 Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are collectively known as the Baltic states. You've probably heard of them, especially if you've been watching my content, or perhaps you saw something on the news that Russia is trying to gain influence in one of these countries. So why are these three countries so important in global geopolitics, and why are they a cause for a great deal of tension between the West and Russia? These answers may surprise you. Here is an abridged history of the Baltics over the past 100 years to give you an idea of where they have arisen from. The three Baltic countries each declared independence from the Russian Empire at different points in 1918, with Lithuania being first, followed by Estonia and Latvia. Their independence was challenged by the up-and-coming Red Army, but with the help from international forces, they secured their independence in the early 1920s. However, these countries would not keep their independence for very long, as when World War II broke out, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin occupied all three countries in 1940. Many Baltic citizens were sent to Siberia during this time as part of a program of forced relocations. After a brief Nazi occupation starting in 1941, the Soviets were able to reclaim the region in 1944. Unsurprisingly, the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania did not view their time in the Soviet Union as a positive, and today it is referred to as a time of continued occupation. Once again, the Baltic states would have the opportunity to gain their independence, as the Soviet Union was falling apart. Lithuania restored independence on the 11th of March 1990, Estonia on the 20th of August 1991, and Latvia on the 21st of August 1991. Since then, the three countries have joined the NATO, Alliance, and the European Union, with all joining both in the same year, 2004. This was part of a goal in these countries to become reintegrated with the West in terms of economics, military, and culture. So far, this has succeeded, as the three Baltic states fare much better in terms of gross domestic product per capita, human development index, and standard of living among other indexes than all other post-Soviet states and their former satellites. The market economy in each country is strong, with Estonia being of particular interest, as many international companies, including Skype, were started there. So today the Baltic states are in good shape, right? Taking a look at the demographics of these countries can give a much clearer picture of where they may be headed. The ethnic composition of each country consists of a majority titular ethnicity, with sizable minorities of other ethnic groups. Estonia is around 68% Estonian, Latvia around 62.5% Latvian, Lithuania around 86% Lithuanian, you get the idea. However, something may have surprised you about Estonia and Latvia. Their titular ethnicities make up less than 70% of their total population. This is due to both countries having around one quarter of their population identifying as Russian. Though Lithuania is only around 4.5% Russian, all three countries' Russian populations will become important in looking into the geopolitics of the region. Russians have obviously had a large presence in the Baltics throughout history, both in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, leading to the country's modern ethnic makeup, though the vast majority moved to these countries during the Soviet times. Not too long ago, Germans were a major ethnic group in the region, as Germanic states and dynasties ruled the area until the Russians established their presence there. Anyways, it's important now to look at other demographic factors, namely growth rates, birth rates, and population pyramids. These figures show that immediately after these countries restored independence, many young people moved to other countries in western Europe to find work. Birth rates in the three countries are also extremely low, at 1.6 children per woman on average. Though all of these countries' demographics are in bad shape, meaning that in the near future, their small young population won't be able to support a growing old population, Estonia and Lithuania have been able to stabilize their populations, and Latvia is seeing a steadily increasing birth rate, despite continued population decline. The countries will probably still be majorly affected by impending economic problems as a result of these demographics, though I don't see it likely that their economies will suffer to the degree that more impoverished nations' economies will. The smooth transition to the free market will give these countries an edge over their neighbors as a result, speaking of which, I should make the connection between demographics and geopolitics. Ukraine was invaded by Russia in 2014, and the Crimean Peninsula was unilaterally annexed by Russia. Today, Ukraine faces rebel groups that are made up of ethnic Russians fighting for independence and eventual integration with their fatherland. Though Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not currently have rebel groups within their borders, and their governments are much more stable anyway, so this outcome wouldn't be so likely. Russia has been wanting to reintegrate all of the Russian people back into its nation, partly due to its own demographic problems, including its low birth rate. Acting in this manner in recent times is very telling, as Russia is racing against the clock to establish its presence in these areas before the nation will inevitably turn inward to solve its ageing crisis. Whether Russia can succeed in their goals in the Baltics depends on how willing its allies in NATO are to defend them. All three Baltic countries, especially Estonia, are home to many NATO and United States military bases, as the region is very strategic in the balance of power between the West and Russia. Estonia and Latvia and Lithuania's titular ethnicities would much rather be aligned with the West, due to both historical grudges with Russia and themselves being part of Western culture, rather than the orthodox influence culture of Russia and much of Eastern Europe. Really, the future of the Baltics depends on how willing Russia is to expand its borders to its diaspora in this region, and how willing the West is to defend its allies. The Baltic state's importance in international geopolitics cannot be understated. They mark another point of contention between the goals of democratic consolidation by Europe and the ethnic unification of the Russian people. I can't really say a war will happen here soon, since the governments of the Baltic states are too stable to have a major pro-Russian armed faction appear in the country, but really, only time will tell. Thank you all for watching. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with all of your friends. Let's get to 5,000 subscribers by September, so please share my content with everyone you know. If this can be achieved, expect even better content from this channel. Look out for a Patreon in the coming weeks, and I'll see you guys next time.