CV

Education

2019–Present | PhD History (candidate)
Tallinn University | Estonia

2010–2012 | MA History, and MA Comparative History of Eastern, Central, and Southeastern Europe
Central European University | Hungary

Career History

2024–Present | Editorial Assistant | Journal of Baltic Studies | Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS)

2021–Present | Junior Research Fellow | Tallinn University | Estonia

2019 | History Teacher | Audentes International School | Estonia

2015–2017 | English Teacher | Tartu Folk University | Estonia

2013–2016 | Academic Writing Instructor | University of Tartu | Estonia

2012–2013 | Logistics Instructor | Valga County Vocational Training Centre | Estonia

2012 | English Teacher | Fluency School of English | Hungary

2009 | English Teacher | Tallinn University | Estonia

Publications

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Tackling the Everyday: Race and Nation in Big-Time College Football by Tracie Canada (review),” Journal of Sport History, Vol. 52, No. 3 (2025), pp. 189−191.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Lithuania: a history by Richard Butterwick, C. Hurst & Co., London, 2025, ix + 483 pp., seven maps, 31 illus., £18.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1911-72-360-8,” Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 56, No. 4 (2025), pp. 855−858.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “No Friday Night Lights: Reservation Football on the Edge of America by John M. Glionna,” The Museum of Americana: A Literary Review, Vol. 34 (2024).

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “A Place Between Nations: The Idea of a Latvian-Lithuanian State, 1884–1984,” in Ginta Ieva Bikše (ed.), Jauno vēsturnieku zinātniskie lasījumi IX = The Scholarly Readings of Young Historians IX (Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2024), pp. 82−91.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Baltic Experiences of Exile. Rezension zu: Plakans, Andrejs: The Reluctant Exiles. Latvians in the West after World War II. Paderborn 2021, ISBN 978-3-506-76028-9 / Heikkilä, Pauli A.: Estonia as a Captive Nation. International Cooperation in Exile within the Assembly of Captive European Nations, 1954–1972. Paderborn 2021, ISBN 978-3-506-79182-5,” H-Soz-Kult (2024).

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “The Curious Case of Aistija: Sidelights on Latvian–Lithuanian Rapprochement during the 20th Century,” Journal of Eurasian Studies, Baltic Region as a Place of Contacts, Vol. 15, No. 2 (2024), pp. 118–130.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Rezension zu: Loader, Michael; Hearne, Siobhán; Kott, Matthew (Hrsg.): Defining Latvia. Recent Explorations in History, Culture, and Politics. Budapest 2022, ISBN 978-963-386-445-6,” H-Soz-Kult (2024).

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “An Illustrated History of Lithuania, Vol. 1: From the Prehistoric Balts to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, by Ignas Kapleris, Vilnius, Briedis, 2022, 288 pp., €56.00, ISBN 978-9955-26-922-9,” Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 54, No. 3 (2023), pp. 673–675.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “From Here to Aistija: The Baltic State that Never-was,” Diacronie: Studi di Storia contemporanea, Imagining North-Eastern Europe. Baltic and Scandinavian states in the eyes of local, regional, and global observers, Vol. 52, No. 2 (2022), pp. 43−60.

James Montgomery Baxenfield and Kevin Rändi, “Precarious Roads to Recognition: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, 1917–1922,” Acta Historica Tallinnensia, Recognition: de facto and de jure, Vol. 28, No. 2 (2022), pp. 187−211.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Klaus Richter: Fragmentation in East Central Europe: Poland and the Baltics, 1915–1929. Oxford University Press. Oxford 2020. xii, 355 pp. ISBN 9780198843559,” Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte, Vol. 17 (2022), pp. 252−255.

James Montgomery Baxenfield, “Tomas Balkelis: War, Revolution, and Nation-Making in Lithuania, 1914–1923. Oxford University Press. Oxford 2018. VI, 186 pp. ISBN 978-0199668021,” Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte, Vol. 15 (2021), pp. 281−284.

Editorial Experience

2024–Present | Editorial Assistant | Journal of Baltic Studies

2022 | Guest Co-Editor | Acta Historica Tallinnensia. Special Issue: Recognition: de facto and de jure (Vol. 28, No. 2)

2021 | Language Editor | Acta Historica Tallinnensia. Special Issue: On Saints, Migrants and Communists: Transnational Explorations in Estonian History (Vol. 27, No. 1)

2020–Present | Volunteer Proofreader | Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte

2019 | Language Editor | Baltic Journal of Art History (Vol. 18)

Selected Conference Presentations

Nov 2024 | A Prospect in Retrospect: Reappraising the Unrealised Idea of a Latvian-Lithuanian State, 1905–1919
10th Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES) Annual Conference | Shaping Futures: The Baltics and Eastern Europe in the World | Södertörn University

Dec 2023 | A Place Between Nations: The Idea of a Latvian-Lithuanian State, 1884–1984
Scholarly Readings of Young Historians IX | Valmiera Museum

Sep 2023 | Advertising Nations to Independence: The Baltic States and Public Relations, 1918–1919
Anatomy of Independence: Security and Its Threats in the Baltic Region Over the Centuries | Latvian War Museum

Jun 2023 | Between the Lines: The Idea of a Latvian-Lithuanian State in Lithuanian-American Public Diplomacy, 1918–1919
15th Conference of Baltic Studies in Europe (CBSE) | Turning Points: Values and Conflicting Futures in the Baltics | Vytautas Magnus University

May 2023 | Footnotes to the Past: Forgotten Episodes of Latvian-Lithuanian Federation and Confederation, 1884–1984
Spring conference of doctoral students in history and archaeology | Institute of History and Archaeology | University of Tartu

Jun 2022 | Out of the Past: From a Lithuanian Émigré Idea to a Latvian Exile Movement: The Notion of a Latvian-Lithuanian State, 1884–1984
74th Baltisches Historikertreffen | Baltic Historical Commission | University of Göttingen

May 2022 | White, Red, Yellow: The Aistijan Flag as a Symbol of Baltic Unity
28th Biennial AABS Conference | Baltic Studies at a Crossroads | University of Washington

May 2022 | A Space Between Nations: Latvia and Latvians in Lithuanian-American Ethnographic Concepts, 1919–1922
11th International Interdisciplinary Conference | The Region: History, Culture, Language | Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy

Nov 2021 | Under Three Stars and One Flag: A Semiotic Analysis of Aistijan Symbolism
12th Conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies | Meaning in Perception and the Senses | Vilnius University

Oct 2021 | The Space Between Nations: Traces of Latvian-Lithuanian Federation in the Lithuanian-American Image Campaign of 1919
8th Baltic Students Conference | Bridges in the Baltics | Vilnius University

Sep 2021 | From Respublika to Aistija: The Perennial Idea of a Union Between Latvia and Lithuania
14th CBSE | Rights and Recognition in the Baltic Context | Uppsala University

May 2021 | After Šliūpas: The Perennial Idea of Latvian-Lithuanian Federation, 1884–1984
10th International Interdisciplinary Conference | The Region: History, Culture, Language | Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy

Feb 2020 | Finding Aistija: Re-imagining the Baltic Past
16th Biennial Postgraduates Conference | Truth, Reality and Imagination: Interpretations from Eastern and Central Europe | School of Slavonic and East European Studies | University College London

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants

2024 | Erasmus+ Programme Mobility Scholarship
European Commission

2023–2024 | Dissertation Grant for Graduate Students
AABS | United States

2023 | Herder Fellowship
Herder Institute in Marburg | Germany

2022–2023 | Baumanis Grant for Creative Research in Baltic Studies
AABS | United States

2019–2023 | Doctoral Allowance
Republic of Estonia

2019–2021 | School of Humanities Research Scholarship
Tallinn University | Estonia

2010–2012 | Partial Master’s Fellowship
Central European University | Hungary

2011 | Master’s Research Stipend
Central European University Foundation | Hungary

2009 | Lithuanian State Scholarship for Lithuanian Language and Culture
Education Exchanges Support Foundation | Lithuania

2008–2009 | Erasmus Programme Scholarship
European Commission

Selected University Lectures/Guest Lectures/Seminars/Workshops

Nov 2024 | A Prospect in Retrospect: Reappraising the Unrealised Idea of a Latvian-Lithuanian State, 1911–1919
Guest Lecture | Advancing Trans-Regional Border Studies | Eur-Asian Border Lab | University of Amsterdam

Oct 2023 | History: Sources and Methods
Doctoral Student Seminar | 2 Seminars
PhD History/Linguistics/Studies of Cultures Syllabus | School of Humanities | Tallinn University

Oct 2023 | The Historical Method
Doctoral Student Seminar | 2 Seminars
PhD History/Linguistics/Studies of Cultures Syllabus | School of Humanities | Tallinn University

Nov 2022/2023 | Brexit and Beyond: The Roots, Consequences, and Complexities of Britain’s Exit from the European Union
Culture and Society of English-speaking Countries | 1 Lecture | 1 Seminar
BA Liberal Arts Syllabus | School of Humanities | Tallinn University

Nov 2022/Oct 2023 | The History and Culture of Victorian England, the Empire, and Creation of British Identity
Culture and Society of English-speaking Countries | 1 Lecture | 1 Seminar
BA Liberal Arts Syllabus | School of Humanities | Tallinn University

Nov 2022 | Footnotes to the Past: Forgotten Episodes of Latvian-Lithuanian Federation and Confederation, 1884–1984
Guest Lecture | Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy

Oct 2022 | Writing in the Humanities
Doctoral Student Workshop | 4 Seminars
PhD History/Linguistics/Studies of Cultures Syllabus | School of Humanities | Tallinn University

Professional Affiliations

2024–Present | Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA)
Member

2024–Present | North American Society for Sport History (NASSH)
Member

2023–2024 | North American Vexillological Association (NAVA)
Member

2021–2022 | Nordic Association of Semiotic Studies (NASS)
Member

2019–Present | Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS)
Member

Selected Media Appearances

17 Nov 2025 | The Baltic League: A Growing Hub for American Football
Pigskin Dispatch | Sports History Network

28 Jul 2023 | Latvian-Lithuanian Connections from Morta to Modernity
Baltic Ways | Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies

8 Dec 2022 | How to Research the Establishment and Recognition of a State?
Academia Scientiarum Estoniae | Estonian Academy of Sciences

Voluntary Activities

2020–Present | Volunteer Proofreader
Forschungen zur baltischen Geschichte | Tallinn/Tartu, Estonia

2012–2017 | Project Manager, Event Planner, and Non-Formal Educator
Estonian Printing Museum | Tartu, Estonia

2013–2014 | Project Manager
Creative Center Carnation, Estonia | European Voluntary Service

Downloadable CV: James Baxenfield (CV – January 2026).