Estonia: Return To Independence

by Taagepera,Rein

• ISBN13: 9780813317038
• ISBN10: 0813317037
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1993-05-20
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

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 the issue of ethnic tensions between Estonians and Russian colonists and speculates on how unrest will affect the future of the country. Throughout his analysis, the author weaves in such key questions as: Why did Sovietization fail? How did Estonia's quest for autonomy affect Soviet dissolution? What role will the country play on the global stage? What will Estonia's future hold?

Author Biography

Rein Taagepera is professor of social science at the University of California at Irvine and was a member of Estonia’s 1991 Constitutional Assembly.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Estonia's Role in the World	p. 1
Notes	p. 9
From Prehistory to World War I	p. 11
Notes	p. 38
Independence and World War II	p. 41
Notes	p. 74
Soviet Occupation	p. 77
Notes	p. 109
History Starts to Move	p. 111
Notes	p. 126
The Quest for Autonomy	p. 127
Notes	p. 164
The Quest for Independence	p. 169
Notes	p. 210
Independence in an Interdependent World	p. 215
Notes	p. 231
Appendix Basic Data and Chronology	p. 233
References and Bibliography	p. 239
About the Book and Author	p. 253
Index	p. 255
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