Blog Post One: National Identity

Blog Post One: National Identity

Enika Patel 

National Identity

Our identity is one of the core aspects of what makes us feel complete in life, it can be the driving force of our mission in life and it makes up who we are as people. There are many different things that can make up one's identity such as language, ethnicity, race, religion, politics, and religion. In a world where figuring out our identity can be confusing and difficult, the nation we belong to can also help to provide us with a better and more constant understanding of what makes us who we are. When defining national identity we can look to Anna Triandafyllidou’s definition which states that the things within a nation aren’t the only things that make a nation a nation, but rather “through distinguishing and differentiating the nation from other nations or ethnic groups” (Triandafyllidou, 1998), this means that national identity can only become meaningful if there is contrast with “significant others”. When looking at what national identity might include for the country of Lithuania, we can look at a couple of key concepts such as Lithuania’s relationship with history, the Roman Catholic Church as well as their language.

History

Lithuania, like many nations in Europe, has a very long and extensive history. Throughout my research, I found that most of Lithuania’s history dates back to the 13th century when the first ruler of Lithuania, Mindaugus, united the many tribes of Lithuania against the threat of Germans that wanted to control the area. On August 14, 1385, the Lithuanian ruler Jogaila allied Lithuania with Poland, thus introducing Roman Christianity to the country as well as starting an alliance that would span over centuries but ultimately ended in disputes over the current-day capital, Vilnius, throughout the 1920s and 1930s. In the early 1800s the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania were put under Russian rule, resulting in Russification meaning that “Russian was the only language sanctioned for public use, including education. Books and magazines in the Lithuanian language could be printed only in the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet” (Meškauskas et al., 2023). Such policies were not accepted happily by the Lithuanian people and caused an indigenous reaction, books written in the Cyrillic alphabet were boycotted and books written in Latin were smuggled over from East Prussia. Lithuania would gain independence from Russia in 1905 during the Russian Revolution but would come under German military occupation in 1915 throughout the 1930s and a part of the U.S.S.R. throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Lithuania ultimately regained its independence on March 11, 1990, and tensions with Russia have continued. 

Catholicism 

Like many countries throughout the world, religion was one of the driving forces in uniting Lithuania as a nation. For the past nine or so centuries, the Catholic Church “transitioned from military threat, to foreign occupier, to key component of national identity” (Cruz, 2014) in the country of Lithuania. Catholicism was brought to Lithuania around the late 13th century which is slightly unusual as most other European nations had already converted to Catholicism by that point. Unlike many current-day European countries that have shifted away from the Church, around 74.2% of present-day Lithuanians consider themselves to be Catholic. Throughout Lithuania’s history as a nation, the Catholic Church has proven to be an active participant in supporting Lithuania as an independent nation. This has shown up throughout history but most recently the Catholic Church further solidified itself as a part of Lithuania's national identity during the “anti-Soviet dissent movements of the 1980s and 1990s” (Cruz, 2014). Current-day Lithuanians still see Catholicism as a part of their national identity but have grown with the religion and aren’t as traditional as many surrounding European countries. According to a research survey taken by the Pew Research Center, most Lithuanian Catholics are open to change within the Catholic Church with 73% of them believing the  “Catholic Church should alter the current prohibition on priests marrying” (Evans, 2018). Ultimately, the Catholic religion has stayed strong amongst moth Lithuanians and is an integral part of their national identity. 

Language

When learning about Lithuania’s ethnic nationality, there are a couple of characteristics that come up such as race, language, and religion. Language is something that unites many people as it gives them a sense of belonging and allows them to interact with others on a larger scale. For nations as small as Lithuania, the Lithuanian language has always been a big part of their ethnic identity. During the 1800s when Lithuania was under Russian rule they were prohibited from speaking and reading in the Lithuanian language, this furthered Lithuania's ties between identity and language. After the fall of the Soviet Union, true Lithuanians were seen as “the one who was Catholic, who spoke the Lithuanian language, and was of the common Lithuanian descent and culture” (Klumbyte, 2003), another indication of how important the Lithuanian language is to the people of Lithuania. Throughout the late 19th century, the Lithuanian language provided “cultural distinctiveness” (Klumbyte, 2003) and unlike many other countries and nations that were Soviet Socialist Republics, Lithuania didn’t undergo the same levels of Russification which allowed them to keep a stronger grasp of their own language instead of Russian. Unlike nations in the West such as the United States and the United Kingdom, whose national identities stem from “pre-existing social and political structures” (Buhr et al., 2014) that emphasized liberty and politics. Nations in the East tend to base their national identities on factors such as language, religion, and ethnicity which explains why countries like Lithuania regard language as more integral to their identity than those who grow up in Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Significant Others

Like many of the Baltic countries, Lithuania shares a very similar history to its neighboring countries Poland, Belarus, and Latvia. What sets Lithuania apart from these countries and gives them its own national identity is its history and language. Lithuania went under the same Russification processes as many of the other Baltic countries which give them shared experiences but ultimately, they are their own nation. Lithuania and Poland shared a commonwealth and through the process of gaining independence from Russia, they were heavily persuaded by Poland to become one with Poland instead of going forth with absolute independence. As a smaller nation that has constantly had other nations try to take it over, what ultimately sets Lithuania apart is its grit and ability to continuously fight for its own independence and cultural practices. Triandafyllidou explains that in order to be a nation, nations must be able to distinguish themselves from significant others first. Significant others are considered as “other nations or ethnic groups that are perceived to threaten the nation, its distinctiveness, authenticity, and/or independence” (Triandafyllidou, 1998). In Lithuania’s case, significant others would be larger nations such as Russia, Germany, and Poland who have all either tried to hold power over Lithuania or occupied it in some way. These significant others bolster Lithuania's national identity by furthering their own sense of language and history. 

Word Count: 1,166

References

Buhr, R., Fabrykant, M. S., & Hoffman, S. M. (2014). THE MEASURE OF A NATION: LITHUANIAN IDENTITY IN THE NEW    CENTURY. Journal of Baltic Studies, 45(2), 143–168. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26764036 

Cruz, M. Z. (2014). The Role of Catholicism in the Development of Lithuanian National Identity. Church History and Religious Culture, 94(4), 479–504. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43946120 

Evans, J. (2020, May 31). Pope Francis to visit the three Baltic countries – only one of which is majority Catholic. Pew Research Center. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/21/pope-francis-to-visit-the-three-baltic-countries-only-one-of-which-is-majority-catholic/ 

Meškauskas, K. , Stranga, . Aivars , Misiunas, . Romuald J. and Bater, . James H. (2023, January 26). Lithuania. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Lithuania 

Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National identity and the `other.’. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 21(4), 593. https://doi-org.proxy.seattleu.edu/10.1080/014198798329784