing dominance of gunpowder in warfare.

A Woman in Amber: Healing the Trauma of War and Exile

The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Path to Independence

In this timely book, Anatol Lieven presents an intimate and engaging portrait of the history and culture of the Baltic states from their ancient origins to their contemporary status. He explores the culture and personality of the Baltic peoples, their religious and racial differences, their relations with Russia and with the West. Drawing on a wide range of sources including interviews, newspaper accounts, and his own observations, he describes and analyzes the rise of national movements in each of the three countries after Glastnost and the possibilities for democracy and Europeanization or for ethnic conflict and nationalist dictatorship.

The Latvians: A Short History (Studies of Nationalities)

This is the first English-language volume that brings the history of Latvia to the threshold of the twenty-first century. Until the reestablishment of Latvian independence in 1991, Stoviet dominance served for nearly fifty years to hinder publication of any complete and objective historical record of the region. Plakans now places the evolution and formation of the Latvian nation in a balanced, historical framework that stretches from the early medieval period to the present. Particular emphasis is given to the period between the Latvian "national awakening" of 1816—1819 and the emergence of an independent Latvia in 1918. From this point forward, the book extensively chronicles an evolving Latvian state structure, provides an appendix that summarizes all changes and important officeholders, and explains the current systems of political parties. This post perestroika historical narrative should contribute significantly to assessing the likely hood of Latvia's survival as an independent republic.

And Then There Was One

This is the story of how a comfortable middle class Jewish family dealt with the political and economic turmoil caused by the end of the Czar's reign and the onset of Communist government in Russia and how it eventually made its way to Weimar Germany where it prospered once again, only to have to leave when the Nazi rule made continued life in Berlin impossible. Provides riveting vignettes of how the cataclysmic events that shook the world between 1914 and 1945 dramatically effected the author's own life and those around him in many walks of life.

The Northern Wars: War, State and Society in Northeastern Europe, 1558 - 1721 (Modern Wars In Perspective)

Robert I. Frost has written an examination of a period of critical importance for the history of eastern and northern Europe. The Northern Wars provides an accessible analysis of the neglected but highly important series of wars fought between 1558 and 1721 for control of the Baltic and for hegemony in northeastern Europe. Based extensively on primary and secondary material in several languages, the author provides a great deal of information unfamiliar to readers in the English language. Comparative in nature The Northern Wars examines the impact of the war on the very different social and political systems of Sweden, Denmark, Poland-Lithuania and Russia and explains why Russia emerged victorious from the wars. Robert I. Frost argues that the conditions and demands of war in northeastern Europe were different than those of western Europe and challenges the assumption that warfare in eastern Europe was resistant to change. The author also questions the traditional accounts of important figures such a Peter the Great and Gustav Adolf. For anyone interested in the history of northern Europe. Also available in Hardcover 0-582-06430-9, $79.95.

The Collapse of the Soviet Empire: A View from Riga

An American academic describes the breakup of the Soviet Union and the formation of an independent Latvia from the vantage point of Riga, where he was acting as an advisor to the Latvian Parliament and was a visiting faculty member at the time of the events. This description is unusual for several reasons--the author was based in Riga rather than Moscow or Leningrad, where most reporters lived, the work was written by someone who had access to the government, and the author was able to understand the local press and people. Background material on the Baltic countries and their relationship to the USSR is discussed. By 1991, the Soviet system was floundering, with people spending an inordinate amount of time standing in lines to cope with shortages. The final breakdown of the Soviet empire began in the Baltic Republics, where Baltic nationalism and Russian nationalism clashed. By the end of 1991, the Baltic countries and most of the former Soviet republics had declared independence. The Soviet Union has bequeathed to the successor states an infrastructure and ethos that makes the transition to democracy and a free market extremely difficult. The work will interest those who want to learn what really happened during the breakdown of the USSR and those who need to deal with the changes that continue to occur in the successor states.

Peeling Potatoes, Painting Pictures: Women Artists in Post-Soviet Russia, Estonia, and Latvia. The First Decade

Foreign Legions of the Third Reich: Poland, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Rumania, Free India, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Russia (Foreign Legions of the Third Reich)

The History of the Baltic States (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations)

The Baltic states--Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--are nestled in northeastern Europe, where they lie at a crossroad of European culture. Collectively, they have been both a transmitter of culture and a victim of larger, more powerful nations' aspirations. Their ethnically and religiously diverse natives continue to struggle with the question of identity, yet the Balts have had relatively peaceful relations with each other for some 600 years. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the Baltic states "returned to Europe" and seem intent on preserving the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that emerged during their struggle for independence more than a decade ago. This is the most recent and up-to-date narrative history of the Baltic states, providing readers with an ideal starting point for research on the area. It includes a timeline of major events, biographic sketches of noteworthy historical figures, a glossary, and a bibliographic essay. The Baltic states' survival and recovery during the late Soviet and early post-Soviet era is an inspiring and fascinating tale. This concise history takes readers from the ice ages through the Cold War, telling the tale of these small but important countries and their role in the history of Europe.