In this issue we pause on two critical junctures in the Baltic history, the aftermath of the First World War, and the end of the Cold War. The First World War resulted in the collapse of the Russian Empire, giving Germany the opportunity to extend its sphere of influence, its political and military power into the Baltic provinces. As a consequence sovereignty over Baltic peoples, subjects of the Russian Czars since 1721, suddenly became an object of discussion, diplomatic negotiation and military struggle. In contrast to earlier periods when the “Baltic question” had also been fought out between greater nations, this time Baltic political nationalism, a new and unanticipated force, was also thrown into the scales and indeed played a major role in the outcome – the creation of three new states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Therefore, as we use the term “Baltic question” that implies an outsider’s or even an imperial perspective, we should not forget that the Baltic nations were also important players in the game, at least in the twentieth century. The penultimate and last article of the issue (Stöcker, and Piirimäe/Grönholm) highlight this point in their respective examinations of the role of the “internal” actors in solving the Baltic puzzle after the Cold War.