Ką reiškia Lietuvai turėti Klaipėdą?

LTStraipsnio tikslas – nagrinėti istorines aplinkybes ir priežastis, kurios lėmė tai, kad Klaipėdos kraštas pateko Lietuvos priklausomybėn. Pagrindinis dėmesys straipsnyje skiriamas Versalio sistemos idėjai ir praktinei išraiškai. Autoriaus nuomone, Klaipėdos priklausomybės Lietuvai kodas siejasi su jėgų pusiausvyra, Įėmusia nacionalinių valstybių susikūrimą Vidurio Rytų Europoje, ypač Rytų Pabaltijo regione. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Imperinė reakcija; Jėgų balansas; Klaipėda; Lenkija (Lenkijos karalystė. Kingdom of Poland. Poland); Nacionalinė valstybė; Tarptautinis tranzitas; Tarpukaris; Versalio sistema; Vokietija (Germany); Balance of power; Germany; Imperial reaction; Inter - war period; International transit; Klaipėda; Lithuania; Memel; National state; Versailles system.

ENAs stated by the author, Lithuanian politics of the recent years with regard to the eastern neighbor states, and especially towards Russia, did not permit to fully exploit Klaipeda's seaport transit potential. On the other hand, an ideological struggle against the so-called Soviet legacy raised doubts about the post-WW2 territorial structure of the state. The concrete historical circumstances under which Klaipeda Region became integral part of Lithuania seem to be forgotten. Furthermore, the tendency to ignore the power balance which preconditioned the existence of national Lithuania with an access to the sea started emerging. The author argues that the present national state of Lithuania is not an accidental result of somebody's wishes or caprices; it is the result of the general international democratization process. According to the author, the origin of the modern Lithuanian state is to be found in the conceptual project of the Versailles system which matured during the years of WW1. On the basis of that project, the imperial structures in Eastern and Central Europe were to be replaced by a system of national states legitimated by the democratic determination. In that context, it is possible to find the shape of a modern Lithuanian state (including Vilnius and Klaipeda), balancing between Russia in the east and the League of Nations in the west. True, practical realization of the Versailles system was complicated mainly due to the Bolshevik revolt in Russia. Europe's concert lost its principal power factor in the East.Without security guarantees, new national states became non effective and vulnerable. The reborn imperial reaction influenced the collapse of national states. The circumstances under which Klaipeda Region became part of Lithuania after WW1 and under which the same region was torn away from the state in 1939 clearly demonstrated the failures of the Versailles system. As a result of WW2, the system of Eastern Central European states was restored. Formally, Lithuania including Klaipeda was restored, too, however, the restoration limited the sovereignty of Eastern Central European states. Lithuania completely lost its sovereignty. However, Eastern Central European states maintained the prospect of restoring their sovereignty which became possible when the tensions between the East and the West weakened. In 1989-1991, after the restoration of sovereignty of Eastern Central European states, Lithuania, including Klaipeda Region, restored its independence as well. Thus, historical development witnesses Lithuania as the result of the balance between the East and the West; therefore, the current Lithuanian foreign policy should be based on this paradigm. [From the publication]

• Teisė / Law
• Politikos mokslai / Political sciences
• Istorija / History