Head of Estonia's government in the independence war, later dictator of the 'era of silence'
"The greatest thing we have accomplished is the creation of the Estonian state," he said in his June 1940 Victory Day speech under Soviet pressure.
Led Estonia's declaration of independence in February 1918 and held the country together as head of the provisional government in the first winter of the independence war. In 1934 he built the authoritarian 'era of silence' with Laidoner; deported by the Soviets in 1940, he died in custody in 1956.
Activities and affiliations
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Estonia state institutionsState Elder, PresidentMain
Government and administration
Career Timeline
- 1905Became deputy mayor of Tallinn
- 1917Chairman of the provisional government of the Autonomous Governorate
- 1918Salvation Committee member; led the independence declaration as head of the provisional government
- 1921–1924Served twice as State Elder (de facto premier)
- 1934Self-coup with Laidoner establishing authoritarian rule
- 1938Elected first President of Estonia
Related historical events
- 1905–1907The Revolution of 1905Exile sentenced to deathAfter the 1905 revolution, he was sentenced to death and forced into exile.
- 1918–1922The Civil War and Foreign InterventionEstonian government leader early in the independence warTook over as head of the provisional government in November 1918 and held it together in the first winter with the Red Army before Tallinn, pushing through Laidoner's appointment, conscription and British naval support.
- 1918.11–1920.10Baltic wars of independence and border settlementsEstonian government leader early in the independence warTook over as head of the provisional government in November 1918 and held it together in the first winter with the Red Army before Tallinn, pushing through Laidoner's appointment, conscription and British naval support.
- 1939.08–1940.08The Nazi-Soviet Pact and the Partition of Eastern EuropePresident deported after Soviet occupationHe was deported after the Soviet occupation in 1940.
- 1939.09–1941.06The annexation of the Baltic states and the June 1941 deportationPresident of EstoniaForced by Andrei Zhdanov to appoint the Vares government and sign its decrees, he was deported to Ufa at the end of July.
Revolution and independence wars
A Tallinn lawyer and publisher of the newspaper Teataja, sentenced to death after the 1905 revolution and forced into exile. He led the Salvation Committee's declaration of independence on 24 February 1918, was interned by the German occupiers and took over as head of the provisional government in November. In the first winter of the independence war, with the Red Army 34 kilometres from Tallinn, he held the government together and pushed through British naval support, Laidoner's appointment and conscription. He served several terms as State Elder in the 1920s, and in March 1934, claiming to forestall a takeover by the far-right veterans' movement, he declared a state of emergency with Laidoner, suspended parliament and built the authoritarian regime known as the 'era of silence', becoming the first president in 1938. Deported after the Soviet occupation of 1940, he passed through psychiatric hospitals and prisons and died in a hospital in Kalinin region in 1956.