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Article: Conquest and survival: an outline of Estonian history.
- Article from:
- World Affairs
- Article date:
- January 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In August 1991, Estonia declared its independence from the Soviet Union, marking the end of fifty years of Soviet occupation and the beginning of a new era in the history of this small Baltic state. For only the second time since the beginning of the thirteenth century, Estonian soil was free of foreign conquerors and its local inhabitants were able to determine their own fate. For seven centuries, this right was denied to the Estonian people as numerous conquerors - Germans, Danes, Swedes, and Russians - fought among themselves for control over this territory, each one having a turn in ruling and consequently in influencing the Estonians' development. Estonians were forced ...