Nation building--a striking phenomenon of modern times--was given a significant albeit unsuccessful trial in the Baltic area.\n Rising to independence from Russian rule and German occupation during World War I, the Baltic states--Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania--were annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II. The rise and fall of these nations reflects the great historical developments of the 20th century including the transformation of Wilsonian idealism into today's harsh realism.\n Following a historical introduction to the political developments of the Baltic states, this book examines the internal and external aspects of Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian nationhood. Part I depicts the triumph of independence movements. Part II compares the new nations' domestic policies, notably treatment of ethnic minorities and authoritarian responses to economic problems. Part III analyzes the Baltic states' relations with Germany, Great Britain, and the USSR, as well as efforts among some Balts to form a Baltic Union. Part IV examines the events surrounding Soviet annexation of the Baltic nations in 1944, together with the Soviet interpretation of this annexation.\n Sources for the book are Finnish, German, British, American, and especially Soviet (both Russian and Lithuanian) archives including some hitherto unpublished documents. Many of the book's ideas stem from conferences in the United States and Sweden co-sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, which also helped support this publication.