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

At the start of the twentieth century, the term "Lithuanian" referred to a language in a region where there had once been a medieval state, but few people thought that this was of any relevance to the general affairs of Europe. Now, 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. Lithuania in European Politics 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. 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 Europes great powers, and how it was compelled to follow a foreign policy of survival. An enlightening work from Lithuanias 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. THE LITHUANIAN TERRITORY ACQUIRED BY RUSSIA through the third partition of Poland-Lithuania (1795) was divided into two administrative units-the provinces of Vilnius and Slonim, referred to as the Lithuanian provinces.