This thesis explores the role played by nationalism in Estonia's transition to capitalism in the post-Soviet era and the way it continues to impact the Estonian economy. I hypothesize that nationalism was the key factor in this transition and that nationalism has placed a disproportionate economic burden on the resident ethnic Russians. First, I examine the history of Estonian nationalism. I examine the Estonian nationalist narrative from its beginning during the Livonian Crusade, the founding of Estonian nationalist thought in the late 1800s with a German model of nationalism, the conditions of the Soviet occupation, and the role of song festivals in Estonian nationalism. Second, I give a brief overview of the economic systems of Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia. Finally, I examine the impact of nationalism on the Estonian economy. To do this, I discuss the nature of nationalist economy, the presence of an ethno-national divide between the Estonians and Russians, and the impact of nationalist policies in citizenship, education, property rights, and geographical location. I find that there is a disproportionate difference in these areas between Estonians and ethnic Russians which affect the economy. I conclude by examining the problems and potential solutions to citizenship law, the use of neoliberalism in assimilation, and proposing a framework which could be used to examine disparities between differing groups in other economies. / Master of Arts / Estonia is a small country in the Baltics. From the time of the Livonian Crusade in the 1300s, the land that would become Estonia had been under the control of one foreign occupier or another. In the late 1800s, the Estonian people started writing literature in their native language and collecting traditional folk songs. Singing these songs at festivals, the Estonian people developed a national identity. After twenty years of independence following the First World War, the Estonians were occupied by the Soviet Union. During this time, Estonians were subjected to deportations, Russification efforts, and control from Moscow. Relying on their language and folk song tradition, they kept the flame of the Estonian nation alive and gained independence in 1991. What followed was a rapid economic transition to a capitalist system with few barriers to trade, low regulations, and foreign direct investment. While the country made a tremendous amount of progress economically after the fall of the Soviet Union, there were still those who had fallen behind: the ethnic Russians. I argue that nationalism was the key factor in Estonia’s post-Soviet economic transition and is responsible for the disproportionate burden on the ethnic Russian population. I look at the impact of geography, education, and citizenship on the economic status of residents of Estonia. I conclude by examining the problems caused by citizenship law, neoliberalism and assimilation, and proposing a framework to examine disparities between groups in other economies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/77882 |
| Date | 01 June 2017 |
| Creators | Denson, Thomas Marvin IV |
| Contributors | Political Science, Pula, Besnik, Taylor, Charles L., Thomas, Courtney Irene Powell |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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