Comparing national history education in Estonia and Latvia in the 1930s

This study compares Estonian and Latvian history textbooks from the 1930s to examine how national identity, historical agency, and political narratives were constructed through education. It analyzes representations of each nation’s past, depictions of Baltic German elites, and portrayals of neighboring peoples. The study highlights how authoritarian regimes influenced textbook content, promoting unity, heroism, and ideological conformity. Themes of independence, cooperation, and cultural resilience are explored, revealing how history education served both pedagogical and political purposes. The findings offer insights into the role of textbooks in shaping collective memory.