 Major dates in Estonia history |
 3000 BC Estonian ancestors settle along the Baltic coast. |
In the mid-third millennium BC, Finno-Ugric tribes arrived from the east and became mixed with the forerunners of the Baltic people who had previously migrated here. Estonians have thereafter lived on their land for 5,000 years, being one of the longest settled European peoples.
Until the end of the 12th century, Estonians were successful in repelling the attempts of Scandinavians and Russians to conquer and dominate the area.
| 1208 German Order conquers Estonia |
At the beginning of the 13th century the pagan Estonian society fought against the German armed religious crusades to the east. By the year 1227 Estonia had been conquered.
Estonia was divided between the Livonian Order (south), Denmark (sold its territory to the Order in 1346) (north) and the bishops of Tartu (east) and Saare-Lääne (west). Churches and stone fortresses were built, manorial estates and nine towns were erected. The economy of the Estonian towns was based on East-West transit trade and four Estonian towns belonged to the Hanseatic League.
| 1558-1710 The Livonian War and The Swedish Era |
During the Livonian War, Prince Ivan IV of Moscow invaded Estonia. Sweden and Poland became involved as the local rulers sought foreign aid. By the year 1583, after 25 years of invasion, the Russian armies were forced out of Estonia. As a result of the Swedish-Polish wars all of continental Estonia became Swedish territory in 1625. During the Swedish Era a basis was formed for the education in Estonian language.
| 1700-1918 The Northern War and The Russian Era |
Estonia was conquered by Russia once again in 1710. In 1721 Estonia became part of Russia but the Baltic-German aristocracy managed to preserve its privileges. Classical serfdom was firmly in place until the reforms of 1816 and 1819.
The Era of Awakening (1860s-1885) was affected by major national events and this politically active period enabled Estonians to become aware that they constituted a nationality.
During the Era of Russification (1885-mid-1890s) Russian nationalism was strengthened in order to tie the provinces to the Empire. Therefore Russian became the only language in government and schools.
In 1905 the stormy events of the Russian revolution caused an increase in social activism and encouraged the development of democracy in society.
For Estonians, World War I and later also World War II presented impossible choices between Germany and Russia when, in truth, they would rather have been fighting against both.
| 1918 Estonia declares independence from Russia |
After the collapse of czarist Empire in 1917 Bolsheviks became influential but were unable to consolidate their control. In February of 1918 Bolsheviks fled to Russia in face of advancing German army and the Estonian Salvation Committee declared on February 24, 1918 the birth of the Republic of Estonia. The German military forces refused to recognize the new state and attempted to establish the Baltic Duchy, but in May 1918, Great Britain, France and Italy recognized Estonia as an independent state.
1918-1920 Estonia fought for its independence against Soviet Russia and finally Russia recognized the Republic of Estonia "voluntarily and for ever" with a peace treaty, which has been described by a current Estonian President as "the birth certificate of Estonia". Estonian forces also crushed the German forces in Northern Latvia, who had attempted to annex all of the Baltic countries in 1919.
| The Republic 1918-1940 |
From 1920-1934 the government was based on parliamentary democracy, from 1934-1940 on moderate authoritarianism. The 100-member Riigikogu (State Assembly) was elected every 3 years and it had control over the government. As there was no head of state, the system was a little peculiar until in 1934 a powerful presidency was created.
Estonia was able to restructure its economy sufficiently quickly, developing extensive trade relations with Western Europe, mainly with the UK and Germany. Major exports were butter and bacon. Radical land reform that redistributed the land and the inventory of the manors to the people that worked the land, was the basis for economic development.
| In 1921 Estonia was accepted into the League of Nations. The infrastructure of cultural production became on of the priorities for the state. The Estonian Law on Cultural Autonomy of Ethnic Minorities which was passed in 1925 as the first of its kind in the whole world, affirmed that the Republic of Estonia respects the right of all ethnic groups to preserve their ethnic identity, culture and religious convictions.
| 1940 The Soviet Union occupies and annexes Estonia |
Under a secret protocol attached to the Hitler-Stalin Pact signed in 1939 Estonia became part of Soviet Union's sphere of interest. Under the threat of force Soviet military bases were established in Estonia.
After the blatantly rigged "election" of pro-Stalinist government, Estonia was incorporated into the Soviet Union in August 1940 and in June 1941 over 10,000 people were deported to Siberia.
After the German troops crossed Estonian border, about 33,000 Estonian men were forcibly conscripted into the Red Army.
About 40,000 Estonians joined the German troops to stop the Red Army in 1944. After it became clear that Estonia has once more become under Soviet control about 70,000-80,000 people fled the country by sea to Sweden and Germany. In 1949 20,700 persons were deported to Siberia.
| The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic 1940s-1980s |
Forces industrialization of Estonian economy caused the transfer of several hundred thousand immigrants into Estonia. The elimination of private farms forced people to join collective farms. As the Russian-Estonians gained control of the Estonian Communist Party, at the end on 1940s Estonian culture was under heavy attack.
In 1945-1956 more than a third of all books published in independent Estonia were removed from the public and private libraries and destroyed. In 1945-1964 original Estonian literature published in exile outstripped that published in the home country both in number of titles and pages.
Despite rigid political control by the Soviet Big Brother, contacts on various levels developed between Estonia and the outside world. Western broadcasts such as BBC, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe gained a wide listening audience. Despite the official aims of Gorbachev's perestroika, glasnost offered an opportunity for various democratic forces.
By the mid-eighties Estonians were ready for a change to take place. They already had experience of political participation and pluralism form the pre-WWII years. National values had been preserved and transmitted within families, but were also expressed more covertly in different forms of the national culture.
1,565 Soviet military bases located in Estonia caused considerable damage to Estonia's nature and environment. After the last troops left Estonia the environment damage has been assessed to amount to USD 5bn.
Estonia began again to be an issue on the international arena after 50 years of silence, when on August, 23 1987, the first political demonstration was held in Tallinn
| 1988 The Singing Revolution; The Soviet Estonian legislature declares sovereignty |
During this "thawing out" period, political activity assumed never-before imagined dimensions: Estonia's national flag was publicly taken into use again and a peaceful campaign for the restoration of Estonia's independence began. Half of the Estonian-speaking population of Estonia gathered on Tallinn's song festival grounds, sang national songs and heard political speeches. That is why sometimes Estonia's separation from the Soviet Union is called the Singing Revolution.
| 1991 Estonia regains independence |
In the referendum in March 1991 77.8% of the population voted in support of the restoration of independence.
When the military coup in Moscow failed in August 1991, the Estonian Supreme Council passed a resolution restoring national independence. More than 50 countries, including Russia, recognized Estonia within a couple of weeks and within a month Estonia was admitted to the UN.
In 1992 Estonia's national currency was re-introduced and economic restructuring was speeded up. |
