In the middle of another systemic shock, when the old European Colossus forged in Vienna's Congress was about to fall on its knees and collapse, the Baltic Sea region witnessed several nation-states being conceived. Among these states was Estonia, a young democracy about to rise from the ashes of the Great War and become one of the key players in the regional development path. As one may expect, the path to becoming sovereign is rarely easy. Let us embark on a journey to follow the story of the Estonian Republic being born, baptized in fire, and recognized on the global political map.
Our story starts at the beginning of the twentieth century, with the Russian Empire losing a war against Japan. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was a disaster for Russia, revealing the inefficiency of Russia's military and significantly decreasing the already crumbling popular support of the Russian emperor, Nikolas II. Eventually, the dissatisfaction with the emperor's government's inefficiency in facing domestic problems, multiplied by the tensions caused by the humiliating defeat in the war, ignited the flames of the first Russian Revolution (1). While the outcome of the Revolution was minimal for Estonia, several significant developments took place during the public unrest. First, the Estonian national flag was displayed publicly for the first time, emphasizing the importance of national romanticism in projecting the aspirations to become independent. Second, the political forces of Estonia outlined their agenda: to limit the Baltic Germans' privileges and alleviate the damage done by the Russification campaign (ibid). This agenda became extremely relevant right when the old world was shattered.
An anti-Russian satirical map produced by a Japanese student at Keio University during the Russo-Japanese War.
The horrors of the opening months of World War One made it clear that the war in Europe would not be over any time soon. The Eastern Front became a meatgrinder, with several Russian armies already decimated in August 1914. Those Estonians who escaped being drafted and sent to the front could still experience terror since many hospitals across the Baltics were actively used for treating wounded soldiers. Needless to say, those hospitals rarely had space beds. (2)
People wounded in the Battle of Warsaw, in the Tartu Estonian Red Cross hospital in the Estonian Students' Society building 1914 (11)
With the war pillaging countless cities and taking the lives of millions of combatants and random citizens caught in the crossfire, people started to doubt the viability of the current state of affairs, once again doubting the feasibility of the emperor's subordinates' decisions. Eventually, the tensions peaked at the beginning of 1917, resulting in the February Revolution. Emperor Nikolas could not save his seat this time and ultimately abdicated, leaving the Russian Constituent Assembly responsible for dealing with internal and foreign affairs (3). Following the collapse of the monarchy, the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia was formed in April. This new entity consisted of the former Governorate Estonia and the northern part of Governorate Livonia, two parts of the Russian Empire, where ethnic Estonians represented most of the local population (4).
Estonian Demonstration in Saint-Petersburg supporting Estonian Autonomy, March 1917 (10)
The Autonomous Governorate had held elections two months after its creation, and the Estonian Provincial Assembly, also known as Maapäev, had been formed. The blueprint of the sovereign state had been made, yet Maapäev was still representing the Governorate of Estonia within Russia. The next step on the path toward independence was to establish an independent governing entity. Luckily, the timing was in favor of Estonia. On November 7, 1917, the Bolsheviks organized a coup in Petrograd (Saint-Petersburg). Nowadays, this event is known as the October Revolution. Little known fact: Estonia had its own Bolshevik revolution. On November 5, the leader of local Bolsheviks, Jaan Anvelt, organized a revolt seizing power in Tallinn (5). The order established by the Bolsheviks acted in Russia's interest, jeopardizing any attempts of the Estonian politicians to form an independent governing body. The Bolsheviks allowed the 1918 Estonian Constituent Assembly elections to take place at the beginning of February 1918 since they expected overwhelming support from local workers. Yet, the majority of the population voted for parties that followed the independence agenda. And, as it usually happens, Communists could not take the L, so the election results were nullified (6).
Boris Kustodiev "The Bolshevik" 1920
Following the turbulence and confusion caused by the Bolsheviks' revolution, Maapäev claimed itself as the sole ruling authority of Estonia on November 28. The politicians were forced to go underground to avoid repression on behalf of the Soviets. Needless to say, the Bolsheviks did not hesitate to use violence and physical elimination of their political opponents as viable tools of the political game. Throughout the Bolshevik's occupation, Maapäev was disbanded. However, certain parts of the Provincial Assembly continued to work. (7)
And while all the mess paralyzed the politics of the former Russian Empire, Germans had no time to waste, as they were advancing rapidly on the Eastern Front. The Western part of Estonia, including the largest islands, was under German occupation starting from October 1917. Demoralized and disorganized remnants of the Russian army could not stop the Teutonic advance. The collapse of the frontline forced the Bolsheviks to evacuate their forces deep into the Russian territory, leaving Tallinn behind. Meanwhile, on February 19, 1918, the Estonian Salvation Committee was created. It consisted of three prominent figures: Konstantin Päts, Jüri Vilms, and Konstantin Konik (7). The Salvation Committee was responsible for drafting and later publicly proclaiming the Declaration of Independence of Estonia.
The Salvation Committee: Konstantin Konik, Konstantin Päts, Jüri Vilms
Initially, the Declaration of Independence was planned to be proclaimed on February 21, but the unstable political environment and the Soviet presence in Tallinn resulted in a delay. The manifesto was printed in Pärnu. Citizens of that city were the first ones to hear the Declaration's content since it was publicly announced on February 23. The very next day, once Bolsheviks retreated from the Estonian capital, the Declaration reached Tallinn, where it was also publicly announced and met with tears of joy by the locals. (8)
German Troops Inspection in Kuresaare, Saaremaa 1918 (10)
This story would have had a happy ending, but we should not forget that all this drama takes place in the middle of World War One. While Estonians managed to resist the initial oppression by the Bolsheviks, the struggle had only just begun. After marching victoriously through the Estonian cities of Haapsalu, Pärnu, Valga, and Tartu, the German forces reached Tallinn on February 25, 1918. They continued their movement towards Petrograd and reached Narva by March 4. According to the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty signed by Soviet Russia, Germany took control over Estonia, marking the beginning of the German occupation that lasted until the end of World War One (9). Just like that, the newly created state marched into the new era as an occupied territory. The struggle was far from being over.
German troops next to Toompea Castle, Tallinn, 25 February 1918 (10)
References:
(1) Toivo U. Raun (1984) The Revolution of 1905 in the Baltic Provinces and Finland. Slavic Review Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 453-467
(2) Tartu 1914–1918 (2014) Retrieved from: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/tartu-1914%E2%80%931918-national-archives-of-eestonia/OwXxovtaVf-mLw?hl=en
(3) IWM (n.d.) What Was The February Revolution?, Retrieved from: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-was-the-february-revolution
(4) Megazine (2017) The 1917 Estonian Settlements’ Unification and Autonomy. Focus: the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Estonia. Retrieved from: https://dea.digar.ee/?a=d&d=AKfocus201706.2.21&e=-------en-25--1--txt-txIN%7ctxTI%7ctxAU%7ctxTA-------------
(5) Jaan Anvelt (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://timenote.info/en/Jaan-Anvelt
(6) Election polls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_Estonian_Constituent_Assembly_election
(7) Estonian Provisional Land Council, or Maapäev (n.d.) Retrieved from:
(8) Kusmin, M. (2024) February 24 — Estonia's Independence Day! Retrieved from: https://www.visitestonia.com/en/why-estonia/independence-day
(9) Treaties of Brest-Litovsk (n.d. 2024)
(10) Exhibition “Keerdkäigud. Eesti iseseisvumine 1917-1920” Retreieved from: https://www.ra.ee/oppematerjal/keerdkaigud-eesti-iseseisvumine-1917-1920/?filters=type=eesti-iseseisvumine
(11) Exhibition "Tartu 1914-1918" by the Estonian National Archive. Retrieved from: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/tartu-1914%E2%80%931918-national-archives-of-eestonia/OwXxovtaVf-mLw?hl=en
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