'For your freedom and ours' The prolonged occupations of Hawai'i and the Baltic States

The prolonged occupations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania occurred during and after World War II, first from 1940 to 1941, then following World War II until the early-1990s, as the Soviet Union subsumed these countries within its territorial borders. Similar to the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, the US occupied the Hawaiian Islands twice, first from January 16 to April 1, 1893, and then beginning on 12 August 1898. The US occupation of the Hawaiian Islands still continues.This dissertation combines Power Transition Theory, Historical Institutionalism and Etzioni's Power Classifications to examine the prolonged occupations of the Baltic States and Hawai'i. Integrating the above theories with the inter-temporal application of international law, this study offers a comparative analysis of prolonged occupations.Since the Baltic States have been able to restore their governments and end their occupations, the above theories explain the factors and dynamics of change in the Baltic States. Once identified, the theoretical and legal underpinnings of these changes are then applied to the US occupation of Hawai'i.