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Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Reichskommissariat Ostland, Destruction Battalions, Ypatingasis Būrys, Occupation of the Baltic Republics by Nazi Germany, Swedish Extradition of Baltic Soldiers, Kaunas Massacre of October 29, 1941. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Reichskommissariat Ostland was the German name for the Nazi civil administration of part of the Eastern territories of the Third Reich, during World War II (i.e., Reich Commissariat of Ostland). Ostland was the name given to the German occupied territories of the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), eastern parts of Poland, and western parts of Belarus. Ostland should not be confused with Ober Ost, which had a similar role as Ostland as an occupation authority of Baltic territories by the German Empire in World War I. Ostland was one of the Reichskommissariats established, by a Decree of the Führer dated 17 July 1941, as administrative units of the "Großdeutsches Reich" (Greater Germany). They were subject to Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg, Reichsminister für die besetzten Ostgebiete (Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories). The structure of the Reichskommissariate was defined by the same decree. An instruction for the administrators (the Allgemeine Instruktion für alle Reichskommissare in den besetzten Ostgebieten) of the territories was prepared by Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg. The Eastern Territories were divided into Reichskommissariate. The local administrator was Der Reichskommissar für das Ostland Hinrich Lohse, Oberpräsident and Gauleiter of Schleswig-Holstein. The Reichskommissariat Ostland was sub-divided into four "General Regions" (Generalbezirke). Estland, Lettland and Litauen were divided into Districts (Kreisgebiete) which were grouped into Main Districts (Hauptgebiete) with local ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=360753 ... Read more

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Chapters: Golden Liberty. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 97. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Golden Liberty (Latin: ; Polish: ), sometimes referred to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles' Democracy or Nobles' Commonwealth (Polish: or Zota wolno szlachecka, Latin: ) refers to a unique aristocratic political system in the Kingdom of Poland and later, after the Union of Lublin (1569), in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Under that system, all nobles (szlachta) who held immediate estates were equal and enjoyed extensive rights and privileges. The nobility controlled the legislature (Sejm the Polish Parliament) and the Commonwealth's elected king. This political system, unusual for its time, stemmed from the consolidation of power by the szlachta (noble class) over other social classes and over the political system of monarchy. In time, the szlachta accumulated enough privileges (such as those established by the Nihil novi Act of 1505, King Henry's Articles of 1573 and later through various Pacta conventa see Szlachta history and political privileges) that no monarch could hope to break the szlachta's grip on power. The political doctrine of the Commonwealth of Both Nations was: our state is a republic under the presidency of the King. Chancellor Jan Zamoyski summed up this doctrine when he said that "Rex regnat et non gubernat" ("The King reigns but does not govern"). The Commonwealth had a parliament, the Sejm, as well as a Senat and an elected king. The king was obliged to respect citizens' rights specified in King Henry's Articles as well as in pacta conventa negotiated at the time of his election. The monarch's power was limited, in favor of the sizable noble class. Each new king had to subscribe to King Henry's Articles, which were the basis of Poland's political system (and included...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=564220 ... Read more

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Mindaugas (ca. 1200 ? 12 September 1263) was the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or rise to power; he is mentioned in a 1219 treaty as an elder duke, and in 1236 as the leader of all the Lithuanians. The contemporary and modern sources discussing his ascent mention strategic marriages along with banishment or murder of his rivals. He extended his domain into regions southeast of Lithuania proper during the 1230s and 1240s. In 1250 or 1251, during the course of internal power struggles, he was baptised as a Roman Catholic; this action enabled him to establish an alliance with the Livonian Order, a long-standing antagonist of the Lithuanians. During the summer of 1253 he was crowned King of Lithuania, ruling between 300,000 and 400,000 subjects. While his ten-year reign was marked by various state-building accomplishments, his conflicts with relatives and other dukes continued, and western Lithuania strongly resisted the alliance's rule. His gains in the southeast were challenged by the Tatars. ... Read more

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Chapters: Pilgrim. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 79. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term. Lithuanians later conquered neighboring lands, finally establishing the Kingdom of Lithuania in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania remained fiercely independent and was notably one of the last areas of Europe to adopt Christianity. In the 15th century, Lithuania became the largest state in Europe, merging into the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth and becoming a formidable power. In the 18th century, however, Lithuania was erased from the political map with the Partitions of Poland. The Lithuanians would live mostly under the rule of the Russian Empire until the 20th century. On February 16, 1918, Lithuania was reestablished as a democratic state. It remained independent until the outset of World War II, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union under the terms of the MolotovRibbentrop Pact. Following a brief occupation by Nazi Germany when the Nazis declared war on USSR, Lithuania was again absorbed into the Soviet Union for nearly 50 years. In the early 1990s, Lithuania restored its sovereignty and continued to grow into an economically strong country. Balts in the 13th century Kernav moundsThe first people arrived on the territory of modern Lithuania in the 10th millennium BC after the glaciers had retreated and the last glacial period had ended. According to historian Marija Gimbutas, the people came from two directions: from the Jutland Peninsula and from present-day Poland. They brought two different cultures as evidenced by the tools they used. They were traveling hunters and did not form more stable settlements. In the 8th millennium BC, the climate became much warmer and forests deve...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=17820 ... Read more

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Grand Duchy of Lithuania. History of Lithuania, History of Lithuania (1219?1295), Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth, Duchy of Lithuania ... Read more

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Chapters: Occupation of the Baltic States, the Holocaust in Lithuania, History of the Jews in Lithuania, Occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany, Chiune Sugihara, Vilna Troupe, Medzhybizh, Vilna Ghetto, Pale of Settlement, Karl Plagge, Ponary Massacre, Ypatingasis Būrys, Resistance in Lithuania During World War Ii, Misnagdim, Occupation of the Baltic Republics by Nazi Germany, Operation Ostra Brama, Kovno Ghetto, Visas and Virtue, Zog Nit Keynmol, Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye, Tadeusz Czacki, Sergei Aleksandrovich Bershadski, Hkp 562 Forced Labor Camp, Jewish Cemeteries of Vilnius, Franz Murer, General Jewish Labour Bund in Lithuania. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 181. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The occupation of the Baltic states was the military occupation of the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the MolotovRibbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their forcible incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, as well as subsequent occupation of the Baltic republics by the Nazi Germany since 22 June 1941 and incorporation into the Reichskommissariat Ostland of the Third Reich which lasted until the Soviet Union regained full control of the Baltics in May 1945. The Baltic states regained independence in 2021 August 1991. The Governments of Baltic states, the United States and its courts of law, the European Parliament, the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council, state that these three countries were invaded, occupied and illegally incorporated into the Soviet Union under provisions of the 1939 MolotovRibbentrop Pact first by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany from 19411944, and again by the Soviet Union from 19441991. This policy of non-recognition gave rise to...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=462116 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Sarmatian Review, published by Polish Institute of Houston, Inc. on September 1, 2009. The length of the article is 1133 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: The burden of history? Group identity and history in East Central Europe: Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine/Last der Geschichte? Kollektive Identitat und Geschichte in Ostmitteleuropa: Belarus, Polen, Litauen, Ukraine.(Book review)
Author: Harry Louis, Jr. Roddy
Publication: Sarmatian Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Polish Institute of Houston, Inc.
Volume: 29Issue: 3Page: 1496

Article Type: Book review

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! John III Sobieski (17 August 1629 - 17 June 1696) was oneof the most notable monarchs of the Polish-LithuanianCommonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland andGrand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign wasmarked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilisation,much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and KhmelnytskyUprising. Popular among his subjects, he was also abrilliant military commander, most famous for the victoryover the Turks in the 1683 Battle of Vienna. For hisvictories over the Ottoman Empire, he was dubbed by theTurks the "Lion of Lechistan." ... Read more

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Chapters: History of Lithuania, Kingdom of Lithuania,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 23. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The history of Lithuania between 1219 and 1295 deals with the establishment and early history of the first Lithuanian state, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The beginning of the 13th century marks the end of the prehistory of Lithuania. From this point on the history of Lithuania is recorded in chronicles, treaties, and other written documents. In 1219, twenty-one Lithuanian dukes signed a peace treaty with Galicia-Volhynia. This event is widely accepted as the first proof that the Baltic tribes were uniting and consolidating. Despite continuous warfare with two Christian orders, the Livonian Order and the Teutonic Knights, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was established and gained some control over the lands of Black Ruthenia, Polatsk, Minsk, and other territories east of modern-day Lithuania that had become weak and vulnerable after the collapse of Kievan Rus'. The first ruler to hold the title of Grand Duke was Mindaugas. Traditionally he is considered the founder of the state, the one who united the Baltic tribes and established the Duchy. Some scholars, however, challenge this perception, arguing that an organized state existed before Mindaugas, possibly as early as 1183. After quelling an internal war with his nephews, Mindaugas was baptized in 1251, and was crowned as King of Lithuania in 1253. However, in 1261, he broke the peace with the Livonian Order, perhaps even renouncing Christianity. His assassination in 1263 by Treniota ended the early Christian kingdom in Lithuania. For another 120 years Lithuania would remain a pagan empire, fighting against the Teutonic and Livonian Orders during the Northern Crusades to Christianize the land. After Mindaugas'...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=6712346 ... Read more

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The Holocaust in Lithunia 1941-1945 A Book of Remembrance is four-volume set containing a comprehensive list of Lithuanian Jews murdered during the Holocaust, together with an extensive collection of historical esources.Following a pilot study, and after consulting with researchers, it became clear that there was no substantive record of the Lithuanian Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. After five years of research, a comprehensive list of the names of many of the victims, together with an extensive collection of historical resources, has been published in this four-volume set. Additional information in this important publication includes deportation lists; the Yarzheit (memorial dates) of Jewish communities; and the ghetto census lists of Siauliai, the third largest city in Lithuania, as well as a comprehensive and useful reference list of relevant books, articles and films. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from East European Quarterly, published by East European Quarterly on March 22, 1998. The length of the article is 3827 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Szymon Budny was largely responsible for the disppearance of nonresistance among Antitrinitarians in the 1570s in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The theology and accompanying pacifism were brought from Germany, from the Anabaptist communitarians known as Hutterites. Nonresistors and social radicals were more prevalent in the congregations in Poland than in Lithuania. In Poland landed gentry and aristocrats held power in the Minor Church. In 1583 Szymon (Simon) Budny published a treatise that was very powerful in its defense of participation in armed conflict. Nonresistance then began to die out among the Polish Brethren, or Racovians.

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Title: Antitrinitarians in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania against nonresistance, 1583. (religion, pacificists, Szymon Budny)
Author: Peter Brock
Publication: East European Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1998
Publisher: East European Quarterly
Volume: v32Issue: n1Page: p1(8)

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Since the end of the Cold War there has been an increased interest in The Baltics. This volume brings together three countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, to provide a comprehensive and analytical guide integrating history, political science, economic development and contemporary events into one account. Since gaining their independence each country has developed at its own pace with its own agenda and facing its own obstacles. ... Read more

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The Baltics in the 20th century
This book will help you to better understand Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which have remarkably different personalities, although often collectively referred to as the Baltics. The countries are treated separately, as they deserve to be, illustrating their individual ambitions, which are often at odds to each other.

I was very impressed with Thomas Lane's scholarly but easily accessible account of Lithuania. In it he gives one of the most balanced appraisals of the country which I've read, taking it up to 1997 with the election of Valdas Adamkus. He charts Lithuania from its post WWI independence to its post Soviet independence, noting its tremendous resiliency in the face of two totalitarian regimes -- the Soviet Union and Germany.The country had a difficult time carving out its niche in the 1920's, battling Poland as well in staking out its independence, only to lose Vilnius to Poland's overextending claims. Lane gives special attention to this inter-war period, as it served as the inspiration for Lithuania's post-Soviet independence in 1991.

He recounts Lithuania's uneasy relationship with Germany and its role in the Holocaust, but is very careful in assessing blame. Lithuania quite literally found itself between a rock and a hard place, falling victim to the Soviet Union in the end.Lane provides a detailed study of the Soviet era and the impact it had on Lithuania's agrarian economy. Through this period, Lithuania still managed to retain its identity despite the prevailing Soviet influence.

Lane covers the key events of the 80's which led to independence, and the difficulties Lithuania faced in the 90's as it tried to distance itself from Moscow. He provides an excellent appraisal of the various political parties and the affect the rural vote still has on the outcome of the elections.Although Lithuania was still struggling to form a market economy by the time Lane concludes his account in the late 90's, the country has since enjoyed an economic boom, with the highest growth rate in Eastern Europe.

There is also a fine appraisal of Lithuania's current foreign policy and its ability to form key European alliances in the 90's, which it had been unable to do in the 20's. It no longer has a heavy reliance on Russia, having become an integral part of the European economy. ... Read more

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The strategy of the British and French prior to World War II was to preserve the status quo after the disaster of World War I. Donald Stoker's book examines British and French involvement from 1919 to 1939 in the creation and development of the naval forces of Poland, Finland and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.This is an in-depth scholarly study of a subject that should appeal to students of international history, strategy, international relations and naval history in general. ... Read more

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Excellent survey of a little known aspect of naval history.
Stoker's work on inter-war Baltic Navies, and their relationship with the great powers is not only a first in English, but also very good.He provides a great deal of information on Polish, Latvian, Estonian, Finnish, efforts to produce naval power, at least capable of fending off the Soviets in the 1920s-30s.This book also covers the machinations of British and French arms dealers, who often pushed substandard, shoddy, or just plain peculiar weapons into the Baltic market.Based on research in many countries, this would be an excellent addition on the shelf of a naval, diplomatic, military, or Baltic historian. ... Read more

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Excerpts from historical source material on the structure of Jewish self-government and the problems of everyday life. Annotated sources, indexes, large detailed map, and color photographs. ... Read more

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An insight into Jewish Communal Life in East Europe
This book contains selected and annotated documents, in English translation, pertaining to the autonomy of the Jewish community in Poland and Lithuania in the 16th and 17th centuries. The scope of this autonomy,the communal and extra-communal institutions and their modes of operationare covered. Through annotated excerpts from original Hebrew sourcematerial, the author describes the structure of Jewish self-government inthose countries, illuminating the social and economic problems that Jewsfaced in everyday life: deserted wives, loans at interest, rights ofdaughters in their father's estates, organization and maintenance ofelementary education, and many other questions. The book includes anin-depth introduction describing the historical period, a lengthy epilogueexplaining the workings of the Jewish educational system, and extensiveglossaries and indexes to help find individual points of interest. There isa detailed map of Jewish population, showing how Jews were spreadthroughout Poland and Lithuania during this period, as well as sixteenpages of photographs of Jewish sites. The reader will savor the flavor ofJewish life in the Middle Ages, that flourished despite oppressivesurroundings. The book will appeal both to the learned scholar and to thelayman interested in Jewish history of the period. As noted, the documentsare in English translation,and provide access to information that untillnow was available only to Hebrew language speakers.

A View into Jewish Community Life in the Middle Ages
This book contains selected and annotated documents, translated into English, relating to the autonomy of the Jewish Community in Poland and Lithuania in the 16th and early 17th centuries, its scope, communal andextra-communal institutions and their modes of operation.Throughannotated excerpts from original Hebrew source material, it describes thestructure of Jewish self-government in those countries, throwing light onthe social and economic problems that the Jews faced in their everydaylife: deserted wives, loans at interest to Jews,rights of daughters toinherit their father's estates, organization and maintenance of educationalsystems, and many other questions. There is an in-depth historicalintroduction, a lengthy epilogue describing the functioning of the Jewisheducational system, and extensive glossaries and indexes to help locateindividual points of interest. Included are a detailed map of Jewishcommunities, showing how Jews were spread throughout Poland and Lithuaniaduring this period.Sixteen pages of photographs of Jewish sites are alsoincluded. The flavor and intensity of Jewish life in Eastern Europe in theMiddle Ages, despite the usually hostile and oppressive surroundings, comesthrough very clearly. The material presented in this book has until now notbeen available to non-Hebrew speakers, and will be of interest to bothscholars and laymen interested in Jewish history of the period. A fullerreview of this book was published in the Los Angeles Jewish Times (October1998). ... Read more

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Women in Transition addresses the historical, social, economic and political dynamics affecting the lives of women during Lithuania's transition from communism to democracy. This book demonstrates that democracy has not diminished gender discrimination. In fact, the recent political and economic changes threaten to widen the gender gap through a decline in political representation, an increase in women's unemployment and underemployment, and the threat of restrictive reproductive policies. Furthermore, low birth rates coupled with a sharp rise in nationalism has led to propaganda encouraging women to return to home and family. Women in Transition details how women are responding to these changes.

The first and only book published about Lithuanian women by Lithuanian women, this unique volume fills a gap in knowledge of the country's society and the role of its women. An important contribution to the growing body of literature on post-communism, the book is written by many of the leading women scholars in Lithuania including the head of the Women's Studies program and the Chair of the Sociology Department at Vilnius University; the Counsellor to the Parliament on Women's Issues; the Dean of Kaunas University; and the Chairperson of the Women's Party of Lithuania. Suzanne LaFont, former Visiting Professor at Kaunas University, has edited the book and provided an introduction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Highly recommended
Women in Transition edited by Suzanne LaFont is the only book about Lithuanian women that I have been able to find printed in English. The essays are written by women who are top-notch in their respective field. The information is well organized and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Lithuania, Eastern Europe and post-communism.

An interesting look at Lithuanian women by Lithuanian women
Women in Transition will provide a clear, thorough, and engaging introduction for anyone who would like to learn about the social and economic conditions that exist for contemporary Lithuanian women.More than that, it is an extremely important book, given the paucity of materials available to English speakers about Lithuania generally and the women of the nation in particular.

Each chapter was written by a different scholar and the resulting variation in voice is refreshing.Because all of the contributors are Lithuanian, the reader can be certain that the picture given is an accurate one and truly reflects the present-day realities of the culture as experienced by its women.The book is very readable and addresses a wide range of topics including family life, women's employment, reproduction, women in the academy, and the concerns that Lithuanian women have with American feminism.LaFont's Introduction along with the first two chapters (focusing on the role of women historically) help to make the reasons for current conditions more easily understood.The book is filled with interesting statistical data as well as informative personal accounts and histories.

LaFont's volume contains a wealth of information.It will undoubtedly be appreciated by those with an interest in the lives of women in Eastern Europe. ... Read more