Latvia

Europe

Baltic region

World

Local

Territorial concept of

history teaching

1995 -2007

Middle Ages • Development of the European states in Middle ages. • Christian church. Social estates. • Cultural, educational and scientific achievements. • Arabs and Islam.• Territory of Latvia before crusades. • Livonia.

Example from National Standard

Modern history• Changes in society. • Renaissance. • Reformation. • Geographic discoveries. • Development of European states in Modern times. Civilisations of discovered area (China, America etc.).Cultural, educational and scientific achievements. • Polish – Lithuanian and Swedish power in Latvia. • Dukedom of Curland. • Russian power in Latvia. • Latvian national awakening.

Example from National Standard

Contemporary history• Development of the World. • World War I. • Development of the states between two world wars. The Second World war. • Two political and economical systems after World War II. • Achievements of 20 century and nowadays global problems. • European and world integration.Most important international organisations.• Development of the Latvian state in the 20 ct. • Culture and education in Latvia in the 20 ct.• Most actual problems in current Latvia.

Example from National Standard

Why are the neighbours reflected in textbooks (curriculum) of history in Latvia:

• because they influenced the course of events in Latvian past?

• because they are a fundamental part of European and world heritage?

Country, people or nation

Influenced Latvian history

European, world heritage Estonia X  

Lithuania X  

Poland X X

Russia X X

Byelorussia    

Finland X  

Sweden X  

Denmark X  

Iceland X X

X

Lithuania

•Ancient balts and ethnic brothers.

•Great principality of Lithuania as a state and

continuation of freedom fights of Baltic folks

against Teutonic order.

•Polish-Lithuanian state.

•Lithuanian-Latvian border problems.

•Authoritarian regime in 20-30 ties.

•Soviet Lithuania as success story.

•Common fight against totalitarian regime.

National awakening.

Lithuania

Estonia

• Crusades.

• Medieval Livonia.

• University of Tartu.

• Liberation war 1918-1920.

• Latvian – Estonian border problems.

• Authoritarian regime in 30- ties.

•Common fight against totalitarian regime. National awakening.

Estonia

Russia •The ancient Slavs as neighbours.

•Expansion of medieval Russia in Baltic.

•Influence of Orthodox church in Baltic.

•Rising of Great principality of Moscow.

•Livonian war.

•Peter the Great and incorporation of Baltic lands in Russia.

•Baltic provinces in tsarist empire.

•Communistic regime in Soviet Union.

Russia

Byelorussia

•Polotzk kingdom as neighbours.

•Slavs and Slavic language in Great kingdom of

Lithuania.

•Short period of independent Republic of Byelorussia

1919.

•World War II.

Byelorussia

Poland

• Battle at Grunvald in 1410.

• Poland after Lublin union.

• Counter-reformation.

• The division of Polish-Lithuanian state.

• Rebellion in 1830 and 1861.

• Liberation war 1919-1920.

• Foreign policy of Baltic states.

• The beginning of World War II.

• “Solidarity” movement .

Poland

Finland

• Status of Finland in Russian empire as an ideal example for Latvians.

• Winter war 1939-1940.

Finland

Sweden

• Vikings.

• The Livonian war.

• Swedish rule in Nordic Latvia (Livland) in 17 ct.

Riga under Swedish rule. “God Swedish times”.

• Great Nordic war.

• Swedish neutrality during 20 ct.

• Tragedy of deserted Latvian legionaries in

Sweden

after World War II.

Sweden

Denmark

• Vikings.

• The Livonian war and short period of Danish rule in Kurland.

• Adventure of Prince Magnus in Livonia in 16 ct.

Iceland

• Egil Scalagrimson in Western Latvia (Kurland).

• Vikings in America.

• Iceland as the very first foreign country recognised the independence of Latvia in 1991.

What image of country, people or nation is formed by

textbooks - positive or negative?

Country, folk or nation

Positive Negative

Estonia X  

Lithuania X  

Poland X X

Russia   X

Byelorussia    

Finland X  

Sweden X  

Denmark    

Iceland X  

 

X