Introduction to Part II

Abstract

In the Introduction of Chapter 1, I argued, first, that national minorities were not a homogenous group and, second, that they were pushed to identify themselves primarily in ethnic terms. The first part of this book has documented the rise of nationalism in Lithuania and the establishment of citizenship as well as the tension between the two. The next three chapters focus on the responses of minorities to these developments. As it was argued, the Lithuanian legislation introduced an inclusive approach to citizenship while the Lithuanian national movement highlighted the importance of national identity. According to the legislation citizenship was defined in relation to an individual regardless of his/her religious, national or any other type of belonging. However, in the reality of everyday life national belonging was of importance. National belonging was not only defined in terms of us and them but also was seen as a single category which did not acknowledge differences among the members of the same ethnic group.