A state that was established in the territory of the former Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire in 1918.

 

After the February Revolution of 1917, the leaders of the Estonian national movement began to seek national and territorial autonomy for Estonians. On March 30, the Russian Provisional Government issued a resolution On the temporary structure of administration and local self-government of the Governorate of Estonia, according to which it included the northern districts of the Livonian Governorate inhabited by Estonians. The Governorate of Estonia obtained the status of autonomy, and the issues of its internal management were transferred to the elected Provisional Zemstvo Council.

 

The Provisional Zemstvo Council did not recognize the October Revolution and declared itself the supreme authority until the convening of the Constituent Assembly of Estonia. On November 19, the Council was dissolved by the Executive Committee of the Estonian Soviets, but its governing body, the Council of Elders, continued to operate illegally. On February 19, 1918, after the beginning of the offensive of the German troops, the Council of Elders transferred its powers to the Estonian Salvation Committee. On February 24, the Committee signed the Manifesto of Independence and announced the establishment of the Republic of Estonia, but Germany, which occupied the country, did not recognize the new state.

 

After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the Council of Elders of the Zemstvo Council established a Provisional Government chaired by Konstantin Päts. By November 21, 1918, representatives of Germany delegated authority in the country to this government. Following the withdrawal of German troops, the offensive of the 7th Army of the Red Army, including the Red Estonian regiments, began. On November 29, they captured Narva, where the Commune of the Working People of Estonia was proclaimed on the same day. By the end of the year, the Red troops occupied more than half of the country’s territory. The Päts government appealed for help to the Entente countries and concluded a treaty with the Russian Pskov Volunteer Corps. The Estonian army was reinforced by volunteers from Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. On January 7, 1919, the Estonian Army went on the offensive with the active support of the British squadron. By the end of February, the Reds had been forced out of Estonia.

 

In April 1919, the Constituent Assembly of Estonia began its work. August Rei, a representative of the Estonian Social Democratic Party, was elected Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. On 9 May, the Assembly elected the Government of Estonia under the leadership of Prime Minister Otto Strandman (Estonian Labour Party). On May 15, the Declaration of the Estonian Constituent Assembly on the State Independence and Independence of Estonia was adopted, which was sent to the world community to ensure the recognition of Estonia as an independent state. However, representatives of the Entente said that the status of the Baltic governorates can be determined only with the consent of the Russian government.

 

To strengthen their positions, the authorities of the Republic of Estonia took part in conflicts in neighboring states. In the summer of 1919, the Estonian army supported the government of the Republic of Latvia under the chairmanship of Kārlis Ulmanis and took part in battles with the troops of the Baltic Landeswehr and the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic. Also in the summer and autumn of 1919, Estonia supported the offensive of the North-Western Army of the Whites on Petrograd. At the same time, Estonia sought to end the military conflict with Soviet Russia. On February 2, 1920, in Tartu, the parties signed a peace treaty, according to which they recognized each other de jure and established diplomatic relations. The border corresponded to the actual front line: the Pechory district of the Pskov governorate and the territory east of the Narva River (Estonian Ingermanland) became part of Estonia.

 

On June 15, 1920, the Constituent Assembly adopted the first constitution of Estonia, declaring it a democratic parliamentary republic. In 1921, the sovereignty of Estonia was officially recognized by the Western countries.