Silent submission : formation of foreign policy of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania : period from mid- 1920-s to annexation in 1940

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Baltijos valstybės; Estija (Estonia); Latvija (Latvia); Pasidavimas; SSRS; Tarpukaris; Užsienio politika; Vokietija (Germany); Baltic states; Foreign policy; Foreign politics; Germany; Interwar period; Latvia; Lithuania; Submission; USSR.

ENUntil the present time the foreign policy of the Baltic states between-the-wars period has not been sufficiently researched. Therefore the work at hand attempts to detennine among other issues the nature of relations between the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian presidents - Konstantin Pats, Karlis Ulmanis and Antanas Smetona respectively - and the Soviet Union. Specifically it also tries to provide answers to the following questions: first, what prevented the Baltic states from cooperating politically and militarily; second, what kind of relations existed between the Baltic states and the Great Powers - Great Britain, Germany, the Soviet Union and Poland; third, what was implied by the policy of neutrality, declared in the second half of 1930-s. The author of the work at hand attempts to answer the question why in the fall of 1939 the Baltic states were not able to collaborate politically and militarily, and why, unlike Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania chose the path of unconditional surrender. The work at hand observes the relations between the Baltic states in the context of the foreign policies and international relationships of both the Soviet Union and Germany. Furthermore a close attention is paid to the influence wielded to the foreign policies of the Baltic states by the economic policies of the Soviet Union and Germany.As for the domestic policies of the Baltic states, only their influence on foreign policies of these states is being dealt with. All in all the main emphasis is placed on the foreign policy of Estonia, whereas the foreign policies of Latvia and Lithuania are treated to a lesser extent. The simultaneous utilization of archives from both the former Soviet Union and the Western states has disclosed many hitherto unknown facts and thus has helped to paint a more correct picture of characters involved, events taken place and has depicted the general flow of history in a somewhat different light than recognized in earlier times. Also the use of a wide base of source materials has helped the author to present a clearer picture of all factors leading to the loss of independence of three Baltic states in 1940. [From the publication]