21. Estonia (1920-1940)

 

Pre-Crisis Phase (February 2, 1920-November 7, 1924): Estonia formally achieved its independence from Russia on February 2, 1920.  The Constituent Assembly approved a constitution on June 15, 1920.  Finland provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to Estonia on July 7, 1920.  Elections for the State Assembly (Riigikogu) were held in 1920, and the Labor Party (LP) won 22 out of 100 seats in the assembly.  The Farmer’s Party (FP) won 21 seats in the assembly.  The Supreme Council of the Allied Powers (Britain, France Italy, and Japan) provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to the government on January 26, 1921.  Estonia joined the League of Nations (LON) on September 22, 1921.  The US provided diplomatic assistance (diplomatic recognition) to Estonia on July 28, 1922.  A census in 1922 indicated that some 88 percent of the population of Estonia was ethnic Estonian (the remaining 12 percent consisted of ethnic Russians, Germans, Swedes, Latvians, Jews, and Poles).  Parliamentary elections were held in 1923, and the FP won 23 out of 100 seats in the State Assembly.  The Social Democratic Party (SDP) won 15 seats in the State Assembly.

Crisis Phase (November 8, 1924-December 31, 1924): The Government police suppressed an attempted communist rebellion on November 8-10, 1924, resulting in the arrest of some 150 communists. Jaan Tomp, a trade union leader, was arrested and executed on November 15, 1924.  Government troops commanded by General Johan Laidoner suppressed a communist rebellion in Tallinn on December 1, 1924, resulting in the deaths of 21 individuals.  Thirty communist rebels were arrested and executed on December 2, 1924.  Some 100 individuals were killed during the crisis.

Post-Crisis Phase (January 1, 1925-March 11, 1934): Parliamentary elections were held in 1926, and the Socialist Worker Party (SWP) won 24 seats out of 100 seats in the State Assembly. The FP won 23 seats in the State Assembly.  Parliamentary elections were held in 1929, and the SWP won 25 out of 100 seats in the State Assembly.  The FP won 24 seats in the State Assembly.  Parliamentary elections were held in 1932, and the United Agrarian Party (UAP) won 42 out of 100 seats in the State Assembly.  The National Center Party (NCP) won 23 seats in the State Assembly.  A revised constitution was approved in a referendum on October 14-16, 1933, and the revised constitution went into effect on January 24, 1934.  Konstantin Paets formed a government as prime minister on October 21, 1933.

Crisis Phase (March 12, 1934-August 6, 1940): Prime Minister Paets declared a state-of-emergency, and appointed Lt. General Laidoner as commander-in-chief of the army on March 12, 1934.  Government troops arrested some 425 individuals associated with the Association of Freedom Fighters (AFF) on March 12-15, 1934.  Prime Minister Paets dissolved the parliament on October 2, 1934.  The government dissolved all political parties, except for the Fatherland Union-FU (Isamaaliit), on March 20, 1935.  A new constitution was approved in a referendum in February 1936. Parliamentary elections were held in September 1936, and the National Assembly convened on February 18, 1937.  A new constitution was approved by the National Assembly on July 29, 1937, and the constitution went into effect on January 1, 1938.  Parliamentary elections were held on February 24, 1938, and the National Front (NF) headed by Prime Minister Pets won 63 out of 80 seats in the State Assembly.  The State Assembly convened on April 21, 1938.  Prime Minister Paets was elected president by the State Assembly on April 24, 1938.  The government approved a one-year extension of martial law on September 10, 1938.  Estonian and Russian representatives signed a mutual assistance agreement on September 28, 1939, and the agreement was ratified by Estonia on October 2, 1939.  Some 25,000 Soviet troops were deployed at military bases in Estonia beginning on October 18, 1939.  Some 21,500 Baltic German moved from Estonian to Germany from October 1939 to April 1941.  The Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Estonia on June 16, 1940.  An additional 75,000 Soviet troops entered Estonia beginning on June 17, 1940, and the government of Prime Minister Juri Uluots resigned on June 18, 1940.  Johannes Vares-Barbarus established a pro-Soviet “people’s government” as prime minister on June 21, 1940.  Former President Konstantin Paets and General Johan Laidoner were arrested and deported to prison camps in the Soviet Union.  Johannes Vares-Barbarus dissolved the State Assembly, and announced new parliamentary elections on July 5, 1940.  Parliamentary elections were held in 1940, and communists won some 93 percent of the vote.  The new parliament declared the establishment of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR).  The Soviet Union formally annexed Estonia on August 6, 1940.

[Sources: Langer, 1972, 1042; Rauch 1974; Survey of International Affairs (SIA), 1925 (supplement), 86-90, 1935, 418; 1938, 699.]