Estonia's rise to prominence on the leading edge of the
Soviet reform process is a consequence of the republic's dual
position as an economic role model for other republics and a
Soviet exception in terms of lifestyle and cultural
orientation. While Estonia's open acceptance of perestroika
is clearly a boost for Soviet reformers, the Estonian vision
of reform is distinctly different from the direction intended
by Moscow. In its capacity as reform leader and radical
pioneer, Estonia is a microcosm of the Soviet political
economy and the elements that plague attempts to reform the
system. An examination of Estonia's role within the Soviet
reform movement provides a view of the potentially explosive
cultural processes that have now surfaced not only in the
Baltic but throughout the Soviet Union.
Chapter One presents a descriptive chronological overview
of the events that preceded Estonia's Declaration of
Sovereignty in November 1988. Chapter Two is analytical in
nature and provides a cultural context and background with
which to assess Estonian developments. The methodological
framework is adapted from Archie Brown's "Political Culture
and Communist Studies" and gives a qualitative description of
the intensity and psychological power of the cultural factor
in Estonian politics. Chapter Three presents Moscow's
reaction to Baltic initiatives and describes Gorbachev's
attempt to forge a new nationalities policy in the face of
deep-rooted conservative opposition.
Estonia is a prime example of the seemingly insoluble
nationality problems associated with Soviet political reform.
In terms of quantitative indicators, Estonia is the most
economically successful republic within the Soviet political
experiment, and yet it is also the most vociferous in voicing
rejection of fundamental Soviet political values.
Although the Soviet future remains unpredictable, there
are strong indicators that Estonia and the Baltic republics
will continue to expand the perimeters of reform at a pace and
in a manner that can now only be curtailed by armed force.
However, the potential consequences of Baltic initiatives will
not remain confined only to Soviet domestic politics. Whether
the Soviet Union becomes a benign Commonwealth or Confederacy,
or rapidly decays or disintegrates, or regresses into
authoritarianism and civil war, the result will have profound
consequences for Europe and the rest of the world. Therefore,
the importance of Estonia and the other Baltic republics in
the process of Soviet decline cannot be underestimated; the
Baltic States, although insignificant by global standards,
have set an example for other Soviet republics and national
groups to follow and will for the near term remain political
barometers of the Soviet future. / Arts, Faculty of / Political Science, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/42015 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Lohuaru, Peter |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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