Figure 1.--A convention in central and eastern Europe was to photograph children in a mock boat with pareiotic names. Independence made for chaotic politics, but brought a cultural floweing in Estonia and the founding of many Estonian-language schools. And unlike much of Eastern Central Europe , minoity rights were protected, including Estonia's small Jewish population. The name of the ship here was Kalev. This was a name of the king associated with very foundation of Estonia. In Estonia's national mythology and Kreutzwald's epic poem 'Kalevipoeg', King Kalev was the father of King Kalevipoeg and the husband of Linda. Toompea, a hill in the central Tallinn, is said to be the tumulus over King Kalev's grave, erected by Linda to honor him. It is now Estonia's center of government. In an old Russian chronicle the Estonian city of Tallinn was called Kolõvan, presumably meaning Kalev city. The Soviets used the same ship convention.

Most Estonians wanted a democtatic government, not a Bolshevick dictatorship. The new democratically elected Estonian government pursued a number of economic, social, and political reforms. Estonia had for centuries been ruled by foreigners, including Danes, Sweeds, Germans, and Russians. Even ubnder Russian, controlled the Germans controlled much of the land and city factories. Andwhile the Russoan were gone, Germanm landowners and factory oweners remained. As a result, the Governmen sought to institute reforms needed to improve the status of Estoinians in their own country. The first step was land reform, even before the end of the Independence War (1919). The large estates owned by the Baltic (often German) nobility were broken up and the landed turned over to the Estonian peasantry. Volunteers fighting bin the Estonian Army were given preferences. There was a fundamental shift in the econmy. Trade was hiftedcfrom Russia to Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and western Europe, with some exports to the United States. Trade was not ended with Russia (now the Soviet Union), but became m,uch less important. Estonians approved its first costitution (1920). Ir established a democratic, parlimentary dorm of government. A parliament (Riigikogu) was constitured with 100 members who were elected for 3-year terms. The first parlimentary elections were held (1921), but democracy not unsuprisingly did not take hold. There was no tradition of democracy in Estonia and the other Baltics. The resulting political process was lively, but unstable. Estonia mostly in the 1920s had 11 different governments. A major political movement arose (1930s). It was both anti-Communist and anti-parliamentary. Vaps promoted a referendum on constitutional reform (October 1933) Over 70 percent of Estonians voted for it. Vaps wanted to replace parliamentary system with a presidential system. They expected to win a scheduled presidential election (April 1934). The election never took place. Head of State Konstantin Päts staged a pre-emptive coup d'état (March 12, 1934). He estblished an authoritarian government under a new constitution. He banned political parties and prevented session of parliment. Estoniaas ruled by decree. Vaps was first banned and then disbanned (December 1935). The Government put 150 VAP members on trial (May 1936). Most, some 143 were convicted to long-term prison sentences. The olilitical system began to chnge a few years later. The convicted men were granted an amnesty and freed (1938). By this time the appeal of Vaps litterally evaporated. Despite the political chaos, major economic changes were made, the most important being land reform. The Government launched a major land reform program. The large estates were broken up, most owned by a German nobility. The land was tuned over to the Estonian peasantry. Independence opened up a period of ntionl cultural advancement and flowering. The major probem or Estonia was foreign relations. Estonia and the other Baltics were located between two giant totalitarian powers--NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union. Estonia wanted noting as much as neutality, but that was not to be. The 1930s proved to be a terrible time for small countries without allies and a powerful army. Not only did the NAZIs and Soviets want to destroy the Estonian state, but also targeted the estonian people.

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Created: 4:49 AM 8/27/2017br> Last updated: 4:49 AM 8/27/2017