Customer Reviews

Latvia in Transition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Latvia in Transition, by Juris Dreifelds, is an even-handed and readable treatment of the post-Soviet period in Latvia. Dreifelds asserts that in spite of its stumbling blocks and outright failures on the road to democracy, Latvia-along with Estonia and Lithuania-is a model of successful economic, political, and social transition for its fellow states that once submitted to the aegis of Soviet communism. According to Dreifelds, this transition was made easier by several commonalities shared by the three Baltic nations, but not by other former Soviet republics: 1) they each had the advantage of historical precedent, having experienced two decades of independence between the first and second World Wars; 2) their integration into the USSR was never diplomatically recognized by most Western countries, and therefore their break for independence under the auspices of perestroika was more readily supported by the West and tolerated by the Gorbachev administration; and finally, 3) the ties to Baltic expatriates and their active involvement in the independence movements strengthened the new nations. On the other hand, the so-called "Pribaltika" also faced significant impediments, many of which boiled down to ethnic and ideological rifts which were rooted in the period of Soviet hegemony, and thus it was necessary to evolve rather than merely trying to return to the pre-Soviet status quo. Dreifelds posits that "It is clear that post-communist Latvia is not the country of 1939 altered merely by the normal processes of modernization . . . The obstacles in the way of reforms are formidable. The decades-long discontinuity in the sovereignty of Latvia and its incorporation into the USSR precipitated momentous changes and altered the demographic, economic, political and psychological characteristics of the country." (Dreifelds p. 7)

The tight organization proceeds in a logical manner, starting with a historical overview that is at first brief, for the period from pre-history up to initial independence. Dreifelds then begins to narrow his focus during the independence period, the first Soviet occupation, German occupation, and then incorporation into the USSR. In particular, he devotes much discussion to ethnic issues, and how the various regimes differed in their treatment of different racial minorities. He also underscores how the aftermath of Soviet deportation and the holocaust, along with the importation of Russians laborers to work in Latvian industry, was manifest in the decimation of the ethnic Latvian inhabitants, and how they never regained their majority in the overall populace. All of this background is necessary in order to fully appreciate the events surrounding the reassertion of independence and the impacts to the populace of Latvia, both anticipated and unforseen.

The next couple of chapters delve into the "Latvian national rebirth" in the last half of the 1980s and the subsequent reestablishment of independent sovereignty in the early 1990s. In particular, Dreifelds talks about the role of folk-culture and environmental concerns in the "awakening" that nurtured the latent Latvian nationalism until it reached its full flower in the election of the Latvian Supreme Council in May of 1990, and then the election of the Fifth Saeima in 1993. Of particular note is his attention to the ramifications that this nationalism had on the non-Latvians living in Latvia and the resulting ethnic tensions that rose and fell and then rose again during the first few years of independence. These tensions permeated both the Saeima and the general public.

In fact, the theme of ethnic dichotomy between Latvians and Russians is the underlying current throughout the book, and it drives the coverage in the final chapters of the topics of economic reform, demographics and the establishment of a Latvian national identity. Going back to Dreifelds' initial statement that Latvia's incorporation into the USSR "precipitated changes that profoundly affected the characteristics of the country"-the transformation of the populace from an overwhelming majority of Latvians, to almost equal parts Latvian and Russian, with smaller groups of other ethnic minorities, continues to dramatically affect the way that democracy has unfolded in Latvia. The evidence he presents is compelling and convincing. The examples range from the political arena and the power struggles between Latvian nationalist fractions against Russian fractions and their uneasy coalitions, to the economic issues of privatization and employment and entrepreneurship, to the cultural concerns of determining a national language and the ensuing friction between Latvians and Russians because of the Russians' unwillingness to embrace their official tongue. One of his main contentions about racial dynamics is that all ethnic groups in Latvia perceive themselves as minorities.

Finally, the book concluded with a brief examination of some of the problems that Latvia will continue to face as it wrestles to establish a workable government, constitution and economy, and thus gain international respect. Of greatest concern, according to Dreifelds, is the need for Latvia to be constantly vigilant against its large neighbor to the east, and to develop a strong support network in the West of economic, and if necessary, military backing should Russia become aggressive and once again seek to encompass its former Baltic holdings.

This was an enjoyable and informative read. I discerned only a few deficiencies worthy of comment. On a minor note, a glossary of terms, a map of the Baltic region, and a more extensive index would have added greatly to the usability of the book, especially for readers uninitiated in Baltic geography, culture, history and politics. I couldn't help wishing that this book had been written even five years later, and been able to span through the end of the 1990s, discussing more about economic development and cultural issues after the honeymoon glow of independence had completely worn off. Just the same, this book is excellent for students and other readers wishing to gain a focused understanding of Latvian independence and its political, economic and social implications during the brief period from the late 1980s through the mid 1990s, and it provides as well a thoughtful discussion of the lasting effects of Stalinism and communism on modern Latvia.

This book is about the early years of Latvia's independence from the communist domination from Moscow. Latvia is a small country, one of the three Baltic republics that were independent in the inter-war period but where taken over by Soviet forces in June of 1940, after Hitler and Stalin secretly devided Eastern Europe between themselves. Baltic nationalism was probably the strongest of all nationalism within the Soviet Union.

The book opens with a brief historical overview of the Latvian situation, and then proceeds to the nation rebirth. Then the author tackles the problem of establishing democracy in a country with only modest democratic heritage. He round off the book by discussing the economic situation, and the problem of demographics and ethnic relations. The empirical part of the book is a little dated, which is not the author's fault--events change very quickly in that part of the world. But all the same problems remain relevant. In particular, the status of Russians in Latvia and relations with Moscow continue to be the most contentious issues in Latvian politics.

There are not many books in English about the transition in Latvia from being part of the Soviet Union to becoming an independent state. "Latvia in Transition" contains a good overview of the governmental steps in the late 80's and early 90's that constituted the transition.

This book is also worth reading to understand the historical situation in Latvia and the demographic trends at least through 1994.

However, a darker picture has emerged in Latvia since that time. It has emerged that independence and democracy were false in the sense that a large part of the government has been following the instructions of a small group of oligarchs with links to Moscow.

As a result, the demographic situation has gotten worse instead of better since "independence" with many Latvians either fleeing to Western Europe or else remaining in Latvia and having very few children because of their impoverishment.

Anyway, I recommend reading this book as a first step for Westerners trying to understand what is going on in Latvia.

John Christmas, author of "Democracy Society"