The Baltic : A History of the Baltic Sea and Its Peoples

by Alan Warwick Palmer

We pass through the legendary castles of Elsinore and Halsingborg to enter the Baltic world. From early Viking days and then under the Byzantine empire, the Baltic was always much more than Europe's backwater, and in medieval times the area was an important trading ground.Each individual country developed separately, but then in the late 17th and early 18th centuries came the sole attempt to create a unified Baltic Empire based in Sweden. However, with the rise of Russian influence, this came apart and Russia expanded her empire in the region, annexing Finland, to be followed by the Prussianising of the Polish provinces. Great national sentiment grew in all Baltic states, and a high cultural level was achieved - both musically and in literature.The 20th century has been a defining one for the Baltic region: the Eastern Front in the First World War; consequences of the Russian Revolution; the rise of aggression with the Nazi-Soviet Pact and then the Second World War. The economic and political issues coming out of the end of the war were compunded by the Cold War and Communist expansion in the Baltic states.And in the last decade the European ideal has spread and been adapted within the Baltic, as these lands open up to the outside world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2005

About the author

Author also writes under Alan Palmer

Alan Palmer was Head of the History Department at Highgate School from 1953 to 1969, when he gave up his post to concentrate on historical writing and research.

Reviews

[Ženija · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kāda būs nākotne, ja Maskavā pie varas nāks kāds nacionālists? Vai lācis ir piejaucēts vai tikai iemidzis?"

Šie jautājumi tika uzdoti jau 2005. gadā, bet šobrīd, domāju, atbildes ir skaidras.

[Aranka · Rating 3 out of 5]

You would probably have to read several history books before proceeding with this one. I found myself totally lost in the earlier history and only started to be engaged until the WWII part, which is near the end of this big thick book. To be fair though, I think is is very informative, just not for the laymen.

My overall impression is, the Baltic history was a stage where Russian presence was ubiquitous. The author clearly succeeded in picturing this force as ambitious and unpredictable. On the other hand, seeing many cases showing nations changing sides/having only interests rather than permanent friends, maybe the trickest part was to be faced with only two choices, both of which ill-fated.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the author had spent more time on pre-WWII history, but WWII itself was the most thoroughly covered. Overall, a solid history, though a bit of a slog.