The History of the Baltic Peoples. From Subjects of the Livonian Order to Independent States

The author, based on little-known historical documents and studies by various scholars, examines the development of the Baltic lands, now Latvia and Estonia, from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Special attention is paid to the role of German knights and German nobility, as well as the church, in the formation of statehood in these regions. It shows how the influence of various powers manifested itself during different periods of dominance in the Baltic. In this regard, the author's disclosure of the position of the Baltic Germans regarding the Russian Empire, especially after its victory over the Swedes in the Great Northern War and the beginning of Peter I's reforms, is of particular interest.