History of Estonia: overview

The history of Estonia begins with the oldest settlements on its territory, which appeared 10,000 years ago. The Stone Age tools were found near Pully near modern Pärnu. Finno-Ugric tribes from the east (most likely from the Urals) came centuries later (probably in 3500 BC), mixed with the local population and settled in present-day Estonia, Finland and Hungary. They liked the new lands, and they rejected the nomadic life that characterized most of the other European peoples during the next six millennia.

Early history of Estonia (briefly)

In the 9th and 10th centuries of our era, Estonians knew the Vikings well, who seemed to be more interested in trade routes to Kiev and Constantinople than by conquering the land. The first real threat came from the Christian invaders from the west. Fulfilling the papal calls for crusades against the northern pagans, the Danish troops and German knights invaded Estonia, in 1208, conquering the castle of Otepaa. Local residents had fierce resistance, and it took more than 30 years before the whole territory was conquered. By the middle of the 13th century, Estonia was divided between the Danish in the north and the German in the south by the Teutonic Orders. The crusaders, which were seeking to the east, were stopped by Alexander Nevsky from Novgorod on the frozen Lake Peipsi.

The conquerors settled in the new cities, transferring most of the power to the bishops. Towards the end of the 13th century cathedrals rose over Tallinn and Tartu, and the Cistercian and Dominican monastic orders built monasteries to preach to the local population and baptize it. Meanwhile Estonians continued to riot.

The most significant uprising began on the night of St. George (April 23), 1343. Its beginning was controlled by Denmark Northern Estonia. The history of the country is marked by the pillage of the Cistercian monastery of Padise by the rebels and the murder of all of its monks. Then they besieged Tallinn and the bishop's castle in Haapsalu and called for help from the Swedes. Sweden really sent naval reinforcements, but it arrived too late and had to turn back. Despite the determination of Estonians, the uprising of 1345 was suppressed. The Danes, however, decided that they had enough and sold Estonia to the Livonian Order.

The first craft shops and merchant guilds appeared in the 14th century, and many cities, such as Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi and Pärnu, flourished as members of the Hanseatic League. Cathedral of St. John in Tartu with its terracotta sculptures is evidence of wealth and Western trade ties.

Estonians continued to practice pagan rites at weddings, funerals and worshiping nature, although by the 15th century these rituals had become interconnected with Catholicism, and they received Christian names. In the 15th century the peasants lost their rights and by the beginning of the 16th they became serfs.

Reformation

The Reformation, which originated in Germany, reached Estonia in the 1520s, along with Lutheran preachers of the first wave. By the middle of the 16th century, the church was reorganized, and the monasteries and temples passed under the patronage of the Lutheran church. In Tallinn authorities closed the Dominican monastery (its impressive ruins were preserved); In Tartu, the Dominican and Cistercian monasteries were closed.

The Livonian War

In the 16th century, the greatest threat to Livonia (now Northern Latvia and Southern Estonia) was represented by the east. Ivan the Terrible, who proclaimed himself the first king in 1547, pursued a policy of expansion to the west. Russian troops, led by a ferocious Tartar cavalry in 1558, attacked in the Tartu region. The fighting was very cruel, the invaders left death and destruction in their path. Russia was joined by Poland, Denmark and Sweden, and periodic military operations were conducted throughout the 17th century. A brief overview of the history of Estonia does not allow us to dwell on this period in detail, but as a result, Sweden emerged victorious.

The war laid a heavy burden on the local population. For two generations (from 1552 to 1629), half of the rural population died, about three quarters of all farms were emptied, diseases such as plague, crop failure, and the famine that followed ensued in increasing the number of victims. In addition to Tallinn, every castle and fortified center of the country was looted or destroyed, including the Viljandi castle, one of the strongest fortresses in Northern Europe. Some cities were completely destroyed.

Swedish period

After the war, Estonia's history was marked by a period of peace and prosperity under the rule of Sweden. Cities, thanks to trade, grew and prospered, helping the economy quickly recover from the horrors of war. Under the rule of Sweden, Estonia united for the first time in history under a single ruler. By the middle of the 17th century, however, things began to deteriorate. The outbreak of the plague, and later the Great Famine (1695-97) killed 80,000 people - almost 20% of the population. Soon Sweden faced a threat from the union of Poland, Denmark and Russia, who were trying to return the lands lost in the Livonian War. The invasion began in 1700. After some success, including the defeat of Russian troops near Narva, the Swedes began to retreat. In 1708, Tartu was destroyed, and all the survivors were sent to Russia. In 1710 Tallinn surrendered, and Sweden was defeated.

Education

The history of Estonia as part of Russia began. It did not bring anything good to the peasants. The war and the plague of 1710 claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Peter I abolished the Swedish reforms and destroyed any hope of freedom for surviving serfs. The attitude towards them will not change until the Enlightenment in the late 18th century. Catherine II limited the privileges of the elite and carried out quasi-democratic reforms. But only in 1816 the peasants were finally freed from serfdom. They also received surnames, greater freedom of movement and limited access to self-government. By the second half of the 19th century, the rural population began to buy farms and receive income from crops such as potatoes and flax.

National awakening

The end of the 19th century was the beginning of a national awakening. Driven by a new elite, the country went to statehood. The first newspaper in Estonian Perno Postimees appeared in 1857. It was published by Johann Woldemar Jannsen, one of the first who used the term "Estonians", and not maarahvas (rural population). Another influential thinker was Karl Robert Jakobson, who fought for equal political rights for Estonians. He also founded the first national political newspaper Sakala.

Insurrection

The end of the 19th century. Became a period of industrialization, the emergence of large factories and a ramified network of railways that connected Estonia with Russia. Heavy working conditions aroused discontent, and the newly formed workers' parties led demonstrations and strikes. Events in Estonia repeated what is happening in Russia, and in January 1905 an armed uprising broke out. The tension grew until the fall of that year, when 20,000 workers went on strike. The tsarist troops acted cruelly, killing and wounding 200 people. To suppress the uprising, thousands of soldiers arrived from Russia. It was executed 600 Estonians and hundreds were sent to Siberia. Trade unions and progressive newspapers and organizations were closed, and political leaders fled the country.

More radical plans to settle Estonia by thousands of Russian peasants thanks to the First World War have not been realized. The country paid a high price for participating in the war. Were called to 100 thousand people, of which 10 thousand were killed. Many Estonians went to war because Russia promised to give the country statehood for the victory over Germany. Of course, it was a lie. But by 1917 this issue was no longer decided by the tsar. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and the Bolsheviks seized power. Russia was swept by chaos, and Estonia, having seized the initiative, declared its independence on February 24, 1918.

War for independence

Estonia faced threats from Russia and the Baltic-German reactionaries. The war broke out, the Red Army advanced rapidly, capturing half of the country by January 1919. Estonia stubbornly defended itself, and with the help of British warships and Finnish, Danish and Swedish troops defeated its long-standing adversary. In December, Russia agreed to a truce, and on February 2, 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed, according to which it permanently refused claims to the territory of the country. For the first time on the world map, a completely independent Estonia appeared.

The history of the state during this period is characterized by rapid development of the economy. The country used its natural resources and attracted investments from abroad. The University of Tartu became the University of Estonians, and the Estonian language became the language of interethnic communication, creating new opportunities in the professional and academic fields. There was a huge book industry - between 1918 and 1940. 25 thousand titles of books were published.

However, the political sphere was not so rosy. Fear of the subversive activities of the Communists, such as the failed coup attempt of 1924, led to the leadership of the Rights. In 1934, the leader of the transitional government, Konstantin Päts, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian army, Johan Lydoner, violated the Constitution and seized power under the pretext of defending democracy from extremist groups.

Soviet invasion

The fate of the state was predetermined when Nazi Germany and the USSR entered into a secret pact of 1939, essentially transferring it to Stalin. Members of the Communist Party organized a fictitious uprising and on behalf of the people demanded that Estonia be included in the USSR. President Päts, General Laidoner and other leaders were arrested and sent to Soviet camps. A puppet government was created, and on August 6, 1940, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR granted Estonia's "request" for accession to the USSR.

Deportations and World War II devastated the country. Tens of thousands were drafted and sent to work and death in labor camps in the north of Russia. Thousands of women and children shared their fate.

When the Soviet troops fled under the onslaught of the enemy, the Estonians welcomed the Germans as liberators. 55 thousand people joined the self-defense units and battalions of the Wehrmacht. However, Germany did not intend to provide Estonia with statehood and viewed it as the occupied territory of the Soviet Union. Hopes collapsed after the execution of the collaborators. 75 thousand people were shot (of which 5 thousand were ethnic Estonians). Thousands fled to Finland, and those who remained were drafted into the German army (about 40 thousand people).

In early 1944, Soviet troops bombed Tallinn, Narva, Tartu and other cities. The complete destruction of Narva was an act of revenge against "Estonian traitors".

German troops retreated in September 1944. Fearing the offensive of the Red Army, many Estonians also fled and about 70 thousand got to the West. By the end of the war, every 10th Estonian lived abroad. In general, the country lost more than 280 thousand people: in addition to emigrated, 30 thousand were killed in battle, the rest were executed, sent to camps or destroyed in concentration camps.

The Soviet era

After the war, the state was immediately annexed by the Soviet Union. The history of Estonia is marred by a period of repression, thousands of tortured or sent to prisons and camps. 19,000 Estonians were executed. Farmers were brutally forced to collectivization, and thousands of migrants poured into the country from different regions of the USSR. Between 1939 and 1989, The percentage of native Estonians declined from 97 to 62%.

In response to repression in 1944, a guerrilla movement was organized. 14 thousand "forest brothers" armed themselves and went underground, working in small groups throughout the country. Unfortunately, their actions were not successful, and by 1956 armed resistance was virtually destroyed.

But the dissident movement was gaining momentum, and on the day of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Stalin-Hitler pact, a major rally was held in Tallinn. Over the next few months, protests grew, Estonians demanded the restoration of statehood. Song festivals have become powerful means of struggle. The most massive of them took place in 1988, when 250 thousand Estonians gathered at the Singing Field in Tallinn. This attracted great international attention to the situation in the Baltics.

In November 1989, the Supreme Council of Estonia declared the events of 1940 an act of military aggression and recognized them as illegal. In 1990, free elections were held in the country. Despite Russia's attempts to prevent this, Estonia regained its independence in 1991.

Modern Estonia: the history of the country (briefly)

In 1992, the first general elections were held in accordance with the new Constitution, with the participation of new political parties. Union Pro Patria won with a slight margin. His leader, the 32-year-old historian Mart Laar became prime minister. The newest history of Estonia as an independent state began. Laar began to transfer the state to the track of a free market economy, put the Estonian kroon into circulation and began negotiations on the full withdrawal of Russian troops. The country breathed a sigh of relief when the last garrisons left the republic in 1994, leaving devastated lands in the northeast, contaminated groundwaters around airbases and nuclear waste at sea bases.

Estonia became an EU member on May 1, 2004 and since 2011 introduced the euro.