Lithuania: The Rebirth of a Nation, 1991-1994In 1990, the tiny Soviet Republic of Lithuania declared independence and began restoring the mechanisms of independent government and democracy that had been suppressed by its Soviet invaders for half a century. Lithuania examines the first years of this rebirth in the face of the legacy of the Soviet occupation. In addition to chronicling the lively chain of events leading to and stemming from the declaration of independence, Alexandra Ashbourne studies the essential components of rebirth: the creation of domestic, foreign, and security policies and the revitalization of an independent economy. Drawing from the personal testimony of Lithuanians closely connected to these events, Ashbourne appraises Lithuania's attempts to rejoin the international community and acquire an effective security guarantee. She concludes that the damage caused by fifty years of Soviet domination created obstacles to the process of rebirth, obstacles that are proving difficult and even impossible to overcome. Readers of Lithuania will find its discussions applicable to most former Soviet republics and Eastern Bloc states. The book will be invaluable to students and scholars of Lithuania, Soviet history, and international political policy. |
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26 June agricultural Algirdas Brazauskas ambassador April assistance Balickas BALTBAT Baltic BBC World Service Beaver Belarus Bernotas Brazauskaite central and eastern Central Europe Commonwealth of Independent currency December defence Democratic Deputy Foreign Minister despite diplomatic elections embassy emigres established Estonia European Union forces Foreign Affairs foreign policy Forest Brothers former Soviet former USSR German Gerutis Gorbachev inter-war international recognition interview Jane's Sentinel January June Kaliningrad Kaunas Klaipeda land reform Latvia LDLP legacy Litas Lithuania's economic Lithuania's foreign Lithuania's independence Lithuanian government Lithuanian Information Institute Lithuanian Ministry London Lozoraitis market economy military Ministry of Foreign Moscow NATO October official organisations Party percent period PHARE Programme Poland political post-Soviet President Brazauskas privatisation rebirth recognised region relations Republic of Lithuania restitution of independence restitution of Lithuania's Sajūdis Saudargas sector Seimas Šiauliai Smetona Soviet occupation staff Stankevičius territory Treaty USSR Varkala Vilnius Vytautas Landsbergis western