Lithuania: The Rebirth of a Nation, 1991-1994 - Hardcover

Ashbourne, Alexandra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0739100270 ISBN 13: 9780739100271

Publisher: Lexington Books, 1999

Synopsis

In 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.

About this title

About the Author:

Alexandra Ashbourne is a defense analyst at the Centre for European Reform in London.

Review:

"Value lies in its documentary format and in the attention it draws to the importance of symbolism and ritual in state consolidation. . . . Ashbourne obviously cultivated a great affection for the country and admirably balanced the successes and failures of the new state." (H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online)

Offers fresh new insights into Lithuanian political developments. . . . Useful to general readers and researchers alike. (CHOICE)

About this edition

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0739100270
• ISBN 13: 9780739100271
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232