There have been a few historical events in recent history that were of such immense significance that I wished I was there either as a witness or participant.

The fall and physical demolition of the Berlin Wall was one. The other was something that completely slipped my mind until I saw it on Wikipedia recently:

The Baltic Way and the Singing Revolution.

During the period of Gorbachev's Perestroika and Glasnost, the people of the three Baltic countries (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia) held a series of protest against the secret protocol within the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 that saw the independent countries of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania divided into two spheres of interest (German and Soviet), and which led to the occupation of the three Baltic countries by the USSR since WWII.

From 1987 to 1990, people from the three states started gathering to sing national songs that were strictly banned by the Soviet authorities. In time, thousands of people gathered to sing. Of course Moscow did not sit idly by and did respond physically.

In 1989, about 1.2 million people from all three countries put their hands together to form the longest human chain ever in history - 600 km over three countries. Their aim was to bring the world's attention to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

All these protest and demonstrations were peaceful and non-violent on the part of the demonstrators. However, there were some injuries and deaths, especially in the case of Lithuania when Soviet assault troops and tanks tried to take control of Vilnius Television Tower and the Parliament. In this "Bloody Sunday", 14 non-violent protestors died and hundreds were injured.

About a decade and half has passed since these momentous events took place. And over time, a kind of romanticism develops.

But we have to realise that all the people who took part were ordinary folks. Yes, there were some who felt a strong calling to rise and lead. But it was the ordinary folks who took the risk and made the stand.

Were they afraid? Of course they were. The standard Soviet response is always the same: military force.

Any sign of opposition, "BAM!" the police arrives and hauls people away. Visible opposition gets even bigger, the tanks roll in.

So it took a lot of balls on the part of the few to make the initial stand. And just as much balls for the millions of ordinary citizens to swallow their fears and join the few, knowing at the back of their mind that tanks and assault troops can blitz through anytime and kill them all. After all, courage is not the absence of fear but acting in spite of fear. And that my friend takes lotsa balls!

Most of the time, freedom and liberty is not given freely. People usually have to demand or fight for it. And thankfully for the Baltic people, they were successful: Lithuania in 1990 and Estonia and Latvia in 1991.

Do remember that all three countries had been previously independent, which ended when the Soviets rolled in.

I wish I was there. It must have been a most amazing and moving time to be living in those countries.

Wikipedia - Baltic Way

Wikipedia - Singing Revolution

Labels: europe, history, politics