An Examination of the Role of Nationalism in Estonia’S Transition from Socialism to Capitalism
De oeconomia ex natione: An Examination of the Role of Nationalism in Estonia’s Transition from Socialism to Capitalism Thomas Marvin Denson IV Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Science Besnik Pula, Committee Chair Courtney I.P. Thomas Charles L. Taylor 2 May 2017 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Estonia, post-Soviet, post-socialist, neoliberalism, nationalism, nationalist economy, soft nativism Copyright © 2017 by Thomas M. Denson IV De oeconomia ex natione: An Examination of the Role of Nationalism in Estonia’s Transition from Socialism to Capitalism Thomas Marvin Denson IV Abstract This thesis explores the role played by nationalism in Estonia’s transition to capitalism in the post-Soviet era and the way it continues to impact the Estonian economy. I hypothesize that nationalism was the key factor in this transition and that nationalism has placed a disproportionate economic burden on the resident ethnic Russians. First, I examine the history of Estonian nationalism. I examine the Estonian nationalist narrative from its beginning during the Livonian Crusade, the founding of Estonian nationalist thought in the late 1800s with a German model of nationalism, the conditions of the Soviet occupation, and the role of song festivals in Estonian nationalism. Second, I give a brief overview of the economic systems of Soviet and post-Soviet Estonia. Finally, I examine the impact of nationalism on the Estonian economy. To do this, I discuss the nature of nationalist economy, the presence of an ethno-national divide between the Estonians and Russians, and the impact of nationalist policies in citizenship, education, property rights, and geographical location.
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