Authors

Discussion

The three Baltic Republics and even their Communist parties had chafed under in the chains of Stalinism whereby practically all decision-making in the Republics was a formality. Despite the uniformity imposed on Communist Party structures, the post-Stalin Thaw period under Soviet leader Khrushchev somewhat slackened the reins of control over how Communist parties in the Soviet republics managed themselves and their republics. Thus, in the changed circumstances after Stalin’s death, the Baltic Communist parties sought to exploit the opportunity to claw some decision-making powers from the central authorities but did so in differing ways and with varied results. Latvia’s bold leadership during this period clashed head-on with Moscow on a range of issues, the Lithuanian leader Antanas Sniečkus balanced loyalty to Moscow with a united Party organisation that tried to limit Russian migration and central interference, while the Estonian leadership pursued a less overt strategy that did not draw Moscow’s attention. This paper will explore the approaches taken by each Baltic Republic’s Communist Party, the fate of those attempts, and an evaluation of the most successful long-term gains in the quest for some autonomy.