Jaan Tõnisson
Encyclopedia
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 (22 December 1868–1941?) was an Estonia
n statesman
, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia
twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.
, Viiratsi Parish
, Viljandi County
, then part of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire
. He grew up during the Estonian national awakening
, being inspired by nationalist ideas already in his childhood.
Tõnisson studied in the parish school and later also in high school of Viljandi
. He went on to study law at the University of Tartu
, where he joined the young fraternal Estonian Students' Society
, a group which played an important role in the national movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tõnisson became the chairman of the society, acquainting him with Villem Reimann, leader of the national movement of that time.
policy had closed several Estonian organizations and prominent students, including Jaan Tõnisson, started speaking up, finding support among ethnic Estonians
.
In 1893 Tõnisson became the editor of the biggest Estonian daily Postimees
. With the help of Tõnisson, the Tartu Renaissance, a period when Estonians sought to weaken the russification policy. In 1896, Tõnisson, along with several of his closest associates, bought the newspaper Postimees turning it into the tribune of the national movement for the decades to follow. Tõnisson supported nationalism, that would stand on strong moral grounds and wouldn't seek to conquer other nations. In his mind, a nation would have to grow strong in spirit.
Tõnisson also fought for the development of the Estonian economy
, paying special attention to the joint activities, such as the establishing of the first agricultural co-operatives in Estonia, also the Estonian Loan and Savings Society was founded after his initiative.
In 1901, Konstantin Päts
founded the second Estonian daily newspaper, starting a political rivalry not only between Postimees
and the new Teataja, but also between Jaan Tõnisson and Konstantin Päts themselves. Tõnisson was to lead the "moralist" and Päts the "economic" fraction of the national movement. Both tried to become leading national figures, Tõnisson was ideological and nationalist, Päts emphasized the importance of economic activity.
, it did not prevent him from passionately protesting against the punishment actions in Estonia, organized by the empirial powers. Lacking support for Estonians participating in the revolution, Tõnisson got into conflicts with more radical Estonian politicians. This however saved him from having to go to exile, as did Konstantin Päts
and Otto Strandman
Following the revolution, Emperor Nicholas II was forced to give citizens certain political freedoms. Tõnisson used the October Manifesto
to widen the rights of Estonians, establishing the first Estonian political party – Estonian National Progress Party (Eesti Rahvuslik Eduerakond – ERE; or Eesti Rahvameelne Eduerakond – Estonian Progressive People's Party) together with Villem Reiman. The party supported improving the nationalist and liberal ideas and constitutional right
s. The platform was similar to the Constitutional Democratic Party
(Kadets) of Russia, with minor differences in agricultural and nationality issues. It was seen as having moderate policies for not supporting the revolution, but still wanted ethnic Estonians to have equal rights with Russians
and Baltic Germans and wanted Russia to be a constitutional monarchy
. Unlike more radical political groups, the National Progress Party remained legal also after the Revolution had beem forced down.
In December 1905, Tõnisson organised the gathering of Estonian representatives in Tartu. Soon after its first meeting, many representatives supported Jaan Teemant
, who was a keen supporter of the revolution, to be the chairman of the meeting instead of the more moderate Tõnisson. Teemant won the election overwhelmingly, but Tõnisson refused to leave. Eventually, Tõnisson and his moderate supporters left the gathering, while the remaining representatives turned the meeting into a discussion about how to take revolutionary power, much to the dismay of even Jaan Teemant.
In 1906, the National Progress Party saw great support and Tõnisson was among the four Estonian politicians to be elected to the First State Duma
in 1906, where he joined the Autonomist-Federalist group. Tõnisson was elected to the board of this group and he organized a separate Baltic fraction for the group. He also joined the protest movement against the actions of the Russian government, trying to protect the new rights that the Emperor was trying to take back.
On 23 June 1906, Tõnisson and 177 other members of the State Duma signed Vyborg
Appeal, calling for disobedience, in protest against the dissolution of te State Duma. Tõnisson was removed from the Postimees board (he resumed shortly afterwards) and in December 1907, he was put on trial. Tõnisson was sentenced to three months in Tartu prison. Prison did not inhibit Tõnisson's political activity. In the years following the revolution he concentrated on developing the Estonian school system, founding school societies all over the country and opening several Estonian-language high schools. The co-operation and agriculture policies, that Tõnisson had established, developed quickly, creating an Estonian civil society and influencing the general growth of wealth in Estonia. In 1915, Jaan Tõnisson and Jaan Raamot initiated the creation of Northern Baltic Committee for the protection of war refugees. Tõnisson serves as chairman of the committee until 1917, hoping to get closer to administrative power.
, Estonians quickly reacted and gained the rights to autonomy and to form a national army from the Russian Provisional Government
. In March 1917, Tõnisson met with Prime Minister of Russia
Georgy Lvov, who however couldn't promise autonomy and said that the Russian Provincial Assembly. In the debates about the autonomy, Tõnisson supported the current division of Estonia with two governorates, only with autonomy for each. Konstantin Päts's idea of a single Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
went through and Tõnisson, among some other Estonian politicians, was chosen to compose the draft of self-government reform. Tõnisson was often among the few politicians, who contacted directly with the Russian Provisional Government in these questions. Eventually, the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
was created and Tõnisson was elected to the Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev) in 1917. His party, renamed to Estonian Democratic Party (Eesti Demokraatlik Erakond – EDE), achieved 7 of the 55 seats.
At first, Tõnisson proposed the idea of a Scandinavian superstate, that eventually involved into supporting total secession from Russia. However in late autumn 1917, Tõnisson was among the first Estonian politicians, who started demanding full independence for Estonia. After the October Revolution
, local communists disbanded the Provincial Assembly. On 28 November 1917, most of its members met in Toompea Castle and declared the assembly to be the highest legitimate power in Estonia. In a speech in the parliament, Tõnisson emphasized the situation of anarchy in Russia and supported the declaration, that eventually turned into a successful coup d'etat.
Subsequently Tõnisson was arrested by Bolshevik
forces on 4 December 1917 for organizing a pro-Provincial Assembly meeting in Tartu. He was forced out of the country on 8 December. The Council of Elders of the assembly came together underground and decided to make him an Estonian delegate to Stockholm
to find support for Estonian independence, or at least for its autonomy. Tõnisson and other members of the Russian Provincial Assembly were named Estonian delegates abroad and Tõnisson became the leader of Estonian Foreign Delegations, a position that he would still be his when Estonia declared it’s independence on 24 February 1918. The delegations were eventually turned into embassies and in Stockholm, Tõnisson met with German and French ambassadors to find support for Estonian independence, but was later sent to Copenhagen
, though several Estonian delegates eventually gathered in Stockholm. On 16 March 1918, Swedish
Minister of Foreign Affairs
agreed to meet the delegates, but didn't grant any support. After the German Occupation of Estonia had ended, Tõnisson returned to Estonia on 16 November 1918.
, led by Konstantin Päts
. Tõnisson's offices sent him abroad again, this time to Finland
to seek weaponry and loans in the coming War of Independence. He was also part of the Estonian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference
.
For the elections to the Estonian Constituent Assembly
, Tõnisson had yet again transformed his party, this time to the Estonian People's Party. In the elections of the Constituent Assembly in spring 1919, the centre-right (conservative-liberal) People's Party took 25 of the 120 seats, fewer than the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDTP) and the Labour Party. The shape of the new republic was to be determined by parties of the left and parties of the centre, including Tõnisson's People's Party.
On 18 November 1919, Tõnisson became the Prime Minister of Estonia
. Already on the next day, the government decided, that Estonia would start peace negotiations with Russia and on 2 February 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed, ending the War of Independence. With the treaty, Estonia and Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
became the first countries to recognize each other's independence. Several countries at Russia's border and also in the West reacted negatively on Estonia's decision to sign peace with Soviet Russia. In December 1920, relations with Latvia
deteriorated, when Estonia forced Latvian administration out of the border town of Valga
(Valka
). Through British mediation, the conflict was resolved and Valga was divided between the two countries.
The coalition consisted of the three major parties in the parliament: Tõnisson's People's Party with the social democratic ESDTP and the centre-left Labour Party. On 1 July 1920, ESDTP left the coalition because of ideological differences and the entire cabinet fell on 28 July 1920, after Tõnisson failed to find a new coalition partner.
A new head of government was hard to find. Members of the Labour Party failed in the attempt to find support and another member of the People's Party, Ado Birk was chosen to head the new cabinet. He however, also didn't get the support of the Constituent Assembly and his cabinet was in office only nominally for three days. From 30 July 1920 to 26 October 1920, Jaan Tõnisson headed his second cabinet as Prime Minister in the one-party coalition.
The Estonian People's Party quickly lost its popularity and became one of the smallest parties in the parliament, getting only 10 in the 1920
, 8 in the 1923
and the 1926
and 9 of the 101 seats in the 1929 elections
to the Riigikogu
. Tõnisson himself however remained popular and despite the few seats in the Riigikogu, the Estonian People's Party was a coalition member in nine of the twelve cabinets between 1920 and 1932. A prominent member of the People's Party, Jüri Jaakson
, was even State Elder of the grand coalition
cabinet after the Communist coup attempt from 1924 to 1925. From 7 June 1923 to 27 May 1925, Tõnisson served as the President (speaker) of the Riigikogu.
Jaan Tõnisson formed his third cabinet on 9 December 1927, for the first time as State Elder. It was another wide coalition with the Labour Party, Settlers' party and Farmers' Assemblies. The government fell on 4 December 1928.
Tõnisson returned to big politics on 12 February 1931, when he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs
in Konstantin Päts
's cabinet. During the early 1930s, political climate in Estonia changed. In October 1931, the Christian People's Party merged into the Estonian People's Party which joined with the Estonian Labour Party to form the National Centre Party in early 1932. Three major parties had emerged in the Riigikogu, the left-wing Estonian Socialist Workers' Party, the centrist National Centre Party and the right-wing United Farmers' Party. Päts's cabinet resigned, but Tõnisson remained in the same office also in Jaan Teemant
's cabinet until it also resigned on 19 July 1932.
The 1932 elections
brought the National Centre Party 23 of the 101 seats in the Riigikogu, making it the second biggest party in the parliament. Tõnisson then served Tõnisson served again as the President (speaker) of the Riigikogu from 19 July 1932 to 18 May 1933.
Due to economical differences, the National Centre Party had left the governing coalition and Jaan Tõnisson formed his fourth cabinet on 18 May 1933. The refounded Settlers' party, that had again seceded from the United Farmers' Party, was the only coalition partner for the People's Party.
Decisions of Tõnisson's government during the financial crisis in 1932
led to a total decline in his personal popularity, though the policies would help the state out of the crisis. In a referendum in 1933, the voters adopted an authoritarian constitution, which would lead to Konstantin Päts
coming to power in 1934. Päts soon suspended the activities of both the political parties and the parliament also imposed limits to civil liberty, disbanding the parliament in 1934 and all political parties in 1935.
With the changing situation in Estonia, Tõnisson became the leader of the democratic opposition. As a result the government expropriated his newspaper Postimees
, though that did not keep Tõnisson from promoting democratic ideals.
The semi-democratic elections of 1938
, Tõnisson was re-elected to the State Assembly (Riigivolikogu), the lower chamber of the Riigikogu, where he continued fighting for the total restoration of democracy in Estonia.
By 1939 though, Estonia was considered to be in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union
, after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
. And in 1940 Estonia was completely occupied by the Soviet Union. Tõnisson tried to influence President
Konstantin Päts
on resisting the Soviet occupation, at least symbolically, but Päts had already decided to surrender unresistingly.
In the summer of 1940 Tõnisson started an extensive campaign, organising the nomination of rival candidates to the communist ones in the elections of the Soviet puppet parliament of Estonia. The Soviets, wanting complete control of the parliament, removed their rivals by forceful means.
Membership in the parliament:
during the first days of July in 1941. His place of burial is unknown.
Tõnisson's moral views and honorable death inspired Estonians for decades to symbolically resist to the Soviet regime and to eventually regain independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. A memorial to Tõnisson was erected in Tartu
in 1999.
1920 – Cross of Liberty III/I
1925 – Cross of Liberty I/III
1928 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
I/I
1930 – Order of the Cross of the Eagle
I
1938 – Order of the White Star
I
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.
Early life
Tõnisson was born on 22 December 1868 near TänassilmaTänassilma, Viljandi County
Tänassilma is a village in Viiratsi Parish, Viljandi County in northern Estonia....
, Viiratsi Parish
Viiratsi Parish
Viiratsi Parish is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Viljandi County. It has a population of 3,743 and an area of 215.02 km².-Settlements:Small boroughViiratsiVillages...
, Viljandi County
Viljandi County
Viljandi County , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties. 55,657 people live in Viljandi County – constituting 4.2% of the total population in Estonia ....
, then part of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. He grew up during the Estonian national awakening
Estonian national awakening
The Estonian Age of Awakening is a period in history where Estonians came to acknowledge themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This period is considered to begin in 1850s with greater rights being granted to commoners and to end with the declaration of the Republic of...
, being inspired by nationalist ideas already in his childhood.
Tõnisson studied in the parish school and later also in high school of Viljandi
Viljandi
Viljandi is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 19,150 . It is the capital of Viljandi County. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe....
. He went on to study law at the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
, where he joined the young fraternal Estonian Students' Society
Estonian Students' Society
Estonian Students' Society is the largest and oldest all-male academical student society in Estonia, which is similar to Baltic German student corporations . It was founded in 1870 at the University of Tartu...
, a group which played an important role in the national movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tõnisson became the chairman of the society, acquainting him with Villem Reimann, leader of the national movement of that time.
National movement
RussificationRussification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
policy had closed several Estonian organizations and prominent students, including Jaan Tõnisson, started speaking up, finding support among ethnic Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
.
In 1893 Tõnisson became the editor of the biggest Estonian daily Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
. With the help of Tõnisson, the Tartu Renaissance, a period when Estonians sought to weaken the russification policy. In 1896, Tõnisson, along with several of his closest associates, bought the newspaper Postimees turning it into the tribune of the national movement for the decades to follow. Tõnisson supported nationalism, that would stand on strong moral grounds and wouldn't seek to conquer other nations. In his mind, a nation would have to grow strong in spirit.
Tõnisson also fought for the development of the Estonian economy
Economy of Estonia
Estonia is a member of the European Union and the eurozone and is an advanced economy, according to the IMF.Before the Second World War Estonia's economy was based on agriculture, but there was a significant knowledge sector and a growing industrial sector, similar to Finland...
, paying special attention to the joint activities, such as the establishing of the first agricultural co-operatives in Estonia, also the Estonian Loan and Savings Society was founded after his initiative.
In 1901, Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
founded the second Estonian daily newspaper, starting a political rivalry not only between Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
and the new Teataja, but also between Jaan Tõnisson and Konstantin Päts themselves. Tõnisson was to lead the "moralist" and Päts the "economic" fraction of the national movement. Both tried to become leading national figures, Tõnisson was ideological and nationalist, Päts emphasized the importance of economic activity.
Early political career
While Tõnisson did not approve of Estonians participating in the Revolution of 1905Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, it did not prevent him from passionately protesting against the punishment actions in Estonia, organized by the empirial powers. Lacking support for Estonians participating in the revolution, Tõnisson got into conflicts with more radical Estonian politicians. This however saved him from having to go to exile, as did Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
and Otto Strandman
Otto Strandman
Otto August Strandman VR III/1 was an Estonian politician, who served as Prime Minister and State Elder of Estonia . He was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections...
Following the revolution, Emperor Nicholas II was forced to give citizens certain political freedoms. Tõnisson used the October Manifesto
October Manifesto
The October Manifesto was issued on 17 October, 1905 by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia under the influence of Count Sergei Witte as a response to the Russian Revolution of 1905....
to widen the rights of Estonians, establishing the first Estonian political party – Estonian National Progress Party (Eesti Rahvuslik Eduerakond – ERE; or Eesti Rahvameelne Eduerakond – Estonian Progressive People's Party) together with Villem Reiman. The party supported improving the nationalist and liberal ideas and constitutional right
Constitutional right
An inalienable right is a freedom granted by a Nature or the Creator's endowment by birth , and may not be legally denied by that government.-United States:...
s. The platform was similar to the Constitutional Democratic Party
Constitutional Democratic party
The Constitutional Democratic Party was a liberal political party in the Russian Empire. Party members were called Kadets, from the abbreviation K-D of the party name...
(Kadets) of Russia, with minor differences in agricultural and nationality issues. It was seen as having moderate policies for not supporting the revolution, but still wanted ethnic Estonians to have equal rights with Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and Baltic Germans and wanted Russia to be a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. Unlike more radical political groups, the National Progress Party remained legal also after the Revolution had beem forced down.
In December 1905, Tõnisson organised the gathering of Estonian representatives in Tartu. Soon after its first meeting, many representatives supported Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant was an Estonian lawyer and politician.Teemant studied in H. Treffner's Private High School. In 1901 he graduated from the Department of Law the St. Petersburg University. He was a solicitor in Tallinn. In 1904–1905 was a member of the Tallinn Municipal Council...
, who was a keen supporter of the revolution, to be the chairman of the meeting instead of the more moderate Tõnisson. Teemant won the election overwhelmingly, but Tõnisson refused to leave. Eventually, Tõnisson and his moderate supporters left the gathering, while the remaining representatives turned the meeting into a discussion about how to take revolutionary power, much to the dismay of even Jaan Teemant.
In 1906, the National Progress Party saw great support and Tõnisson was among the four Estonian politicians to be elected to the First State Duma
Russian legislative election, 1906
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Empire in March 1906. At stake were the 478 seats in the State Duma of the Russian Empire, the legislative assembly. Election for the First State Duma, a session which only ran from April 27 to July 21 1906, returned a significant bloc of moderate...
in 1906, where he joined the Autonomist-Federalist group. Tõnisson was elected to the board of this group and he organized a separate Baltic fraction for the group. He also joined the protest movement against the actions of the Russian government, trying to protect the new rights that the Emperor was trying to take back.
On 23 June 1906, Tõnisson and 177 other members of the State Duma signed Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
Appeal, calling for disobedience, in protest against the dissolution of te State Duma. Tõnisson was removed from the Postimees board (he resumed shortly afterwards) and in December 1907, he was put on trial. Tõnisson was sentenced to three months in Tartu prison. Prison did not inhibit Tõnisson's political activity. In the years following the revolution he concentrated on developing the Estonian school system, founding school societies all over the country and opening several Estonian-language high schools. The co-operation and agriculture policies, that Tõnisson had established, developed quickly, creating an Estonian civil society and influencing the general growth of wealth in Estonia. In 1915, Jaan Tõnisson and Jaan Raamot initiated the creation of Northern Baltic Committee for the protection of war refugees. Tõnisson serves as chairman of the committee until 1917, hoping to get closer to administrative power.
Autonomy
Following the February RevolutionFebruary Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
, Estonians quickly reacted and gained the rights to autonomy and to form a national army from the Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
. In March 1917, Tõnisson met with Prime Minister of Russia
Prime Minister of Russia
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....
Georgy Lvov, who however couldn't promise autonomy and said that the Russian Provincial Assembly. In the debates about the autonomy, Tõnisson supported the current division of Estonia with two governorates, only with autonomy for each. Konstantin Päts's idea of a single Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
The local autonomy in Estonia was established as a result of the Russian Revolution of 1917. For the duration of control by Imperial Russia, Estonia was divided between two governorates . The Governorate of Estonia in the north corresponded roughly to the area of Danish Estonia and the northern...
went through and Tõnisson, among some other Estonian politicians, was chosen to compose the draft of self-government reform. Tõnisson was often among the few politicians, who contacted directly with the Russian Provisional Government in these questions. Eventually, the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
The local autonomy in Estonia was established as a result of the Russian Revolution of 1917. For the duration of control by Imperial Russia, Estonia was divided between two governorates . The Governorate of Estonia in the north corresponded roughly to the area of Danish Estonia and the northern...
was created and Tõnisson was elected to the Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev) in 1917. His party, renamed to Estonian Democratic Party (Eesti Demokraatlik Erakond – EDE), achieved 7 of the 55 seats.
At first, Tõnisson proposed the idea of a Scandinavian superstate, that eventually involved into supporting total secession from Russia. However in late autumn 1917, Tõnisson was among the first Estonian politicians, who started demanding full independence for Estonia. After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, local communists disbanded the Provincial Assembly. On 28 November 1917, most of its members met in Toompea Castle and declared the assembly to be the highest legitimate power in Estonia. In a speech in the parliament, Tõnisson emphasized the situation of anarchy in Russia and supported the declaration, that eventually turned into a successful coup d'etat.
Subsequently Tõnisson was arrested by Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
forces on 4 December 1917 for organizing a pro-Provincial Assembly meeting in Tartu. He was forced out of the country on 8 December. The Council of Elders of the assembly came together underground and decided to make him an Estonian delegate to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to find support for Estonian independence, or at least for its autonomy. Tõnisson and other members of the Russian Provincial Assembly were named Estonian delegates abroad and Tõnisson became the leader of Estonian Foreign Delegations, a position that he would still be his when Estonia declared it’s independence on 24 February 1918. The delegations were eventually turned into embassies and in Stockholm, Tõnisson met with German and French ambassadors to find support for Estonian independence, but was later sent to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, though several Estonian delegates eventually gathered in Stockholm. On 16 March 1918, Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign...
agreed to meet the delegates, but didn't grant any support. After the German Occupation of Estonia had ended, Tõnisson returned to Estonia on 16 November 1918.
Independence
From 12 November 1918, Tõnisson served as Minister without portfolio and from 27 November 1918 to 9 May 1919 as Minister plenipotentiary abroad of the Estonian Provisional GovernmentEstonian Provisional Government
The Estonian Provisional Government was formed on February 24, 1918 by the Salvation Committee appointed by Maapäev the Estonian Province Assembly. The Provisional Government was led by Konstantin Päts...
, led by Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
. Tõnisson's offices sent him abroad again, this time to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
to seek weaponry and loans in the coming War of Independence. He was also part of the Estonian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
.
For the elections to the Estonian Constituent Assembly
Estonian Constituent Assembly
The Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...
, Tõnisson had yet again transformed his party, this time to the Estonian People's Party. In the elections of the Constituent Assembly in spring 1919, the centre-right (conservative-liberal) People's Party took 25 of the 120 seats, fewer than the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDTP) and the Labour Party. The shape of the new republic was to be determined by parties of the left and parties of the centre, including Tõnisson's People's Party.
On 18 November 1919, Tõnisson became the Prime Minister of Estonia
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
. Already on the next day, the government decided, that Estonia would start peace negotiations with Russia and on 2 February 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed, ending the War of Independence. With the treaty, Estonia and Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
became the first countries to recognize each other's independence. Several countries at Russia's border and also in the West reacted negatively on Estonia's decision to sign peace with Soviet Russia. In December 1920, relations with Latvia
Estonia–Latvia relations
Estonia–Latvia relations are foreign relations between Estonia and Latvia. Both states share a long common history: before 1918, they were both part of the Russian Empire. They were both re-occupied by the USSR between 1945 and 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations on January 3,...
deteriorated, when Estonia forced Latvian administration out of the border town of Valga
Valga
Valga is a town in southern Estonia and the capital of Valga County. Until their separation in 1920, Valga and the town of Valka in northern Latvia were one town. They are now twin-towns. The area of Valga is 16.5 km² and that of Valka is 14.2 km². Their populations are respectively...
(Valka
Valka
Valka is a town in northern Latvia, on the border with Estonia.Valka and the Estonian town Valga are twins, separated by the Estonian/Latvian border but using the slogan "One Town, Two States". The border dividing the Livonian town of Walk was marked out in 1920 by an international jury headed by...
). Through British mediation, the conflict was resolved and Valga was divided between the two countries.
The coalition consisted of the three major parties in the parliament: Tõnisson's People's Party with the social democratic ESDTP and the centre-left Labour Party. On 1 July 1920, ESDTP left the coalition because of ideological differences and the entire cabinet fell on 28 July 1920, after Tõnisson failed to find a new coalition partner.
A new head of government was hard to find. Members of the Labour Party failed in the attempt to find support and another member of the People's Party, Ado Birk was chosen to head the new cabinet. He however, also didn't get the support of the Constituent Assembly and his cabinet was in office only nominally for three days. From 30 July 1920 to 26 October 1920, Jaan Tõnisson headed his second cabinet as Prime Minister in the one-party coalition.
The Estonian People's Party quickly lost its popularity and became one of the smallest parties in the parliament, getting only 10 in the 1920
Estonian parliamentary election, 1920
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1920 to form the I Riigikogu were held from 27 to 29 November 1920. Those were the first elections by the constitution of 1920. 100 deputies were elected into the new parliament by party lists in 10 regions, by which one party or electoral bloc could put up several...
, 8 in the 1923
Estonian parliamentary election, 1923
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1923 to form the II Riigikogu were held from May 5-7, 1923. There were some controversies - some lists, most remarkably Communist, were declared void before the elections because of electoral law violations, and the results gave Estonia its most fragmented...
and the 1926
Estonian parliamentary election, 1926
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1926 to form the III Riigikogu were held in 15.-17. may of 1926. Before those elections the electoral law was changed to create more stability:1. the system of bonds was introduced;2...
and 9 of the 101 seats in the 1929 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1929
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1929 to form the 4th Riigikogu were held on 11–13 May 1929.-Results:Eligible voters: 712,670 Turnout: 508,106 Invalid votes: 3,110 ; 0.6%...
to the Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
. Tõnisson himself however remained popular and despite the few seats in the Riigikogu, the Estonian People's Party was a coalition member in nine of the twelve cabinets between 1920 and 1932. A prominent member of the People's Party, Jüri Jaakson
Jüri Jaakson
Jüri Jaakson VR III/1 was an Estonian businessman and politician....
, was even State Elder of the grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
cabinet after the Communist coup attempt from 1924 to 1925. From 7 June 1923 to 27 May 1925, Tõnisson served as the President (speaker) of the Riigikogu.
Jaan Tõnisson formed his third cabinet on 9 December 1927, for the first time as State Elder. It was another wide coalition with the Labour Party, Settlers' party and Farmers' Assemblies. The government fell on 4 December 1928.
Tõnisson returned to big politics on 12 February 1931, when he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Estonian Government. The Minister is one of the most important members of the Estonian government, with responsibility for the relations between Estonia and foreign states.The Foreign Minister is...
in Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
's cabinet. During the early 1930s, political climate in Estonia changed. In October 1931, the Christian People's Party merged into the Estonian People's Party which joined with the Estonian Labour Party to form the National Centre Party in early 1932. Three major parties had emerged in the Riigikogu, the left-wing Estonian Socialist Workers' Party, the centrist National Centre Party and the right-wing United Farmers' Party. Päts's cabinet resigned, but Tõnisson remained in the same office also in Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant was an Estonian lawyer and politician.Teemant studied in H. Treffner's Private High School. In 1901 he graduated from the Department of Law the St. Petersburg University. He was a solicitor in Tallinn. In 1904–1905 was a member of the Tallinn Municipal Council...
's cabinet until it also resigned on 19 July 1932.
The 1932 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1932
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1932 were held 21-23 May 1932. Before those elections major shifts occurred on the political landscape. The Farmers Unions and Settler's party joined forces into the United Peasants Party...
brought the National Centre Party 23 of the 101 seats in the Riigikogu, making it the second biggest party in the parliament. Tõnisson then served Tõnisson served again as the President (speaker) of the Riigikogu from 19 July 1932 to 18 May 1933.
Due to economical differences, the National Centre Party had left the governing coalition and Jaan Tõnisson formed his fourth cabinet on 18 May 1933. The refounded Settlers' party, that had again seceded from the United Farmers' Party, was the only coalition partner for the People's Party.
Decisions of Tõnisson's government during the financial crisis in 1932
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
led to a total decline in his personal popularity, though the policies would help the state out of the crisis. In a referendum in 1933, the voters adopted an authoritarian constitution, which would lead to Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
coming to power in 1934. Päts soon suspended the activities of both the political parties and the parliament also imposed limits to civil liberty, disbanding the parliament in 1934 and all political parties in 1935.
With the changing situation in Estonia, Tõnisson became the leader of the democratic opposition. As a result the government expropriated his newspaper Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
, though that did not keep Tõnisson from promoting democratic ideals.
The semi-democratic elections of 1938
Estonian parliamentary election, 1938
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 24 and 25 February 1938. The National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution was the only party to contest the election, and won 64 of the 80 seats...
, Tõnisson was re-elected to the State Assembly (Riigivolikogu), the lower chamber of the Riigikogu, where he continued fighting for the total restoration of democracy in Estonia.
By 1939 though, Estonia was considered to be in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
. And in 1940 Estonia was completely occupied by the Soviet Union. Tõnisson tried to influence President
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. He was one of the first Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics...
on resisting the Soviet occupation, at least symbolically, but Päts had already decided to surrender unresistingly.
In the summer of 1940 Tõnisson started an extensive campaign, organising the nomination of rival candidates to the communist ones in the elections of the Soviet puppet parliament of Estonia. The Soviets, wanting complete control of the parliament, removed their rivals by forceful means.
Membership in the parliament:
- 1917–1919 Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev)
- 1919–1920 Estonian Constituent AssemblyEstonian Constituent AssemblyThe Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...
- 1920–1923 I RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1923–1926 II RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1926–1929 III RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1929–1932 IV RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1932-1934/1937 V RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1938–1940 VI Riigikogu – RiigivolikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
Disappearance
Soviet authorities arrested Tõnisson in autumn 1940 and put him on trial. During his trial, Tõnisson neither regretted anything nor gave up any information about other politicians who opposed the Soviets. The exact whereabouts of Tõnisson after the trial and the circumstances of his death remain a mystery. The most credible speculation about his death centres on Tõnisson being shot dead in TallinnTallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
during the first days of July in 1941. His place of burial is unknown.
Tõnisson's moral views and honorable death inspired Estonians for decades to symbolically resist to the Soviet regime and to eventually regain independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. A memorial to Tõnisson was erected in Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
in 1999.
Awards
1920 – Cross of Liberty II/III1920 – Cross of Liberty III/I
1925 – Cross of Liberty I/III
1928 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
Order of the Estonian Red Cross
The Order of the Estonian Red Cross was instituted in 1920 by the Estonian Red Cross Society. The Order of the Estonian Red Cross is bestowed in order to give recognition for humanitarian services rendered in the interests of the Estonian people and for the saving of life.-Classes:The Order of the...
I/I
1930 – Order of the Cross of the Eagle
Order of the Cross of the Eagle
The Order of the Cross of the Eagle was instituted in 1928 by the Estonian Defence League to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Estonian independence. It was adopted as a state order in 1936.The Order of the Cross of the Eagle is bestowed to give recognition for military services and services...
I
1938 – Order of the White Star
Order of the White Star
The Order of the White Star was instituted on 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state.- Classes :The Order of the White Star comprises five classes:...
I