On the Importance of Publishing Documents

Abstract

The collection of historical sources, The Documents of Lithuanian Foreign Policy, vol. 1: 1917–1920 (compiled by Zenonas Butkus, Alfonsas Eidintas, and Kęstutis Kilinskas), fills an important gap in the field of scare diplomatic sources and, at the same time, fits nicely into the shelf of publications by Prof. Tomas Remeikis and the Lithuanian Institute of History on the documentary heritage of twentieth-century Lithuanian statehood. The book’s comprehensive introduction is valuable as an independent study outlining the contours of the panoramic view of Lithuanian foreign policy in 1918–1920, providing relevant information for researchers, students, and historical memory makers, as well as for all those wishing to get a general impression of the topic presented in a relatively small-scale text. The authors have selected 466 documents, which they have published in chronological order and with references to the origin of the sources: diplomatic messages, memos, activity transcripts and reports, instructions, notes, replies to ministry enquiries, correspondence on consular and ordinary mission activities. They have succeeded in reflecting well the geography and changes in Lithuania’s international interests, avoiding focusing solely on the mainstay problems of relations with Germany, Soviet Russia and Poland. The book also provides an important look at the blend of foreign policy and national defense. While the selection of some documents is open to debate, the volume contains crucial unpublished historical sources. The structure and logic of the book follow the best European practices for compiling diplomatic source publications. The recent arrival of the archives of the major Lithuanian legations has particularly enhanced the potential of the book; although, the manuscripts housed in libraries have been overlooked. The publication provides a versatile and useful tool for further research and an opportunity to tell our own story and not limit ourselves to the narratives of our neighbors from their historical perspective