What was the Baltic Way?

• A. A peaceful demonstration forming a human chain across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
• B. A military alliance
• C. A trade agreement
• D. A cultural festival

Answer: (A)

The Baltic Way was a peaceful, nonviolent protest in which about two million people joined hands to form a single human chain spanning from Tallinn in Estonia to Vilnius in Lithuania, with Latvia in the middle. It happened on August 23, 1989, chosen to mark the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and it was organized to show solidarity among the Baltic states in their push for independence from Soviet control. The act demonstrated the power of civil resistance and unity across borders, conveying a clear political message without weapons or violence and helping attract international attention to the Baltic freedom movement. It wasn’t a military alliance, a trade agreement, or a cultural festival; those labels don’t fit the act of coordinated, peaceful mass action aimed at political change.