The politics of uncertainty: the US, the Baltic question and the fall of the Soviet Union
Published: 1 November 2019
Wednesday 6 November: Dr Una Bergmane, London School of Economics
CRCEES Wednesday Seminar
Wednesday, November 6th
4pm-6pm, Room 915, Adam Smith bld.
Title: The politics of uncertainty: the US, the Baltic question and the fall of the Soviet Union
Speaker: Dr Una Bergmane, London School of Economics
What drives foreign policy at times of uncertainty and profound historical change? Did the US contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union? What is the role that the periphery can play in the international dynamics surrounding an imperial collapse? How do separatist movements proceed to gain international support? Based on extensive archival research, this study investigates the foreign policy of the US-facing one of the most profound changes of the 20th Century: the collapse of the Soviet Union. It offers the first comprehensive account of Western policies regarding the independence claims of three Soviet republics – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – and analyses how these policies affected the fate of the USSR.
First published: 1 November 2019