In this key textbook, Andres Kasekamp masterfully traces the development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, from the northern crusades against Europe's last pagans and Lithuania's rise to become one of medieval Europe's largest states, to their incorporation into the Russian Empire and the creation of their modern national identities. Employing a comparative approach, a particular emphasis is placed upon the last one hundred years, during which the Baltic states achieved independence, endured occupation by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and transformed themselves into members of the European Union.

This is an essential textbook for undergraduate students taking modules on Eastern or Central European History, Communism and Post-Communism, the Soviet Union, or Baltic Culture and Politics. Engaging and accessible, this is also an ideal introduction to the Baltic States for general readers.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania experienced a sequence of foreign regimes, including Nazism and communism, before recovering their independence and joining the European Union. This is a thoroughly updated new edition of Kasekamp's history of the region, providing an engaging comparative overview of these countries from the stone age to the present.

Widely considered the best survey of Baltic history in English on the market
Offers a comparative approach, providing balanced coverage across the three countries
New edition incorporates the very latest research and developments, with new material on state healthcare and social insurance and the expansion of education, on political developments, on economic reforms, on ethnic Russians and nationalism, on gender equality and gay rights, on IT, on the Baltic States´ position within the EU and other international organisations, on military policy, on the relationship with Russia, and on energy and infrastructure