The Centenary of Latvia's Foreign Affairs
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THE CENTENARY OF LATVIA’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS IDEAS AND PERSONALITIES THE CENTENARY OF LATVIA’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS IDEAS AND PERSONALITIES THE CENTENARY OF LATVIA’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS IDEAS AND PERSONALITIES The upcoming centennial of Latvia’s statehood provides an important occasion to reflect on the country’s international achievements and offer a self-critical look at what remains to be done. This publication identifies main currents in Latvia’s foreign policy thinking and the most remarkable individuals that contributed to shaping them. A team of local and foreign experts reviews key ideational trends in Latvia’s foreign policy during the Interwar period and today, as well as assesses the trajectories of thinking during the periods of exile and regaining independence. Authors: Aldis Austers, Edijs Bošs, Raimonds Cerūzis, Mārtiņš Daugulis, Martyn Housden, Ivars Ījabs, Didzis Kļaviņš, Jordan T. Kuck, Andis Kudors, Andrejs Plakans, Diāna Potjomkina, Gunda Reire, Andris Sprūds, Valters Ščerbinskis, Jānis Taurēns Editors: Diāna Potjomkina, Andris Sprūds, Valters Ščerbinskis Scientific reviewers: Ainārs Lerhis, Toms Rostoks This project was made possible thanks to support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia The project was completed in cooperation with National Information Agency LETA The respective authors are accountable for the content of individual articles. The opinions expressed by the authors should not be construed as representing those of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, project supporters or partners, other government institutions or entities. Cover design: Līga Rozentāle Layout: Oskars Stalidzāns Translations from Latvian: Alise Krapāne, Jurijs Saveļjevs, Pāvels Smišļājevs English language editor (select chapters): Dillon J. Ramos © Authors, 2016 ISBN 978-9934-567-00-1 © Translations: Alise Krapāne, Jurijs Saveļjevs, UDK 327(474.3)“19/20” Pāvels Smišļājevs, 2016 Ce565 © Cover design: Līga Rozentāle, 2016 © Layout: Oskars Stalidzāns, 2016 © Latvian Institute of International Affairs, 2016 Contents DIĀNA POTJOMKINA, ANDRIS SPRŪDS, VALTERS ŠČERBINSKIS Introduction ............................................................ 7 1. FOREIGN POLICY CURRENTS OF THE INTERWAR PERIOD JĀNIS TAURĒNS Westward Direction of Latvia’s Foreign Policy during the Interwar Period ............................................. 23 RAIMONDS CERŪZIS Eastward Direction of Latvia’s Foreign Policy during the Interwar Period ............................................. 37 VALTERS ŠČERBINSKIS The Baltic and Nordic Direction of Latvia’s Foreign Policy during the Interwar Period ............................................ 54 MARTYN HOUSDEN International Affairs and Latvia’s Baltic Germans ........................ 70 JORDAN T. KUCK Made in America: Kārlis Ulmanis and the Making of Pro-Americanism in Latvia, 1918–1940 ................... 85 2. FOREIGN POLICY CURRENTS DURING THE EXILE PERIOD AND THE AWAKENING ANDREJS PLAKANS Western Latvian Exiles’ “Foreign Affairs” Ideas and Work .............. 103 EDIJS BOŠS Conceptualization of Foreign Policy during the Awakening Period...... 124 3. FOREIGN POLICY CURRENTS IN MODERN LATVIA GUNDA REIRE Latvia and Euro-Atlantic Identity ..................................... 143 ANDIS KUDORS The Eastern Direction in Latvia’s Foreign Policy ....................... 169 DIDZIS KĻAVIŅŠ The Baltic Sea Region Current in Latvia’s Foreign Affairs ............... 188 ALDIS AUSTERS Latvia’s Economic Pragmatism – Business above All Else . 211 MĀRTIŅŠ DAUGULIS Normative Currents in Latvia – towards a Common Understanding .... 238 IVARS ĪJABS Centennial Experience and Prospects: Instead of Conclusions .......... 259 Selected Bibliography................................................. 276 About the Authors .................................................... 281 Ideational Currents in Latvia’s Foreign Policy: Personalities ............ 286 Introduction DIĀNA POTJOMKINA, ANDRIS SPRŪDS, VALTERS ŠČERBINSKIS Latvia’s centenary is a wonderful reason to take stock of the country’s achievements – with pride in the many successes and a self-critical view on the things that remain to be done. This book, dedicated to foreign policy, serves exactly this purpose. This volume on the main ideas and personalities in Latvia’s foreign affairs, as well as the two planned volumes on main events of the centenary (2017) and on modern foreign policy (2018), will strengthen knowledge and understanding of Latvia in the international arena, drawing broader tendencies and revealing commonalities among the different stages in development of Latvia’s foreign policy thinking. The foreign policy of a country is shaped by several factors: individual personalities, ideas that prevail in a country’s society and international environment. To see the complete picture, we must review all three elements; however, even if we focus on just one of them, the others should be kept in mind. We have chosen exactly this approach to examine the brightest ideas and personalities over the centenary of Latvia’s foreign affairs. We identify and evaluate the main ideational currents, or streams, or tendencies in Latvia’s foreign policy thinking – ideas on Latvia’s place and role in the world and the practical foreign policy vectors that logically arise from these ideas – as well as main personalities who initiated and maintained thinking in these directions. Until now, the diverse ideas underlying Latvia’s foreign policy have not received necessary attention; they were mainly reduced to the choice between the West and the East. Similarly, personalities have been generally analyzed in the format of history books and biographical dictionaries (we specifically recommend the biographical dictionary Latvijas ārlietu dienesta darbinieki, 1918–19911). This book, integrating an overview of the development of Latvia’s foreign policy ideas with a broad review of the main personalities who were parts of the various foreign policy ideational currents, is the first such study in Latvia. In this volume, we pay special attention to ideas – creators and determiners of politics that are sometimes difficult to pin down, but also 7 long-lasting. In politics, ideas are simultaneously a limitation and an opportunity. They draw invisible borders that are difficult to transcend, but they also encourage thinking and action in a certain direction. However powerful policy-makers may be, they act not in seclusion, but in a certain ideational and political context – even when we speak of such a closed domain as foreign policy. Ideas are the force that moves practical policy forward. Even if a certain idea is not practicable at a certain point in time, it can continue to dwell in people’s minds and blossom again when it encounters fertile soil. Thus, one of the tasks of this book is to identify the main streams, ideational currents or tendencies in Latvia’s foreign affairs that have been present and persistent enough to create a framework for policy-makers. At the same time, we cannot forget about people who create and implement ideas. All ideas, including the ideational currents in Latvia’s foreign policy, are created and maintained by personalities. If a tendency is to be considered influential, it needs a group of like-minded supporters and preferably the support of broader society, if not to the specific idea, then at least to the general vector of it. At the same time, the most popular and daring foreign policy-makers and thinkers can, to an extent, influence public opinion and change the direction of the state’s foreign policy. We ought to consider the interaction between foreign and domestic politics; foreign policy is a continuation of domestic policy. This can be seen in the case of Latvia, and the articles included in this volume demonstrate this eloquently. We should add, however, that Latvia’s foreign policy-making has not been influenced by homegrown personalities alone. The international context matters. In this volume, we only treat it in passing to keep focus, but the articles demonstrate how Latvia’s foreign policy thinking has been affected by world processes and certain foreign personalities. What we study and how Once we have stated the ambitious goal – to contribute to the study of Latvia’s foreign policy by linking together ideas and personalities – how do we go about accomplishing it? In this volume, we focus not so much on the role of events and material factors as on ideas and personalities. Within the International Relations discipline, this approach is endorsed by social constructivists – theorists focusing on the primary role of ideas in politics. Similarly, in the studies on history of politics, personalities and the related 8 history of ideas have a traditionally significant role. Advocates of different ideas can differently interpret the same circumstances; different policy-makers and society groups have different, sometimes radically diverse, opinions on Latvia’s role on the international arena. If we want to research ideas, we can frequently see their manifestations in practical policies, for instance, visits and new alliances. Research of Latvia’s foreign policy has, until now, mainly focused on the analysis of main events and influencing factors, not so much on ideas. However, not all ideas gain practical influence; some of them can lie dormant for prolonged periods of time until they encounter a more favorable environment. If ideas experience pressure or other limitations, they can stay in the