Lithuania in European politics: the years of the first republic, 1918-1940

Product Description

At the close of this century, the identity of Lithuania as its own nation stands well-established, after many years of war and foreign domination. This book illustrates the way in which Lithuanian national consciousness grew from a shared feeling of unstructured instincts to a firm sense of nationhood in the course of this century. The authors reveal how this tiny country was caught at the intersection of Europe’s great powers, and how it was compelled to follow a foreign policy of survival. An enlightening work from Lithuania’s own ambassadors to the States, Lithuania in European Politics explains why the restoration of a Lithuanian state in 1990 cannot be understood without comprehending those critical years between the two World Wars.


Review

Filling an important gap in scholarship, this brief treatment of Lithuania's interwar history is welcome indeed. --"Choice"

This is an excellent book that should be in any library collection of European history. -- "History"


From the Publisher

"The dearth of scholarship on the Baltic countries would make this history of the twenty years of the first Lithuanian republic welcome in any case, but clear writing, a coherent thematic approach, and careful objectivity make it a model for future Baltic studies." --History
"Their account is by far the most authoritative that has yet appeared in English, drawing extensively on recently opened archive material, as well as on a wide range of memoirs and secondary literature in the Lithuanian language, and reflects both the vigor and the maturity of post-Communist scholarship in Lithuania." --The International History Review
"Modern Lithuanian history is deeply enmeshed in the complex tangle of competing Central European national aspirations. This volume ably conveys both the determined character of the Lithuanian quest for national independence and the tragic consequences of Lithuania's vulnerability." --Zbigniew Brzezinski, Center for Strategic & International Studies

About the Author

Alfonsas Eidintas is Ambassador of Lithuania to Canada.

Vytautas Zalys has been a Professor at Vilnius and Kaunas Universities. He currently serves in the Lithuanian Diplomatic Corps.

Edvardas Tuskenis is Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States.