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an exemplary case study, 11 Jun 2001
By A Customer
This is one of the few case studies dealing with East-European history recommended to the general reading population. Although it is not the first book on the subject, but the first one in English and definitely the best. Kasekamp has made a significant contribution to both the history of fascism and the history of nationalism. Concise and meticulously researched, "The Radical Right in Interwar Estonia" may be used indeed as an introduction to Estonian political history. Kasekamp's book is well-researched using abundant sources and a variety of methodologies. Comparing Estonian pro-fascist movement with similar groups in Finland and Latvia, Kasekamp provides a well-balanced and accessible analysis. The short-lived Estonian Veterans' League had several unique features that distinguished it from other right-wing movements and parties in interwar Europe. For the first time, the League attracted widespread public attention in 1932, but was officially banned a year later and finally disbanded in December 1935. According to Kasekamp, the Veterans' movement was not a classical fascist party of the lower middle class. The negative experience of their brother-organization in Finland, encouraged the Veterans to drop the practice of political violence and to seek power by parliamentary means. Most of the support for the right wing movement came from the workers who previously voted either for socialist or communist parties. The party participated in only one political election; it was a splendid victory. The great majority of the voting population supported the Veterans' constitutional amendment that sought to increase the effective power of the president. The Veterans' movement hailed Hitler's coming to power as symptomatic for Estonia's near future. At the same time - according to Kasekamp - the League rejected racial ideology and openly criticized the Nazi persecution of Jews. At a certain point they officially distanced themselves from Nazi Germany. What remains unclear is, however, whether it was a tactical step or a sincere move on the the part of the Veterans. By the same token, Kasekamp downplays the anti-democratic character of the Estonian Veterans' League, arguing that the movement was revolutionary instead of reactionary. All in all, he contends that the Veterans mirrored the contemporary value system of the Estonian society as a whole. "The Radical Right in Interwar Estonia" is an exemplary study - a good read for both historians and people interested in the subject.
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