Neo Westphalian Europe Part 48: Republic of Latvia

Latvia is another Baltic republic, whose history is very similar to that of Estonia. Instead of the Swedish Empire however, it spent a great deal of its time under the control of the Polish-Lithuanian state. Finally it passed into the possession of the Russian Empire.

At the end of World War 1 it declared its independence like neighbouring Estonia. As with Estonia it spent the next three years fighting off German and Russian forces, until it won a stable independent nation by 1920. During World War Two the new nation was forced to surrender to the Soviets and it became a part of the Soviet Union. After the independence of Estonia began to unravel the Soviet Union, Latvia was able to follow suit, in late 1991, and regain its full independence.

Unfortunately Latvia then made the same mistake as Estonia and gave away its newfound independence back to the European Union and NATO, based out of Brussels. Again it is amazing that so many peoples, who fought so hard to escape the grips of the supra national Soviet Union, would give up their rights yet again to the European Union. As the Brussels Empire melts down and collapses, just as the Moscow one did before it, it would seem that Baltic Nationalists will once again be on the forefront in helping to destroy such ridiculous imperial structures.

Because of its recent history, in claiming its territorial rights, it is not expected that any changes to its current borders are likely. This will leave a fully independent Latvia made up of the Courland, Semigallia, Vidzeme and Latgalia Regions, currently in Latvia.

The Latvian flag has a similar history to the Estonian. A student movement began in the 1870s, which sought to restore Latvian nationalism in the Russian Empire. Students found evidence of a flag that had been used by Latvian tribes in the 1200’s, making it one of the oldest flags in use in Europe. Nationalists then used the flag until in 1918 it was adopted by the newly independent state. The flag was replaced during Soviet times but was restored as the state flag of Latvia in 1990, as part of Perestroika, before once again becoming the national flag after independence was restored in 1991.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 47: Republic of Estonia

The Republic of Estonia is one of the Baltic States, where much conflict in the Scandinavian region has occurred over the years. It was originally owned by the Danes but then passed to the Swedish Empire. Eventually the Russians, as part of the Russian Swedish conflicts, captured it. Ironically it was attempts by the Russian Empire to engage in Russification of the area, which lead to an increase in an Estonian identity and a nascent nationalist movement began to take shape.

Estonia finally managed to declare independence for itself in 1918, as a sovereign nation in its own right, in the tumultuous aftermath of World War 1. The newly formed Soviet forces briefly occupied them after the Germans withdrew from the area but they were able to win a war for full independence by 1920. During World War 2 they were reoccupied by the Soviets and became a part of the Soviet Empire for a large part of the rest of the century.

It was in Estonia that the final collapse of the Soviet Empire was to be triggered, half a century later. At the height of the economic and political chaos, which swept the Soviet Union in the late 1980’s, the National Front of Estonia was able to mount a successful nationalist movement that eventually saw Estonia once again declaring its independence. The great statesman Gorbachev chose to take the correct action and allowed Estonia to more or less peacefully secede, although some clashes did occur.

Once Estonia was able to prove that a state could safely remove itself from the Soviet grip a wave of secessions took place, across the failing Soviet Union. It is an enormous irony that many of the people who hailed this moment as historic and who viewed the Estonian nationalists of the National Front as great heroes, for having dissolved this giant Imperial Union, are the same who are now currently declaring Nationalist movements trying to end the European Union as some horrible thing.

These people put down the French National Front, for trying the same move to independence in France, from Brussels, as Estonia achieved with its nationalist movement against Moscow. They also get outraged at the British, for their similar and somewhat successful Brexit move. It is a great irony of modern day anti Imperialist movements, that they seem more than happy to say ‘the other guys empire is totally evil; our empire is totally good’. Instead of realizing the deeper truth that ALL Empires are inherently evil, abusive and exploitative in their structure. All empires should be destroyed and thwarted.

The United Nations declares that the right to self-determination of sovereign peoples should be recognized around the world. Ironically this ideal comes from the Liberal rebellions of the 1800’s, which gave us the universal rights of man and other great concepts from the French and American Revolutions. Empire is the anathema of these ideas. Therefore British and French nationalists should be viewed as every bit heroic, in trying to end the Transatlantic Empire, as Estonian and Latvians were in ending the Soviet Empire.

It is strange then, that after fighting for their independence from the Soviets, Estonian politicians lead their populations astray and forced them into the European Union and NATO empires, thus once again ending their true sovereignty. As the EU disintegrates therefore it should not be hard to imagine that Estonian nationalists, of the original groups who helped win freedom from the Soviets, will once again come to the fore and liberate Estonia from the clutches of the madmen in Brussels.

Because of its recent history, in finding its own national identity, the borders of Estonia are fairly stable and other than removing the overlaying bureaucracy of Brussels from their nation there should be no territorial changes to this country.

This will leave an Estonia made up of Harju, Hiiu, Ida-Viru, Jogeva, Jarva, Laane, Laane-Viru, Polva, Parnu, Rapla, Saare, Tartu, Valga, Viljandi and Voru Counties, all currently a part of Estonia.

The flag of Estonia came from a student movement that began in the 1880’s, which was experiencing a reawakening of Estonian culture. The Estonian University Student Association adopted the blue black white tricolor. When the wider nationalist movement gained strength in 1918 it adopted this flag as well. It became the national flag after they gained independence in 1920. During the Soviet occupation the flag was banned however when they restored themselves as a nation, in 1991, the flag was restored along with the nation.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 46: Commonwealth of the Aland Islands

The Aland Islands are another oddity, in the Scandinavian region, to come out of conflict between neighbouring states. The Aland Islands became part of Finland by way of treaties between the Swedish and Russians, in their numerous conflicts.

Although a part of Finland the islanders all speak Swedish. This has lead to tension between the nations, since Finland got its independence. The Aland Islands have subsequently managed to gain full autonomy within the Finnish Republic. However there is a full-blown secession movement that now seeks total separation from Finland.

A large faction of this movement also seeks to be reunited with Sweden. However such a move could trigger conflict between Finland and Sweden. Therefore a solution to this problem would be to allow a mostly independent Aland nation to exist in its own right. It would most likely be in Commonwealth with the Swedish Crown however. This would leave the Swedish Monarchy as the head of its Executive branch, whilst it maintained a fully independent Legislative branch in its own Parliament. This nation would thus maintain a balanced buffer between the Swedish and Finnish nations.

This would leave a new nation of Aland made up of the Aland Islands, currently a part of Finland.

The flag of the Aland Islands is yet another flag of the Nordic Cross family. It is the Swedish flag defaced with the Finnish red cross, symbolising the ties of the region to both countries. The islanders adopted it as they achieved more autonomy in the 1950’s.

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Neo Westphalian Europe Part 45: Republic of Finland

The Republic of Finland is one of the earliest buffer states that was allowed to exist between the constantly warring Swedish and Russian powers. The Finnish lands were passed back and forward between the two powers, over the centuries, until the modern nation emerged from the collapse of the Russian Empire. The country declared independence in 1917, which triggered a bout of conflict both with Russia, and internally in a civil war.

Initially the Finns explored the possibility of being a Monarchy and placed one of the German royals as its new King. This quickly collapsed however and they became a full Republic in 1919.

Because of its historical enmity with neighbouring Russia it has had cycles of conflict with them throughout the 20^th century. This has left it with territorial claims over Russian Karelia, which it seeks to reclaim. The obvious solution to this problem is for both Russia and Finland to cede their Karelian possessions to a fully independent Karelian state, which can in turn serve as a buffer state between the two nations. Finland will also cede some of its land to the neighbouring Sapmi nation and end its sovereignty over the Aland archipelago.

This will leave a final Finnish nation made up of the Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Northern Savonia, Southern Savonia, Central Finland, Southern Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Pirkanmaa, Satakunta, Paijanne Tavastia, Tavastia Proper, Kymenlaakso, Uusimaa and Southwest Finland regions, currently a part of Finland. Added to this would be the southern part of the Lapland Region, south of the historical border of Laponia, also currently in Finland.

The flag of Finland is yet another in the large family of Nordic cross flags of the region. It first began to be flown by a Finnish Yacht club in the 1860’s. Ironically this flag was based on the St Petersburg Yacht clubs standard, as Finland was still under Russian rule at the time. Despite this connection to Russia Finnish nationalists flew this flag in the early 20^th Century, as a push for independence began.

After independence was declared in 1917 a flag competition was held to determine the new national flag. Out of the many designs entered this already established flag won out. Its cross was slightly modified into a solid form and it was adopted as the final flag. In 1920 a new version of the flag updated the colours to the current shade of blue.

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