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THE BALTIC PROBLEM
91
Peter the Great to make their successful push to the Baltic
shores. By binding these provinces to her political system
Germany would, therefore, create in Europe another and
more menacing Alsace-Lorraine question, involving herself
in the necessity for further armaments, with the clear
anticipation of another terrible world conflagration—a
vision which is unbearable at the present moment when the
civilised world, crippled by the slaughter of millions of men
in the flower of manhood, and impoverished by wholesale
destruction and lack of production of the necessaries of
life, is on the verge of famine and of the return of primitive
savagery. The civilised world is crying out for peace and
a permanent safeguard against the manace of war. To
realise that end, disputed danger zones must exist no
longer !
II
But what about the internal peace of the Baltic Provinces
which has been constantly endangered by the struggle of
particularism against bureaucratic centralisation, and by
the aspirations of the Esthnish and Lettish Reform party
against the nobility and bourgeoisie ? Will a further
prolongation of Russian sovereignty in the Baltic Provinces
assure them a satisfactory peaceful development ?
At the Peace of Nystadt concluded in 1721 between
Sweden and Russia, Peter the Great granted Livonia and
Esthonia, " on his behalf and on behalf of his successors," the
formal right of home rule, with the promise of
non-interference in educational, religious, juridical matters, and
self-government. The same principle was extended to Courland
in 1795 when the Empress Catherine incorporated this
province with the Empire. However, these formal public
obligations were disregarded. The provinces were subjected
to methods of administration which embittered the local
population. Religious tolerance was interfered with, local
educational establishments were closed and replaced by
inferior Government institutions, the University of Dorpat
was systematically ruined, local jurisdiction was abolished,
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