The Baltic Sea is more than just an inland sea-it is a historical geopolitical stage. From Viking Age seafaring to a NATO-dominated region, this brackish sea has been a lifeline for the peoples and nations of Northern Europe. It has served as a hub for economic and political relations, from the Hanseatic League's dominance in the Middle Ages to the power struggles of the Swedish Empire, Poland-Lithuania, and Russia, as well as the dramatic shifts brought by the Napoleonic Wars, the two World Wars, and the Cold War. Yet, the Baltic Sea has also been a place of cooperation. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the region experienced integration and growth-an evolution now once again challenged by new geopolitical tensions. How will the future be shaped by energy flows, climate change, and military strategies? AUTHORS: Peter Haldén, Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Swedish Defence University. Mats Hallenberg is a Professor of history and interested in Nordic political history, from the early modern period to the 1900s. He has been teaching history at Stockholm university since 2001 on undergraduate, masters and doctoral level. Kjell Engelbrekt is a Professor of Political Science at the Swedish Defence University, a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and a member of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences.
