If you are reading this page, you may be curious why there is a new Udemy course focusing on these particular countries. (Or perhaps you landed here by mistake, in which case, please read on nonetheless!). The reason is rather straightforward. Across our planet there are many latent, unresolved, historical conflicts which have become more acute due to recent events.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24th, 2022, shocked many around the world. The boldness of the Russian invasion caused many to begin speculating whether other areas in the broader region might be on the list of the current regime in the Kremlin. A minority of observers was less surprised, seeing this move as the continuation of a long term plan which started with the capture of Crimea in 2014. But exactly what is that long term plan? That is a question which millions around the world have been pondering since the invasion, and the reason behind the creation of this course.

Though the war in Urkaine has not gone as well as Russia may have wished, there is no sign of its willingness to abandon its original stated goal: the conquering of Ukrainian territory and the toppling of its current government. The apprehension of the societies in the countries surrounding Russia is thus understandably high. Yet the countries in focus here are not so well known, at least in the West. This course aims to address this issue by tracing the evolution of each country as an independent nation, highlighting their specific historical links to the Soviet Union and current relations with Russia. Each Section also focuses on a particular topic at the heart of national identity: language rights, education and public services, religious freedom and legal principles of non-discrimination. All of these areas have undergone a dramatic transformation as the countries transitioned from being Soviet Socialist Republics to independent democracies.

Three of them- the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, are members of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As such, they are entitled to expect assistance from NATO in defending against an attack, from Russia or any other power. Just how much NATO constitutes a deterrence to Russia or other potential aggressors is unclear. Though there has not been any military aggression up to the time of course creation, Estonia has complained of cyberattacks which it has blamed on Russia. Estonia was actually the first nation to become subject to a cyberattack in 2007, something which created great turmoil for weeks and served as a wakeup call to other nations. We cover those events in the Section on Estonia.

Latvia is equally if not more vulnerable, hosting the largest ethnic Russian minority in the region. The differing views of the ethnic Latvian and Russian communities regarding both past and present are on full display during our visit on Victory Day, which commemorates the victory of the Red Army over Nazi troops and the return of Latvia to the Soviet sphere. Lithuania may have less of a demographic issue, but its proximity to Kaliningrad (a Russian enclave captured from Germany during World War Two) and the railway line which runs through its territory give enough reasons for concern. Finally, Moldova, a member of neither the EU nor NATO, feels particularly vulnerable. It fought a limited war with Russia in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The resulting ceasefire left Moldova with a sliver of Russian-controlled land sandwiched between it and Urkaine. In the Section on Moldova we pay a visit to this area, the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, or Transnistria for short.

Examination of both the history and current state of affairs will help the student/fellow observer/traveller to better appreciate the dynamics both inside each country as well as in the region as a whole. Such greater appreciation may go some way in addressing the new geopolitical challenges facing humanity in this recent attempt to forge a new “new world order.” Everyone on the planet has a stake in the further developments in these increasingly volatile regions.