For most of the past millennium, the peoples of the Baltic coast have lived within the borders of larger kingdoms and empires not their own.

But at the end of the Great War, the collapse of their two powerful neighbors, Russia and Germany, opened a window of opportunity.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 182, 1919, the Baltic States.

Last week, we talked about Finland.

This week I want to talk about what we call the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

It was at this time in history, 1919, 1920, when these nations won their

independence from Russia, that you first began to hear them referred to collectively with the phrase

the Baltic states. The presence of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian peoples along the east coast of the Baltic Sea

is attested to in sources from ancient Rome, meaning we can be certain these peoples have lived in the region for at least the past two millennia, and possibly much longer.

Over this time, they have coexisted peacefully.

There is remarkably little record of conflicts between them.

The Estonians, like the Finns, speak a Uralic language.

Hence, the two languages are related to each other,

but not to the Indo-European language group that encompasses

most European languages, including English. As is the case with Finland, it is a matter of debate

among archaeologists and historians as to whether the first inhabitants of what is today

Estonia were an Indo-European people, who were later displaced by or assimilated

into a Uralic people, or whether Uralic-speaking people have lived in Estonia ever since

that land became habitable following the last Ice Age.

The Latvians and the Lithuanians, on the other hand, two peoples among those collectively

known as the Baltz, speak languages related to each other that are part of the Baltoslavic

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