Heritage Foundation Event Featuring Sven Mikser
Date: August 6, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Speaker(s):
Featuring Keynote Remarks:
The Honorable Sven Mikser
Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee,
Parliament, Republic of Estonia
Followed by a Panel Discussion:
Dr. Michael Szporer
Professor of Communications,
Arts and Humanities,
University of Maryland, University College
Chris Socha
Senior Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Jim DeMint,
Ranking Member,
Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe
Host(s): Dr. Lee Edwards
Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought,
The Heritage Foundation
Details:
Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium
One of the most cynical treaties in modern history was signed on August 23, 1939, by Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was termed a non-aggression pact but was in fact an aggression pact against free and independent neighboring countries. A secret protocol divided Central and Eastern Europe into spheres of influence between the two totalitarian countries. A week later Nazi Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II, and shortly thereafter the Soviet Union absorbed Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into its empire for more than 50 years.
Since regaining their independence after the collapse of Soviet communism, the Baltic states and all of Eastern and Central Europe have spent considerable time and money on security arrangements that would minimize the effect of any similar “great power” treaty. The “end of history” optimism that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago has been replaced in large part by realpolitik pessimism.
The Heritage Foundation has assembled a panel of experts to discuss the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and to examine key questions such as: Should “great powers” be permitted to make decisions without regard for their impact on smaller sovereign nations? What role should NATO, the EU and the UN play in minimizing the impact of great power pacts?
The Hitler-Stalin Deal Dividing Europe 70 Years Later: How the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact Impacts the World Today (2)
Archived Articles | 31 Jul 2009 | EWR
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Curious about what's happening in Toronto/Canada to commemorate this very important day. Does anyone have information as to what Estonian Central Council is planning? It is very important to keep the MR Pact in the public eye particularly here in North America.
Sven Mikser is an astute observer. From him and the Heritage Foundation, we can expect some insightful commentary which, I hope, EE reports in detail.
The topic has contemporary urgency, in that Putin believes that the establishment of "spheres of influence" (i.e. dominating small neighbours) is perfectly natural and legitimate.
The topic has contemporary urgency, in that Putin believes that the establishment of "spheres of influence" (i.e. dominating small neighbours) is perfectly natural and legitimate.
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