The history of Estonia begins with the oldest settlements on its territory, which appeared 10,000 years ago. Stone Age tools were found near Pulli near present-day 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 rejected the nomadic life that characterized most other European peoples for the next six millennia.
Early history of Estonia (briefly)
In the 9th and 10th centuries AD, Estonians were well aware of the Vikings, who seemed to be more interested in trade routes to Kyiv and Constantinople than in conquering land. The first real threat came from Christian invaders from the west. Fulfilling papal calls for crusades against northern pagans, Danish troops and German knights invaded Estonia, conquering Otepää Castle in 1208. The locals put up fierce resistance, and it took more than 30 years before the entire territory was conquered. By the middle of the 13th century Estoniawas divided between Danish in the north and German in the south by the Teutonic Orders. Crusaders heading east were stopped by Alexander Nevsky from Novgorod on the frozen Lake Peipsi.
The conquerors settled in new cities, transferring most of the power to the bishops. By the end of the 13th century, cathedrals rose over Tallinn and Tartu, and the Cistercian and Dominican monastic orders built monasteries to preach to and baptize the local population. Meanwhile, the Estonians continued to riot.
The most significant uprising began on the night of St. George (April 23), 1343. It was started by Danish-controlled Northern Estonia. The history of the country is marked by the plundering of the Cistercian monastery of Padise by the rebels and the murder of all its monks. Then they laid siege to Tallinn and the episcopal castle in Haapsalu and called on the help of the Swedes. Sweden did send naval reinforcements, but they arrived too late and were forced to turn back. Despite the resolve of the Estonians, the uprising of 1345 was put down. The Danes, however, decided that enough was enough and sold Estonia to the Livonian Order.
The first craft workshops 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 a testament to we alth and Western trade links.
Estonians continued to practice pagan rites at weddings, funerals and worship nature, although by the 15th century thesethe rites became intertwined 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 with the first wave of Lutheran preachers. By the middle of the 16th century, the church was reorganized, and the monasteries and temples came under the auspices of the Lutheran church. In Tallinn, the authorities closed a Dominican monastery (its impressive ruins remain); Dominican and Cistercian monasteries were closed in Tartu.
Livonian War
In the 16th century, the greatest threat to Livonia (now northern Latvia and southern Estonia) was the east. Ivan the Terrible, who proclaimed himself the first tsar in 1547, pursued a policy of expansion to the west. Russian troops led by the ferocious Tatar cavalry in 1558 attacked in the Tartu region. The battles were very fierce, the invaders left death and destruction in their path. Russia was joined by Poland, Denmark and Sweden, and intermittent hostilities took place 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 has taken a heavy toll on the local population. In two generations (from 1552 to 1629) half the rural population died, about three-quarters of all farms were deserted, diseases such as plague, crop failure, and the famine that followed increased the number of victims. Apart from Tallinn, every castle and fortified center of the country was sacked or destroyed, including Viljandi Castle, which was one of the strongest fortresses in Northern Europe. Some cities were completely destroyed.
Swedish period
After the war, the history of Estonia is marked by a period of peace and prosperity under Swedish rule. Cities, thanks to trade, grew and prospered, helping the economy quickly recover from the horrors of war. Under Swedish rule, Estonia for the first time in history was united under a single ruler. By the middle of the 17th century, however, things began to deteriorate. An outbreak of plague, and later the Great Famine (1695-97), claimed the lives of 80 thousand people - almost 20% of the population. Sweden soon faced a threat from an alliance of Poland, Denmark and Russia, seeking to regain the lands lost in the Livonian War. The invasion began in 1700. After some successes, including the defeat of the 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 capitulated and Sweden was defeated.
Enlightenment
The history of Estonia within 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 the surviving serfs. Attitudes towards them did not change until the Enlightenment period at the end of the 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.dependencies. 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 earn income from crops such as potatoes and flax.
National awakening
The end of the 19th century was the beginning of a national awakening. Guided by the new elite, the country was moving towards statehood. The first newspaper in Estonian, Perno Postimees, appeared in 1857. It was published by Johann Voldemar Jannsen, one of the first to use the term "Estonians" rather than maarahvas (rural population). Another influential thinker was Carl Robert Jacobson, who fought for equal political rights for Estonians. He also founded the first national political newspaper, Sakala.
Rebellion
The end of the 19th century. became a period of industrialization, the emergence of large factories and an extensive network of railways that connected Estonia with Russia. The harsh working conditions caused discontent, and the newly formed workers' parties led demonstrations and strikes. Events in Estonia repeated what was happening in Russia, and in January 1905 an armed uprising broke out. Tensions mounted until the fall of that year, when 20,000 workers went on strike. The tsarist troops acted brutally, killing and wounding 200 people. Thousands of soldiers arrived from Russia to suppress the uprising. 600 Estonians were executed and hundreds sent to Siberia. Trade unions and progressive newspapers and organizations were shut down and political leaders fled the country.
Moreradical plans to populate Estonia with thousands of Russian peasants thanks to the First World War were never realized. The country paid a high price for participating in the war. 100 thousand people were called up, of which 10 thousand died. Many Estonians went to fight because Russia promised to give the country statehood for the victory over Germany. Of course it was a hoax. But by 1917, this issue was no longer decided by the tsar. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and the Bolsheviks seized power. Chaos gripped Russia, and Estonia, seizing the initiative, declared its independence on February 24, 1918.
War of Independence
Estonia is facing threats from Russia and the B altic-German reactionaries. War broke out, the Red Army was advancing rapidly, by January 1919 capturing half of the country. Estonia defended stubbornly, and with the help of British warships and Finnish, Danish and Swedish troops, defeated its longtime enemy. In December, Russia agreed to a truce, and on February 2, 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed, according to which it forever renounced claims to the country's territory. For the first time, a fully independent Estonia appeared on the world map.
The history of the state during this period is characterized by rapid economic development. The country used its natural resources and attracted investments from abroad. The University of Tartu has become the university of Estonians, and the Estonian language has become the lingua franca, creating new opportunities for professional andacademic fields. A huge book industry arose between 1918 and 1940. 25,000 book titles were published.
However, the political sphere was not so rosy. Fear of communist subversion, such as the failed 1924 coup attempt, led to leadership on the right. In 1934, the leader of the transitional government, Konstantin Päts, together with the commander-in-chief of the Estonian army, Johan Laidoner, violated the Constitution and seized power under the pretext of defending democracy from extremist groups.
Soviet invasion
The fate of the state was sealed when Nazi Germany and the USSR signed a secret pact in 1939, essentially passing it on to Stalin. Members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation 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" to join the USSR.
Deportations and World War II devastated the country. Tens of thousands were drafted and sent to work and die in labor camps in northern 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 had no intention of granting Estonian statehood andconsidered it as the occupied territory of the Soviet Union. Hopes were dashed 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 the "Estonian traitors".
German troops retreated in September 1944. Fearing the advance of the Red Army, many Estonians also fled and about 70,000 ended up in 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 those who emigrated, 30 thousand were killed in battle, the rest were executed, sent to camps or destroyed in concentration camps.
Soviet era
After the war, the state was immediately annexed by the Soviet Union. The history of Estonia is darkened by a period of repression, thousands of people were tortured or sent to prisons and camps. 19,000 Estonians were executed. Farmers were brutally forced to collectivize, and thousands of migrants poured into the country from different regions of the USSR. Between 1939 and 1989 the percentage of native Estonians decreased from 97 to 62%.
In response to the repressions in 1944, a partisan 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 the 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 took place in Tallinn. Over the next few months, protests escalated as Estonians demanded the restoration of statehood. Song festivals have become powerful means of struggle. The most massive of them took place in 1988, when 250,000 Estonians gathered at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn. This brought a lot of international attention to the situation in the B altics.
In November 1989, the Supreme Council of Estonia declared the events of 1940 an act of military aggression and declared them illegal. In 1990, free elections were held in the country. Despite Russian attempts to prevent this, Estonia regained its independence in 1991.
Modern Estonia: history of the country (briefly)
In 1992, the first general elections were held under the new Constitution, with the participation of new political parties. The Pro Patria Union won by a narrow margin. Its leader, 32-year-old historian Mart Laar, became prime minister. The modern history of Estonia as an independent state began. Laar set about moving the state to a free market economy, introduced the Estonian kroon into circulation, and began negotiations for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. The country breathed a sigh of relief when the last garrisons left the republic in 1994, leaving devastated land in the northeast, contaminated groundwater around air bases, and nuclear waste at naval bases.
Estonia became a member of the EU on 1 May 2004 and adopted the euro in 2011.
