Estonian History Estonian History Links For a more detailed chronology, including comments from historians and journalists on different eras in Baltic history last century, see 20th Century Timeline. 400 Million Years Ago Estonias a balmy, equatorial land. Continental plates inch from the tropics to its current locale. 9000 B.C. Glaciers recede north. As they do, boulders laced in the melting ice tumble to the ground, accounting for the many large rocks across the land today. 3000 B.C. Estonian ancestors settle along the Baltic coast. 800-1100 A.D. Raids and counter-raids by Vikings around the Baltic Sea, including by Estonian Vikings. Estonians kidnap Norwegian Queen Astrid and her son, future King Olaf Trygvessonsell them into slavery. Estonians destroy Swedens main town, Sigtuna. 1219 Danes take North Estonia; first foreign occupation. 1227 Riga-based German crusaders conquer and Christianize pagan Estonia; the Germans become landed gentry and wield huge influence for 700 years.

1346 Fed up with constant rebellions by natives, Danes sell northern Estonia to the German Teutonic Order for 19,000 silver marks. The Teutonic Order then sells the territory to the German Livonian Order a year laterfor a 1,000 mark profit. 1400 Tallinns population is 4,000. Estonians make up 40 percent, Germans 30 percent; Swedes, Finns, Danes and Russians are also here. The main languages are Estonian and German; clergy and scholars use Latin. 1523 Reformation; Estonian first used in liturgy. First Estonian book appears in 1525. 1561 Swedes conquer Estonia, repel Russians. Social reforms; Tartu University founded in 1632. 1710 Russia conquers Estonia, though Germans retain local control. The battle with Sweden causes 80 percent of the 100,000 Tallinn population to diemainly by starvation and the plague. 1816 Age-old system of serfdom is abolished.

1860-1885 Growing national consciousnessfollowed by a Czarist backlash. 1870 Petersburg-Tallinn railway finished; Tallinn becomes a major Russian Empire port. Tallinns population grows from 30,000 to over 100,000 in coming decades. 1905 Poor peasants vent their anger at Czarist police and Baltic Germans, who own more than half the land in Estonia. 1918 Estonians had been pushing mainly for greater autonomy within what they hoped would be a democratically-oriented Russian Empire. But after Soviet Russias heavy-handedness, they declare independence. Estonian forces beat back German and Soviet militaries. Theyre aided at critical points by Great Britain. 1920 Against all odds, Estonia wins independence. Amid post-war economic misery and destruction, land is taken from German nobility and redistributed to the poor. 1935 Estonia becomes increasingly frantic about the threat from Soviet Russia to the east and Nazi Germany to the west. In the meantime, Estonia prospers, with GDP reaching or surpassing Nordic levels.

1939 Hitler and Stalin carve up Europe, with the Baltics said to be the Soviet sphere. Before, the Baltics were able to play Germany and Russia off each other, but theyre now virtually within the clutches of Russiawith Germanys acquiescence. 1940 As Germany invades France, the U.S.S.R. grabs Estonia. 1941 June 14 First mass deportations by Stalinist forces, targeting the cream of society. Others dragged out of detention cells and shot. 1941 Germany occupies Estonia. Most of some 4,000 Estonian Jews flee to Russia, though some 1000 who do not are killed. According to German plans, Estonia would be repopulated with Germans and converted into a new Third Reich state stretching as far as Petersburg. 1944 Soviet occupation again; thousands flee West, others head to the forests to resist. Some anti-Soviet forest partisans engage Soviet troops in battle. 1949 More mass deportations to Siberia.

1970s The beginning of the Stagnation Era under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev; rampant shortages and rule by jowly, gray-faced men. It was, says historian Anatol Lieven, an era of faceless bureaucrats playing an endless game of musical chairs, moving from the directorship of one department or factory to another. 1987 First open protests against Soviet rule. 1988 Estonian Soviet legislature declares sovereignty. The independence drive begins in earnest; its dubbed the Singing Revolution because rallies are peaceful and usually accompanied by singing. 1990 Soviet Estonian legislature declares a transition to independence. 1991 In January, Soviets crackdown on Baltics. August 1991 A coup in the Kremlin unravels as quickly as it began. Two days before, it looked like the absolute worst was about to happen. But suddenly, with Moscows authority having collapsed, the impossible dream of restoring independence comes true literally overnight. March 29, 2004 Estonia is accepted into NATO. It's the first time in its history to join a military alliance voluntarily. May 1, 2004 Estonia joins the European Union.

Estonica.org - Estonian War of Independence Estonian War of Independence more ​When the German troops were leaving Estonia in late 1918, Soviet Russia wanted to invade Estonia and establish Bolshevist power. On 28 November 1918 the Red Army started an offensive to the border town Narva and thus began the armed conflict between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Estonia. The conflict is known as the Estonian War of Independence and it lasted until February 1920. In addition to fighting against Soviet Russia, the War of Independence included two short-lived and smaller-scale armed conflicts in Latvia – battles with the Landeswehr (summer 1919) and the troops of the White Russian general Bermondt (October 1919). ​The Red Army attack starting at the end of 1918 hit Estonia in an extremely difficult situation. The administration and army of the young republic were only then being formed, and had very little experience. The army lacked sufficient weapons and equipment. Food and money were scarce, the towns were in danger of starvation. Although the majority of population did not support the Bolsheviks, their faith in the survival of national statehood was not high.

People did not believe that the Republic of Estonia would be able to resist the attacks of the Red Army. The British Fleet ​The Estonian government nevertheless decided to oppose the Bolshevist aggression, hoping for help from the Western countries (i.e. the former Russian allies in World War I) and Finland. They were not let down – in December 1918, the British Royal Navy arrived in Estonia with a cargo of weapons; Finland also sent weapons and in January 1919 about 4000 volunteers came too. External help was essential, but it would have been insufficient without Estonia’s own decisive steps. Active organisational work was conducted, and new army units were formed. On 23 December 1918, the energetic colonel Johan Laidoner was appointed Commander in Chief. At the first opportunity he planned a counter-attack and forced the Red Army out of Estonia. ​The start of the war was not successful for Estonia, because the enemy attack could not be resisted. On 29 November 1918, the Estonian Workers’ Commune , a formally independent Soviet Estonian republic, was declared in occupied Narva.

This was essentially a Soviet Russian puppet state, established in order to present the events in Estonia as a civil war. At the same time the underground communist agitators continued their subversive activity throughout the War of Independence in the Estonian rear and in the army. Members of the Estonian People’s Army in trenches The militarily more numerous Red Army managed to conquer about half of mainland Estonia the early January 1919. Only about 30 km separated them from the capital, Tallinn. However, things suddenly changed – on 7 January the now rearranged Estonian troops (15,000 men), together with the Finnish volunteers (at that time 500 men), began a counteroffensive. In about three weeks the entire Estonian territory was liberated from the Bolsheviks. A significant role was played by the volunteer units, e.g. the highly motivated armoured train crews, and the battalion of Julius Kuperjanov .​ ​Forcing the enemy out of the country increased faith in the authority of the state, and enabled another mobilisation that was crucial in continuing to fight the much bigger Red Army.

In May the Estonian troops contained about 75,000 men, by the end of the year the number had increased to 90,000. Besides Estonians, local Baltic Germans and Russians also fought in the War of Independence against Soviet Russia. Another key factor in continuing successful warfare was the foodstuffs, military equipment and weapons provided by Great Britain and the USA in 1919. The underground communist propaganda was seriously undermined by the revelations about mass murders committed by the Bolsheviks (among others, they had killed the Estonian Orthodox bishop Platon in Tartu). ​In February 1919 the Estonian government and army command set an aim to push the front as far from Estonia’s borders as possible. For that purpose they hoped that the Russian Whites would come to power in north-western Russia and the local nationalists in Latvia. In that region, the Russian Whites had formed the Northern Corps (later North-Western Army ). In February, in accordance with the Latvian government, Latvian troops were formed in Estonia. The repeated attempts by the Estonian army to push the warfare to Russia and Latvia failed until May 1919.

At the same time the Red Army considerably supplemented its forces against Estonia (between February and May, 6-8 percent of the Red Army forces or about 80,000 men were active), and carried out offensives, which were not successful either. Elections of the Constituent Assembly ​On 23 April 1919 the Estonian Constituent Assembly gathered in Tallinn. Its greatest achievement was the adoption of the constitution and land legislation. On the basis of the latter, a radical land reform was carried out in 1920, mainly aiming to nationalise the lands of the German manor lords and distributing land to the peasants, especially those who took part in the War of Independence. ​To a certain degree, the radical character of the land act was influenced by the so-called Landeswehr war waged in June and July 1919. In the course of that war, the Estonian troops defeated the German army group based in Latvia and headed by Major-General Rüdiger von der Goltz, which consisted of many representatives of the Baltic German nobility from Latvia and Estonia.

As a result of Landeswehr’s defeat, the government of Kārlis Ulmanis came to power in Latvia, and Estonia now enjoyed having a friendly neighbour in the south. As eastern Latvia was still occupied by the Red Army and the army of the Latvian Republic needed some organisation, the Estonian military command partly undertook the protection of the front there (until December 1919). Participants in the War of Independence ​The first turnaround in the War of Independence was the general offensive of the Estonian troops in January 1919, and pushing the front out of Estonia in May 1919 was the second. This considerably reduced the danger of another Bolshevist invasion. In the middle of May, the Estonian troops together with the Northern Corps started an offensive towards Petrograd, and conquered a large territory east of Lake Peipsi; in August, however, the troops retreated in order to protect the Estonia’s borders. ​The Bolsheviks decided to make peace with Estonia and thus exclude it from among the enemies of Soviet Russia. In August Moscow officially offered peace to Estonia.

The Estonian politicians and the higher military were divided into two in this matter, trying to work out whose victory in the Russian civil war (Whites or Reds) would be more advantageous for Estonia. The majority thought that the Whites who were reluctant to recognised Estonian independence, constituted a bigger threat. In autumn 1919 it was realised that the Russian Whites were about to lose, so the only chance of getting the economically struggling Estonia out of the gruelling war was to make peace with the Bolsheviks. Another factor supporting this decision was that throughout 1919 the Republic of Estonia had failed to get de jure recognition from the Western countries. Signing the Tartu Peace Treaty ​Peace talks with Soviet Russia started on 5 December 1919 in Tartu. The simultaneous offensive of the Red Army aiming to influence the talks, did not produce the desired effect. An armistice was announced on 3 January 1920. On 2 February the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed – the Republic of Estonia and the Soviet Russia recognised each other, declared the end of the war and determined the post-war cooperation plans.

​The War of Independence cost the Estonian troops about 2300 men, about 13,800 were wounded (including about 300 killed and 800 wounded in the Landeswehr war), plus the losses of the foreign volunteers and the allied forces. Latvian history Latvian History Links For a more detailed chronology, including comments from historians and journalists on different eras in Baltic history last century, see CITY PAPER's 20th Century Timeline. 400 Million Years Ago The land that is Latvia today is located near the equator�before continental plates drift north. 10, 000 B.C. Glaciers that had been covering the entire region begin receding north, making human habitation possible. 2000 B.C. Latvian ancestors settle on the Baltic coast. Couronians, Latgallians, Semgallians and Finno-Ugric Livs later assimilate to become Latvians. 1190 The first Christian missionaries persuade some Latvians to convert. But as soon as the Germans left, the Latvians, by one account, jumped into the river to wash off their baptism.

Soon, Latvians again submitted�then again renounced Christianity. Germans succeeded in converting Latvians for good 20 years later. 1201 A.D. A defining point in Latvian history: At the Popes behest, German crusaders, led by Bishop Albert von Buxhoevden of Bremen, conquer Latvia; Riga is founded and becomes a bridgehead for further German conquests in the Baltics. German domination continues for 700 years. 1282 Riga joins the Hanseatic League, Europes powerful trading bloc. 1561 Southern Latvia is conquered by Poland; Catholicism becomes entrenched. 1629 Part of Latvia, including Riga, is conquered by Sweden, which enacts social reforms. Latvians now refer to this era as the good Swedish times. Riga becomes the biggest city in Swedens Kingdom. 1640s Latvian Duke Jacob funds an expedition colonizing the Caribbeans Tobago in the 1600s; 2000 Latvians settled there. 1710 Latvia falls to Russia; Polish-ruled Latvia ceded to Russia 80 years later.

Germans regain privileges lost under Swedes. 1812 In a defensive maneuver, fearing an attack by Napoleon, officials order that Riga suburbs be burned down. 1816 Age-old system of serfdom is abolished. 1860-1885 National consciousness among Latvians increases. Russification policies follow. 1905 Poor peasants vent their anger at land-owning Baltic Germans; Latvian rioters kill 600 people, including 100 German nobles. Czarist police quell the violence, and deport thousands who took part. 1918 Latvians had been pushing mainly for autonomy within what they hoped would be a democratically-oriented Russia. But after Soviet heavy-handedness, they declare independence. Latvians beat back German and Soviet militaries. Theyre aided by Great Britain; Estonians also help. 1920 Against all odds, Latvia wins independence. Amid post-war economic misery and destruction, land is taken from German nobility and redistributed to the poor. 1921-1940 Latvia prospers, becoming a major exporter of agricultural goods. Riga becomes a favorite meeting place for Western and Soviet spies.

1939 Hitler and Stalin carve up Europe, with the Baltics said to be in the Soviet sphere. Before, the Baltics were able to play Germany and Russia off each other, but theyre now virtually within the clutches of Russia-with Germanys acquiescence. 1940 As Nazis grab France, Soviets occupy Latvia. Deportations begin. 1941 First mass deportations by Stalinist forces, targeting the cream of society. Others dragged out of detention cells and shot. Later in the year, Nazi Germany occupies Latvia; Latvian Jews are massacred-including some 25,000 in two days outside Riga, at Rumbula. 1944 Soviets occupy Latvia again. Thousands, including over 2/3 of the nations intellectuals, flee to the West. 1949 Another wave of deportations. Between 1940-49, Latvia loses 35 percent of its population to war, deportation, exile and mass murder. 1987 First open protests against Soviet rule. 1990 Soviet Latvian legislature declares a transition to independence. 1991 In January, Soviets crackdown on the Baltics.

August 1991 A coup in the Kremlin unravels as quickly as it began. Two days before, it looked like the absolute worst was about to happen. But suddenly, with Moscows authority having collapsed, the impossible dream of restoring independence comes true. 1999 Latvia swears in its first woman president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga. Ancient legend had it that the nation would prosper once a woman ruled; annual growth jumps from around 0 to over 5 percent. 2001 History of Tallinn > Tallinn Explore tourist attractions of Tallinn Old Town Tallinn Before Written Sources It is not easy to determine the beginning of Tallinn history. The location probably attracted attention as a suitable port area long before first written sources mention a settlement there, but all historians have is archaeological data. The first traces of settlement in the territory of today’s Tallinn come from the Härjapea river basin at Keldrimäe but those cannot be directly linked to the city. The early history of Tallinn begins from suburban Iru, where a castle together with a nearby settlement was built in the end of the first millennium.

The castle was abandoned for unknown reasons in the end of the 11th century and Lindanise (Kolyvan in Russian sources) castle was built some time later on the today’s Toompea hill—this was basically the centre of the ancient Rävala county (hence the German name for Tallinn: Reval). The castle was most probably only to offer refuge in case of enemy attacks and included no permanent settlement in the 13th century. The trade route in the Gulf of Finland became more widely used during the 9th and 10th century and thereby increased the importance of the Tallinn port site. There might have been seasonal settlements of Scandinavian and Russian merchants at the location of today’s lower town in the beginning of the 2nd millennium but there is no clear evidence neither form archaeological nor written sources. Tallinn under King of Denmark and German Order First reliable data about Tallinn date back to the Chronicle of Latvian Henrik. The Chronicle describes the Danish fleet led by King Valdemar II land near Lindanise castle in June 1219.

The Danish landing was part of German-Scandinavian colonisation of Livonia and Estonia in the course of which the German crusaders invaded Latvian and Southern and Central Estonian territories, as well as Saaremaa, and the King of Denmark invaded Northern Estonia. According to the Chronicle there was a battle at the location of future Tallinn on June 15, 1219 where the Danes got a difficult victory. The legend says that the battle luck turned its face to the Danes after a red flag with a white cross fell from the sky—the Danneborg, the state flag of Denmark today. The Danes established their stone castle on Toompea, and Lund head bishop Andreas Sunesen became the first regent of Denmark in Tallinn. From 1227 to 1238 Tallinn and Northern Estonia were governed by the Order of the Brotherhood of the Swords who had temporarily gained power from the Danes. There must have already been a small settlement at the bottom of the castle at that time. Around 1230 German merchants invited by the Brotherhood of the Swords arrived to Tallinn from Gothland.

This arrival is considered an important event in the making of the body of residents in Tallinn. Tallinn together with the Northern part of Estonia was returned to the Danish crown by the Stensby Treaty, the deal being mediated by the legate of the Pope Guillelmus of Modena. Ten years later, on May 15, 1248, King of Denmark Erik IV Adraraha gave Tallinn the Lübeck Rights that bound Tallinn to common legal space with medieval German merchant towns. The letter of rights also mentions representatives of Town Council which proves that the lower town must have had some kind of a local government at that time. Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League at the end of the 13th century, and during the next couple of hundred years performed an important role in relations of the Hanseates with the merchants of Russia, especially Novgorod. Tallinn land master changed in the middle of the 14th century. Forced by difficulties in internal policy and lack of money, King of Denmark decided to sell his Northern Estonian lands together with Tallinn to the German Order. After years of preparation the deal was finalised in 1346.

The next year, in 1347, the Order granted the right of government of these territories to its Livonian branch. Tallinn became an Order town that primarily meant a change of power at Toompea. Instead of the regent of Denmark Tallinn was now governed by a comptoir of the German Order. Master Goswin von Herike of the Livonian Branch of the German Order adopted the early privileges of Tallinn already on November 4, 1346, and life in town continued the way it had always been. The town was governed by the Town Council elected from the most influential and richest residents, mostly merchants (Town Council chose its members). At first only half of the representatives in the Town Council dealt with town matters, they were called the sitting Town Council (sitzender Rat), the other half was called the old Town Council (alter Rat). After a year the roles changed. As being a representative in the Town Council was a position of honour, then they needed a year off to deal with their businesses.

From the middle of the 15th century till the end of its existence, the Town Council usually comprised of 4 burgermeisters, 14 representatives of the Town Council and 1 town lawyer. The members of the Town Council were now working on permanent basis, not in shifts. Merchants and representatives of the most profitable crafts were mostly Germans, generally from Westfahl and Rheinland, and at least half of the townsfolk were Estonian, who are sometimes mentioned as town residents in the 14-15th century (there is no data about the 13th century). In the end of the middle ages town residency was restricted for Estonians, mainly because of the high resident fee. As the town needed working hands, then country folks migrated to town which in turn lead to conflicts between landowners in town and of the nearby areas. The number of inhabitants grew as trade grew and the town developed. As the estimated number of inhabitants in Tallinn in the middle of the 14th century was less than 1000 people, then in late middle ages the population of Tallinn was already 6000-7000.

Buildings-wise, the town of the 13th century cannot be compared to the town in the late middle ages. The initial fortifications only comprised a small area around the today’s Town Hall Square. The zone at that time did not include either the Dominican Convent between the today’s Vene and Müürivahe Streets or the Cisterian Convent near today’s Kloostri Street. The town wall circle in its later form was established in the 14th century and the major boom of town construction (that gave the main buildings their medieval exteriors that are partly preserved even today) spread in Tallinn only in the 15th century. The new Town Hall was completed in 1404, the Great Guild building in 1410 and the Olavi Guild building in 1422. The Great Fire burst out in the lower town in 1433, and this meant a new wave of construction. The establishment of hill fortifications in front of the town wall was began in the 16th century. Trade in Tallinn was based on privileges received already during the 13th century.

Tallinn got the coining right in 1265 and the warehousing right in 1346, this meant that no merchandise could be transited through the town without using the local merchants as intermediators. Hence, the residents of Tallinn got a significant portion of the trade between Western Europe and Novgorod. The role of Tallinn in the trade and politics of the Eastern Baltic grew even more after the town of Visby was destroyed by Denmark in 1361. The high time of Tallinn as a medieval Hanseatic town was the 15th century. The closing of the Novgorod Hanseatic office in 1494 affected trade in Tallinn negatively but the town managed to liven trade up in the middle and end of the 16th century. The biggest merchants in Tallinn were members of the Great Guild, younger single merchants belonged to the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, representatives of more honourable handicraft skills to the Kanuti Guild, representatives of simpler handicraft skills to the Olavi Guild. Additionally there were several religious-social associations in Tallinn.

Sources mention the brotherhoods of Holy Flesh, Gertrud, Hiob, 10 000 Knights, Antonius, Victor, Rochus, Michael. Mary Guild and Anna Brotherhood were active at Toompea. All the most significant clerical establishments were founded in the 13th century: Niguliste Church was established in 1230, Oleviste Church is mentioned for the first time in 1267, the Dominicans moved to lower town from Toompea in the end of 1240-s and started to build out St. Cathrine Convent, the Cisterian Mihkli Nunnery was established in the middle of the century. Tallinn Bishop residing at Toompea governed the whole Northern Estonia, clerically he was under the reign of Lund Head Bishop. Dome School was active at Toompea probably already during the 13th century, first written records of the school date back to the beginning of the 14th century. There was a school at the Dominican Convent at the same time, from the beginning of the 15th century also at Oleviste Church.

The near to town leprosorium or Jaani hospital is first mentioned in 1237. It is probable that the Holy Ghost hospital together with a chapel existed in some form already in the 13th century, although written sources mention the Holy Ghost hospital only in the beginning of the 14th century. In the beginning of the 15th century St. Brigit Nunnery was established East of the town (Pirita Nunnery); today its ruins are known as a magnificent sample of Tallinn medieval architecture. First Lutheran preachers came to Tallinn in the beginning of 1520-s and in the autumn of 1524 plebs ransacked Oleviste and Holy Ghost Churches and Dominican St. Cathrine Church. The Town Council tried to constrain the spontaneous spoliation and obtain control over money matters of churches. The Dominican Convent was dissolved in January 1525. Little by little church life was reorganized according to ideas carried by reformation.

The Town Council had already before a good overview of the finances of churches through its secular wardens but now it was decided to form a so-called common treasury (Gemeine Kasten)—to function as a centralized fund for social welfare and source of pay for churchwardens. Lutheran church was step by step introduced starting from the second quarter of the 16th century. A library was founded at Oleviste Church in 1552 that became the first public library in Tallinn. Tallinn Under Swedish Crown Russia, Sweden, Poland and Denmark battled for superiority in the Northern part of the Baltic Sea in the Livonian War of 1558-1583. Territory of Estonia was one of the main battle grounds. Scared of the Russian troops Tallinn town and Harju-Viru knighthood retreated to the Swedish Crown in 1561; this subordinance lasted for the following century and a half. Russian troops tried to siege Tallinn twice—1570-1571 and 1577—but were forced to retreat without conquering the town.

It was during the Swedish era that Tallinn became the centre of a new administrative unit—the Estonian government. The crown validated the historic privileges of Tallinn, which first and foremost meant that the town maintained its local government (at least formally) and continued to use the Lübeck Rights. Compared to the middle ages the importance of Tallinn was decreasing. The general decline of Hansa trade decreased the wealth and independence of the town, the centralized power in Sweden tried to curtail the independence of the Town Council. The part of the town surrounded by the Town Wall was not significantly damaged in the war, it was mostly the outskirts that were destroyed, and even that under the orders of the Town Council to defend the town. The big plague epidemic ravaged the town in 1602-1603, the Great Fire of 1684 destroyed most of the buildings at Toompea. Only Dome Church and a small stone house nearby were more or less unharmed.

The development of education generally characteristic to the Swedish era influenced Tallinn as well: a gymnasium was established at the Cisterian nunnery that had finally been dismissed some years earlier—today it is known as Gustav Adolf Gymnasium (Tallinn Secondary School No. 1 in the Soviet times)—and a printing house in 1633. The gymnasium printing house played a significant role in publishing the work of local literates and books in Estonian language. The gymnasium also had a rich library but most of its funds have been lost. Tallinn under Russian State The Northern War devastated the Baltic Sea area from 1700 to 1721. The main adversaries were Sweden and Russia who battled for superiority in the territory. In 1710 Tallinn capitulated without fight to the Russian troops. The town suffered from shortage of everything, most of the garrison and many town people had died of plague. If there were 10 000 residents in Tallinn in 1708 then after the events of 1710 only about 2000 had survived.

Tallinn population exceeded 10 000 again only in the 1780-s. According to the capitulation agreement of 1710 Tallinn maintained most of its earlier privileges. The Town Council remained in power, the Lübeck Rights remained in force and the administrative language continued to be German. The 1783 ukase of Cathrine II established new governing order in Estonia and Livonia (the so-called regency) that extended the Russian system of government establishments also to Tallinn. The Town Council maintained only its court function, the town government of six members was elected by the general town duma. The old order of governing was restated with the 1796 restitution ukase by Paul I. In the 19th century the Russian emperor little by little limited the mandate of the Town Council. For instance, starting from 1819 the Town Council did not control the town police any more. An Alexander II ukase established the 1870 General Russian Town Law in the Baltic towns on March 26, 1877.

The City Council (duma) that was elected for four years became the local government who elected the city government (uprava) that comprised of four advisers. The city council elected a mayor who was approved by the central government. The legality of the city government decisions was controlled by the governor. The term “town resident” lost its former meaning, all the subordinates to the Russian state were allowed to vote. The new town law also abolished the administrative separation of Toompea and the lower town. For now the Town Council continued to operate as a court institution, after a while even that function was cancelled, and it was dismissed once and for all in 1889. After integrating Tallinn to the Russian empire Peter the Great ordered a port to be built in Tallinn. The first bigger industrial company in Tallinn was the Admiralty manufactory at the Old City Harbour built in 1714-1722. A paper factory, a match factory and a machinery manufacturing plant were established in the second half of the 19th century. The Baltic rail road opened in 1870 connected Tallinn to St.

Petersburg and other parts of the Czarist Russia, this livened trade relations considerably. Machinery manufacturing and the pulp and paper industry developed. Production of the Luther Plywood and Furniture Factory established in 1877 was valued even in the Western Europe, especially in England. In 1877 tram traffic began in Tallinn. Military industry boomed directly before WW I, the Bekkeri, Russian-Baltic and Peter military ship yards were established. Additionally, other public buildings were built: Tallinn German Theatre (Estonian Drama Theatre today) was finished in 1910, “Estonia” association building (later Estonia Theatre) in 1913. In the second half of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century suburban Nõmme and Merivälja started to shape up. Tallinn Develops into Estonian Town. Tallinn as Capital of the Republic of Estonia in 1918-1940 The valuation of Estonian ethnicity started in the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries. The level of education and the economic standing of Estonians had improved.

Estonian literates participated in the fight for local power mainly with the help of the newspaper “Teataja”. The 1904 elections were won by an Estonian-Russian block of 5 Russians and 38 Estonians. The first Estonian mayor—Voldemar Lender—was elected in 1906. Several changes took place in governing of Tallinn in the end of WW I. In 1917 the city council and city government elected in accordance with the Temporary Government town laws were in power for a short period, and were in essence Bolshevist. The city council was dismissed by the Tallinn Workers and Military Deputies Soviet resolution of January 31, 1918, and the Soviet assumed the functions of the council. On February 24, 1918 Estonia took advantage of the weakening Bolsheviks and proclaimed independence; already the next day German troops occupied Estonia. Local town government was restored after Germany capitulated in the WW I. The first city council elected during the Republic of Estonia assembled on June 16, 1919.

As said before, Tallinn population began to grow hand in hand with the development of industry in the 2nd half of the 19th century. If in 1881 Tallinn had almost 44 000 inhabitants, then in 1917 the population was almost 160 000. The population decreased by about a third due to the WW I and the events concurring with it. There were 145 000 inhabitants in Tallinn in 1939. Compared to the industrial boom prior to WW I caused by mainly the increase of military industry and the large Russian market, the industrial output of Tallinn decreased considerably after Estonia’s independence, and grew only by the end of 1930-s. Tallinn Teachers Seminar (Tallinn Pedagogical Institute from 1952 to 1992, since 1992 Tallinn Pedagogical University) was established in 1919 and Tallinn Conservatoire that first operated under the name Tallinn Higher Music School (since 1993 Tallinn Music Academy).

Tallinn Technical School (Tallinn Polytechnical Institute from 1944 to 1989, since 1989 Tallinn Technical University) grew out of an Estonian Technical Association special course. Tallinn Applied Art School founded in 1914 continued to operate as State Applied Art School (Estonian SSR State Art Institute in the Soviet times, now Estonian Academy of Arts). Tallinn from Soviet Occupation till Estonia Regains Independence The Soviet occupation in the summer of 1940 interrupted the activities of the then Tallinn local government; according to the new laws the local authorities were workers soviets and executive committees. In the course of the WW II on August 28, 1941 German troops occupied Tallinn. The occupational power imposed a new administrative order that defined Tallinn as a separate territory governed by a German commissioner in the area. The city government structure remained mostly the same as during the time of independence. In the night of March 9th to March 10th Tallinn was bombed by the Soviet army—more than 500 civilians were killed and 5073 buildings destroyed or damaged.

Damages and victims were also brought upon by the war activities of 1941-1943. Yet, most of the valuable Old Town of Tallinn was preserved, only Harju Street and Niguliste Church were seriously damaged. The Soviet army occupied Tallinn again on September 23, 1944, and the Tallinn Workers Soviets Executive Committee started its work again. In the first sitting the Soviet elected on December 10, 1989 renamed itself Tallinn City Council, and the Executive Committee became City Government. The first local elections after Estonia’s regained independence in 1991 were hold on October 17, 1993. In the Soviet times Tallinn was divided into Mere, Lenin, October and Kalinin districts that were renamed, after regaining the independence, into East, South, West and North districts correspondingly. Since 1993 Tallinn is divided into Haabersti, City Centre, Kristiine, Lasnamäe, Mustamäe, Nõmme, Pirita and North Tallinn city districts.

The population of Tallinn decreased in the first half of 1940-s mainly due to the events of the WW II (war losses, emigration to West). By 1939 the city population had decreased from 145 000 to 127 000. The number of residents began to rise quickly mostly due to increase of unemployment on account of foreign workers brought in from other parts of the Soviet Union. There were 267 000 inhabitants in Tallinn in 1956 and 408 500 in 1976. Due to the increase in population and the industrial boom the town desperately needed new dwellings. The construction of Mustamäe living area was started in the beginning of 1960-s followed by õismäe and Lasnamäe. Tallinn hosted the Olympic Regatta in 1980. For this event new beach facilities and the Olympic Yachting Centre were built, as well as hotel Olympia, the TV-tower, the new airport building and Linnahall. The National Library of Estonia at Tõnismäe was finished in 1992.

Industry boomed significantly in Tallinn during the Soviet times—machinery construction and electro-technical companies were established and most of their production went to the Soviet military industry. Consumer goods and food industry boomed as well (clothing factories “Baltika”, “Marat”, “Klementi”, plastic production factory “Norma”, footwear factory “Kommunaar”, sweet factory “Kalev” etc.). Estonia regaining its independence brought upon significant changes in most of the important sectors of city life. Tallinn became the capital of the newly independent Republic of Estonia. The population of Tallinn decreased during the first years of independence, mostly due to non-Estonians leaving. If the population of Tallinn in the end of 1980-s was c 480 000, then in 1995 it was only 434 800. Some of the Soviet times industrial enterprises have reorganised and continued to operate, at a lesser volume, as private companies also after Estonia regained independence. New secondary schools and universities have emerged, especially private schools of law and economics.

Last updated: 25.06.2014 A Brief History of Estonia A BRIEF HISTORY OF ESTONIA By Tim Lambert EARLY ESTONIA The Estonians are a Finno-Ugrian people related to the Finns. A first century Roman writer named Tacitus mentioned the Estonians. He called them the Aesti. Amber was exported from Estonia to other parts of Europe. However for centuries the tribes of Estonia had little contact with Western civilization. They traded with the Vikings. In the 11th and 12th centuries the Estonians fought the Russians several times and they remained unconquered. Then in the 13th century the Germans conquered Estonia. German monks had tried to convert the pagans of the Baltic to Christianity with little success. They then decided to use force to 'convert' the pagans of Estonia. In 1202 Albert von Buxhoerden the bishop of Riga founded an order of crusading knights called the Knights of the Sword to subdue the pagans. In 1208 they invaded Estonia. Lemitu led the Estonians but he was killed in battle in 1217. The Germans then captured southern Estonia.

Then Albert made an agreement with the Danes. In 1219 the Danes invaded northern Estonia. They built a fort, which the Estonians called Taani Linn (Danish town). By 1227 the whole of Estonia had been conquered. In 1237 the Knights of the Sword were absorbed into another crusading order, the Teutonic Knights. In the 13th century Estonia was split in two. The Teutonic knights ruled southern Estonia while the Danes ruled the north. Germanic people became the ruling class in Estonia. They remained the upper class until the 20th century. However the Estonians did not accept the situation. In 1343-1346 they rebelled in the St George's Night Uprising. However the rebellion was crushed. In the 16th century both Sweden and Russia coveted Estonia. In 1558 the Russians invaded Estonia. However the Swedes captured Tallinn in 1561 to forestall the Russians. The Swedes and the Russians then fought a long and terrible war over Estonia. The Swedes finally drove out the Russians in 1582. However when the war ended Estonia recovered.

For a time Estonia prospered under Swedish rule. Tartu University was founded in 1632. However in 1695-97 Estonia was struck by famine, which killed many of its people. In 1710 plague struck Tallinn and tens of thousands of people died. Moreover Sweden and Russia fought another war, the Great Northern War at the beginning of the 18th century. When the war ended in 1721 the Swedes ceded Estonia to the Russians. MODERN ESTONIA In 1816 serfdom was abolished in Estonia. During the 19th century nationalism was a growing force in Estonia, as it was in the rest of Europe. In the late 19th century the Russians tried to 'Russify' Estonia by making the Russian language compulsory in schools. However Estonian language books and newspapers were published and interest in Estonian culture and history grew. In 1905 a liberal revolution broke out in Russia. There was also unrest in Estonia. Manor houses owned by Germans were burned. There were also many demonstrations. However the Russian army restored order and many Estonians were executed or deported.

Then in March 1917 another revolution broke out. This time the Tsar abdicated. The Estonians clamored for independence. The Russians were not willing to grant complete independence but they were willing to grant some autonomy. In March 1917 the Russian parliament agreed to it and in July 1917 an Estonian parliament met. However in November 1917 the Communists seized power in Moscow. They were not willing to let the Estonians have even limited autonomy and they set up a Communist administration in the country. However by the end of 1917 the Russian army was collapsing and the Germans were advancing. In February 1918 the Germans marched into Estonia. The Russian Communists fled and on 24 February 1918 the Estonian parliament declared Estonia independent. However the next day the Germans entered Tallinn. They then occupied Estonia till the end of the war. The Germans surrendered to the western allies on 11 November 1917 and the Russians invaded Estonia. They soon captured most of the country.

However in January 1919 the Estonians fought back under General Laidoner and by 24 February 1919 and Russians were driven out of Estonia. Meanwhile a British fleet was sent to Estonia. The British sailors fought a number of naval battles with the Russians. Finally on 3 January 1920 the Russians agreed to a cease fire and by the treaty of Tartu, signed on 2 February 1920 they recognized Estonia as an independent country. Like all countries Estonia suffered severely in the depression of the early 1930s. In 1934, following a referendum a new constitution was introduced, which greatly increased the power of the president and reduced the powers of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. Then in October 1934 President Konstantin Pats dismissed the Riigikogu and replaced it with a bi-cameral assembly. The lower chamber was elected but the upper chamber was appointed by the president and the chambers of commerce. Pats ruled as virtual dictator until 1938 and under him the economy recovered. However in 1938 Pats introduced a new constitution. He voluntarily gave up some of his powers.

Disaster struck Estonia on 17 June 1940 when the Russians invaded. Soon Estonia was absorbed into the Soviet Union and a Communist regime was imposed. In June 1941 thousands of Estonians were deported to Russia. However shortly afterwards the Germans invaded Russia. At first they were amazingly successful and they quickly captured Estonia. German rule was extremely brutal but in the summer of 1944 the Russians invaded Estonia again. On 17 September 1944 Hitler ordered all his forces to leave Estonia. On the same day a provisional government was formed under Otto Tief (1889-1976). Unfortunately it met for only 5 days. The Russians captured Tallinn on 22 September 1944 and they dissolved the government. The Russians then imposed a tyrannical regime. Between 1947 and 1952 farming was collectivized. Under the Communists industrialization took place in Estonia but it caused terrible damage to the environment. Meanwhile, in 1949, thousands of Estonians were deported. Some Estonians fled to the forests and fought the Russians. They became known as Forest Brothers.

However in the late 1980s the Communist tyranny began to unravel. The Soviet leader, Gorbachev, introduced policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (reconstruction). Once again the Estonians began to clamor for independence. In November 1988 the Supreme Soviet (a kind of parliament) in Estonia declared that Soviet laws would only apply in Estonia if it agreed to them. Also in 1988 Estonia was given some economic autonomy. Events then moved quickly. In March 1991 most of the population of Estonia voted in favor of independence in a referendum. Then on 19 August 1991 hardliner Communists in Moscow attempted a coup. On 20 August Estonia declared its independence. The coup was defeated and Russia recognized Estonian independence on 6 September 1991. Town Hall Square, Talinn by Jonathan Collins Communism was then dismantled in Estonia and replaced with a market economy. Today Estonia is a small but prosperous country. Estonia adopted a new constitution in 1992 and the last Russian troops left the country in 1994. Today Estonia is a small but prosperous country.

In the early years of the 21st century the economy grew rapidly. Estonia suffered badly in the recession of 2009. However Estonia recovered and it has a bright future. In 2005 Estonia joined the EU. Then in 2011 Estonia joined the Euro. Today the population of Estonia is 1.26 million.

Question: In the 20th century what year did Estonia first declare independence?
Answer: 1918