Идея государственности в Литве в начале XX века : общее государство с Россией, с Польшей или с Белоруссией?

Abstract

The article acquaints with discussion of Lithuanian historians-politicians on the rights of national minorities in the process of building a nation state. According to P. Klimas, when the fate of the nation or the issue of building the nation slate was being decided, the views and needs of the national minorities in the territory of the majority should not be taken into account. After independence national minorities had the right to defend and protect their members, seek their cultural autonomy in the newly established modem nation-state and perform heir duties as citizens. The author comes to the conclusion that in his concept P. Klimas laid more emphasis on 'ethnic factors' in national consciousness such as a nation's language, religion, customs, traditions, folklore, history, and common national ideals. From the theories of modern researchers on nationalism, who stressed the importance of 'ethnic factors' and argued that a nation can become independent on the basis of such factors, A. Smith's ethnicistic theory is the closest to P. Klimas concept of nationalism. A. Voldemaras ideas on the national question are close to those of E. Gellner, who stresses that primarily nationalism is a political principle.