Sabaliunas L. Lithuanian Social Democracy in Perspective 1893-1914

Durham: Duke University Press, 1990. — 208 p. — ISBN: 9780822310150.Lithuanian Social Democracy in Perspective is the first book in any Western language on Lithuanian Social Democracy. In this work Leonas Sabaliunas studies the conflict between and convergence of socialism and nationalism in pre-1914 Lithuania. He analyzes the interplay of ideological priorities by observing the operations of Marxist political parties, emphasizing the origins, development, and achievements of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. But Sabaliunas also considers such partners and rivals as the Jewish Bund, the Polish Socialist Party, the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, and the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. He focuses on the appearance of socialist parties at the local level, the politics of assertive behavior during the Russian Revolution of 1905–1906, the nature of interparty relations, and efforts to promote party unity. In particular, he investigates the projected relationship between Russia and its subject nationalities — a cardinal concern today as the Baltic peoples attempt to distance themselves from their Russian neighbors. Sabaliunas clarifies current massive Lithuanian opposition to Moscow and to its version of socialism. He stresses that in Lithuania the socialist movement from the beginning not only sought solutions to social and economic problems but also addressed issues of ethnic and national interest, especially the question of national sovereignty.Arrivals on the Scene, 1893-1903.
The Jewish and Polish Precursors.
The Inception of Lithuanian Social Democracy.
National Objectives.
The Politics of Assertive Behavior, 1904-1905.
New Vistas.
Strikes and Demonstrations.
Written Appeals.
Image and Control.
Social Democracy in Retreat, 1906-1914.
Changing Prospects.
Unity Efforts.
Structural Contours.
Images of the Lithuanian Future.
Realignment on the Land.
Divided They Stood.