Critically evaluate the external role and influence of relevant Essay

Critically evaluate the external role and influence of relevant International Governmental Organisations in processes of state a - Essay Example Of course, the will and commitment of the people of these states was the main force behind this transformation, the important role of international organisations cannot be ignored in nation-building and state-building in the region. Since their independence, the Baltic States have joined the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and a number of other international institutions. However, their membership in NATO and the European Union (EU) has been instrumental in the nation-building process of the Baltics. In this study, we will analyse the influence and role of mainly EU and NATO in the state-building and nation building process in the Baltic countries. Historical context Located in the geographical centre of Europe, the Baltic States had been for centuries an arena of confrontation between East and West, as well as between North and East† (Van Ham, 1995, p.10) . From the end of the 18th century, after these countries we re merged into the Russian empire, all the three lands were subjected to cultural and political suppression. The Tsarist Russia left no stone unturned to culturally and politically assimilate the Baltics into mainstream Russia. These states regained independence after the World War I, but only to lose it again to Soviet Union in 1940. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin reoccupied the Baltic countries in 1940 under the pretext of Molotov-Ribbentrop pact which provided room for Soviet influence in the region. After invading the three countries, he ruthlessly suppressed the nationalist feelings in the region and, following the path of the Tsarist Russian, he arbitrarily tried to assimilate the Baltics into mainstream Russia. However, as soon as Stalin died, the people of Baltics had set an example of rebellion for the rest of the USSR to follow. When the rest of Soviet Union was in peace in 1988, the people of these three countries were resisting the Soviet rule. Thousands of youths formed a human chain stretching the entire length of the three republics on August 24, 1989, on the 50th anniversary of Soviet rule. They were not far away from their independence. They eventually regained sovereignty in 1991 with the fall of Soviet Union. Three fragile new states However, it was not the end of their struggle. They were three fragile states with looming threats from their once superpower neighbour Russia. Without any state structure and a closed economy inherited from Soviet Union, the leadership and people of these states were in a state of paranoia, fearing for losing their sovereignty again. They had to go through the process of nation- and state-building in order to sustain their independence. Lack of strategic depth, open borders and their proximity to Russia and â€Å"limited economic resources to devote to developing viable military forces, especially since they have inherited little from the Soviet Army and were subject to a Western arms embargo until 1993† (V an Ham, 1995, p.4), put them in a vulnerable position as far as their security and viability was concerned. Domestic and global dynamics and policy options After independence, the decision makers in the Baltic States had to choose between a wide