Review by Choice Review
Although ethnic and national diasporas have long been of political concern and scholarly interest, the Russian diaspora in Estonia and Latvia is particularly significant not only because of its large size but also because its kin state, Russia, borders both countries and, most important, uses that as a pretext for coercive diplomacy against both. In her meticulously researched, analytically insightful study, Schulze (Duquesne) examines the roles of Europe and Russia as they sought to influence minority policies in Latvia and Estonia. These issues have been studied extensively, but Schulze analyzes the dynamics of Estonian and Latvian minority policies in greater depth and in more realistic complexity. She shows how policy makers used narratives defining the Russian factor and that of Europe to overcome domestic opposition to liberalizing policies and reaches the surprising conclusion that Russia was more effective than Europe in changing minority policies in Estonia and Latvia. By emphasizing the strategic uses of narrative within a nexus of European institutions, Russia, and the ethnic majority and Russian-speaking minority in Estonia and Latvia, Schulze makes an important advance in minority studies. The book is thoroughly documented and has an extensive bibliography. It is highly recommended for students and researchers. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Rita P. Peters, Univ. of Massachusetts / Harvard Univ.
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
