From the very first days of its existence as a state, Estonia showed tolerance towards all the peoples inhabiting its territories. In 1578 Magnus retired to Rzeczpospolita, and his brother all but gave up the land in Livonia. This wave of investment included Tallinn Airport, Hotell Olmpia, Tallinn TV Tower, Pirita Yachting Centre and Linnahall. In 1631, Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden forced the nobility to grant the peasantry greater autonomy, and in 1632 established a printing press and university in the city of Tartu. The French Revolution provided a powerful motive for the enlightened local upper class to create literature for the peasantry. [49], There were, at the time of Soviet occupation in 1940, approximately 2,000 Estonian Jews. (Before this, Uluots had opposed Estonian mobilization.) In the 11th century the Scandinavians are frequently chronicled as combating the Vikings from the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. In the former case he had been recognised as their sovereign by the Bishopric of selWiek and the Bishopric of Courland, and as their prospective ruler by the authorities of the Bishopric of Dorpat; the Bishopric of Reval with the Harrien-Wierland gentry were on his side; and the Livonian Order conditionally recognised his right of ownership of the principality of Estonia. Large parts of the Baltic countries were controlled by the Russian Empire until the final stages of World War I in 1918, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania gained their sovereignty. [29] The league spearheaded replacement of the parliamentary system with a presidential form of government and laid the groundwork for an April 1934 presidential election, which it expected to win. Of the ten new member states, Estonia was the first to unveil its design. He was killed in 1198 in battle. As the Germans started to retreat on 18 September 1944, Jri Uluots, the last Prime Minister of the Estonian Republic prior to Soviet occupation, assumed the responsibilities of president (as dictated in the Constitution) and appointed a new government while seeking recognition from the Allies. In 1227 the Sword Brethren conquered the last indigenous stronghold on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. The first Constitution of Estonia was adopted on 15 June 1920. The prime minister has full responsibility and control over his cabinet. By 1819, the Baltic provinces were the first in the Russian empire in which serfdom was abolished, the largely autonomous nobility allowing the peasants to own their own land or move to the cities. The abundance of iron artefacts in southern Estonia speaks of closer mainland ties with southern areas, while the islands of western and northern Estonia communicated with their neighbors mainly by sea. Unlike Lithuania, which had crowned a king Middle Ages and therefore identifies its independence from that moment, Estonia had a greater struggle to be recognized as an independent nation and gain sovereignty. The Germans were Lutherans, and so were the vast majority of the Estonian population, but the Germans had full control of the Lutheran churches. History of Latvia - Wikipedia Historians see the lack of any bloodshed after a nearly "700-year German rule" as indication that it must have been mild by comparison. The initial enthusiasm that accompanied the liberation from Soviet occupation quickly waned as a result, and the Germans had limited success in recruiting volunteers. Their emphasis was on the illegal nature of the Soviet system and that hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of Estonia had not ceased to be citizens of the Estonian Republic which still existed de jure, recognized by the majority of Western nations. The new Estonian government fled to Stockholm, Sweden, and operated in exile from 1944 until 1992, when Heinrich Mark, the prime minister of the Estonian government in exile acting as president, presented his credentials to incoming president Lennart Meri. Among others, the Tallinn Military Cemetery had the majority of gravestones from 1918 to 1944 destroyed by the Soviet authorities, and this graveyard became reused by the Red Army. Estonia Flashcards | Quizlet German conquest Meinhard, a monk from Holstein, landed in 1180 on what is now the Latvian coast and for 16 years preached Christianity to the Livs, a Finno-Ugric tribe. Estonia's capital Tallinn is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. [19], The Protestant Reformation in Europe that began in 1517 with Martin Luther (14831546) spread to Estonia in the 1520s. [88] In April 2014, Taavi Rivas of the Reform party became new prime minister. [40] Estonia accepted the ultimatum, and the statehood of Estonia de facto ceased to exist as the Red Army exited from their military bases in Estonia on 17 June. That war would last from 1577 to 1582. History of Estonia Independence Day Announced from the balcony of the Endia Theatre in Parnu, the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia was declared on February 23, 1918. Raun, Toivo U. Estonian Reform Party, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, Social Democratic Party and an independent candidate Indrek Tarand (who gathered the support of 102,460 voters, only 1,046 votes less than the winner of the election) all won one seat each. The oldest iron items were imported, although since the 1st century iron was smelted from local marsh and lake ore. Settlement sites were located mostly in places that offered natural protection. Parliamentary and presidential elections were held on 20 September 1992. Frederick II had trouble continuing the fight against Muscovy unlike Sweden and Poland. The opposition won the 1995 election, but to a large extent continued with the previous governments' policies. In contrast to its later peaceful return to independence in 1991, Estonia's first modern era of sovereignty began with a fifteen-month war (1918-20) against both Russian Bolshevik and Baltic German forces. The Reformation in Estonia was inspired and organized by local and Swedish secular and religious authorities especially after the end of the Livonian War in 1582. [18], Despite local rebellions and Muscovian invasions in 1481 and 1558, the local Low German-speaking upper class continued to rule Estonia. Far-right Conservative People's Party came second with 16,1% and the third was the Centre Party with 15% of the vote. Soviet Union timeline - BBC News When did Estonia gain independence? The first written mention of the Estonian Swedes comes from 1294, in the laws of the town of Haapsalu. It initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the prime minister. After the conquest, all the remaining local pagans of Estonia were ostensibly Christianized. By the end of the period three clearly defined tribal dialectical areasnorthern Estonia, southern Estonia, and western Estonia including the islandshad emerged, the population of each having formed its own understanding of identity. ESTONIA INDEPENDENCE DAY - February 24, 2024 - National Today He defeated in the Electoral Assembly incumbent one-term president Arnold Rtel. Ancient Estonia: pre-history Mesolithic Period Tools made by Kunda culture, the Estonian History Museum [39] Molotov accused the Baltic states of conspiracy against the Soviet Union and delivered an ultimatum to Estonia for the establishment of a government approved of by the Soviets. Consequently, Jews from countries outside the Baltics were shipped there to be exterminated. The Tartu Peace Treaty (February 1920) marked the end of fighting and recognised Estonian independence in perpetuity. [43] In 1979, the European Parliament would condemn "the fact that the occupation of these formerly independent and neutral States by the Soviet Union occurred in 1940 following the Molotov/Ribbentrop pact, and continues," and sought to help restore Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian independence through political means.[44]. While only losing land and trade, Frederick II and Magnus were not faring well. Fortresses were built, although used temporarily. Once the coup finally collapsed, Estonia resumed its efforts to gain international recognition and otherwise reestablish itself as an independent state. After Johan returned to Finland, Erik XIV forbade him to deal with any foreign countries without his consent. The voter turnout in Estonia was one of the lowest of all member countries, at only 26.8%. THE BALTIC STATES 1918-2018 1905-1920: Stirrings of Independence Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians went through a period of national awakening in the second half of the nineteenth century. [89] In October 2016, Estonia's parliament elected Kersti Kaljulaid as the new president of Estonia. The Estonian units saw action defending the Narva line throughout 1944. This electronic "window to the West" afforded Estonians more information on current world affairs and more access to contemporary Western culture and thought than any other group in the Soviet Union. Turnout was 82%, and 64% of all possible voters in the country backed independence, with only 17% against. Estonia was administratively divided between the provinces of Estonia in the north and Livonia in southern Estonia and northern Latvia, a division which persisted until the early 20th century. With the help of the newly converted local tribes of Livs and Letts, the crusaders initiated raids into part of what is present-day Estonia in 1208. It is hard to tell how many people were in the ranks of the Metsavennad; however, it is estimated that at different times there could have been about 30,00035,000 people. She was the first female prime minister of Estonia. [97] However, independence was short-lived. Church services were now given in the local vernacular, instead of Latin, and the first book was printed in Estonian.[21]. They were known to the Scandinavians as experts in wind-magic, as were the Lapps (known at the time as Finns) in the North. In the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918) and the Russian revolutions of 1917, Estonians declared their independence in February 1918. In 1598 Polish Livonia was divided into: During 158283 southern Estonia (Livonia) became part of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth. [80] On 13 July 2010, Estonia received the final approval from the ECOFIN to adopt the euro as from 1 January 2011. Batory replied with a series of three offensives against Muscovy, trying to cut the Kingdom of Livonia from Muscovian territories. Varbola Stronghold was one of the largest circular rampart fortresses and trading centers built in Estonia, Harju County (Latin: Harria) at the time. [79] On 8 June 2010, the EU finance ministers agreed that Estonia would be able to join the euro on 1 January 2011. Other political movements, groupings and parties moved to fill the power vacuum. Is living in Estonia safe? However, the Vaps Movement was thwarted by a pre-emptive coup d'tat on 12 March 1934, by Head of State Konstantin Pts, who then established his own authoritarian rule until a new constitution came to force. They themselves used the expression aibofolke ("island people"), and called their homeland Aiboland. A Soviet Estonian government was established on November 29, 1918. [9], Ptolemy in his Geography III in the middle of the 2nd century CE mentions the Osilians among other dwellers on the Baltic shore. After Magnus von Lyffland died in 1583, Poland invaded his territories in the Duchy of Courland and Frederick II decided to sell his rights of inheritance. Estonia as a unified political entity first emerged after the Russian February Revolution of 1917. By the 13th century the following major counties had developed in Estonia: Saaremaa (Osilia), Lnemaa (Rotalia or Maritima), Harjumaa (Harria), Rvala (Revalia), Virumaa (Vironia), Jrvamaa (Jervia), Sakala (Saccala), and Ugandi (Ugaunia).[14]. The latter two merged soon after, so Mart Laar's second government is widely known as Kolmikliit, or the Tripartite coalition. The 1999 Parliamentary election, with a 5% threshold and no electoral cartel allowed, resulted in a disaster for the Coalition Party, which achieved only seven seats together with two of its smaller allies. A 70-member standing committee (Eesti Komitee) was elected with Tunne Kelam as its chairman. [45] Other cemeteries destroyed by the authorities during the Soviet era in Estonia include Baltic German cemeteries established in 1774 (Kopli cemetery, Migu cemetery) and the oldest cemetery in Tallinn, from the 16th century, Kalamaja cemetery. The text of the statement was in Estonian and only a few paragraphs in length.[61]. (Self-government gained from the United Kingdom in 1964; independence gained on 10 July 1973) 1718-1973: Part of the British Empire as its West Indies 1492-1718: Part of the Spanish Empire In the aftermath of World War I (1914-1918) and the Russian revolutions of 1917, Estonians declared their independence in February 1918. In 1217 the German crusading order the Sword Brethren and their recently converted allies won a major battle in which the Estonian commander Lembitu was killed. Estonia celebrates the restoration of independence - Estonian World Estonia became a part of the German-occupied "Ostland". One of the three Baltic states (with Latvia and Lithuania) located in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, Estonia had been under foreign rulenotably by Germany, Sweden, and Russia for much of its existence until it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Statistics on Jewish citizens were compiled. The Moderates joined with the People's Party on 27 November 1999, forming the People's Party Moderates. For example, choral societies offered a secular alternative to church music.[23]. The parish consisted of several villages.