Defining Latvia Michael Loader, Siobhán Hearne, Matthew Kott / Michael Loader, Siobhán Hearne, Matthew Kott
2022, 20220308, 2022-03-08
eBook, Book
In just over a century, Latvia has transitioned from imperial
periphery to nation-state, then Soviet republic, and finally
following the collapse of the Soviet Union to an independent
republic. ...Defining Latvia brings together the latest research on
the multiple social, political, and cultural contexts of Latvia
throughout this turbulent period. Its ten chapters are written by
leading political scientists, historians, and area studies
specialists from across Europe and North America.
The volume moves beyond an exclusively political context to
incorporate a variety of social and cultural perspectives, ranging
from the experiences of Latvian mapmakers in the Russian Empire, to
the participation of Latvians in the Wehrmacht and Red Army during
World War II, Latvian national communism, and the development of
extremist politics following Latvia's accession to the European
Union. Other chapters address developing trends in the fields of
history and political science, including the history of
antisemitism, memory, language politics, photography, and political
extremism.
Based on the book's temporal span from the nineteenth century to
the present, the authors and editors of Defining Latvia
understand the construction of Latvian identity as a continuous and
interconnected process across significant political and ideological
ruptures.
