Estonian uprising of 1924

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The Estonian uprising of 1924 (Estonian: 1. detsembri ülestõus) was a failed coup attempt staged by Communists in Estonia on December 1, 1924. Of 350 insurrectionists, 125 were killed in exchanges of fire; later more than 500 people were arrested. The government forces lost 26 men.

[edit] Planning the uprising

The plan for the coup d'état was hatched by Jaan Anvelt and Karl Rimm, a veteran of the Russian Civil War. The plan envisaged the main attack to occur in Tallinn, with Communists subsequently seizing power in Tartu, Narva, Pärnu, Viljandi, Rakvere, Kunda, and Kohila.

The uprising was supposed to start on December 1, 1924, at 5:15 a.m. The revolutionaries were armed with 3 light machine guns, 55 rifles, 65 hand grenades, 8 explosive devices and 150 pistols. It was expected that the workers and soldiers would join the uprising and together they would seize power in Tallinn. The plan called for the establishment of an Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic and of a working people's government.

Most of the plans were spoiled by the Trial of the 149 in November 1924, which eliminated many Communists organising the uprising.

In Tallinn the first priority was to take over a military college in Tondi, then a railway station in Tallinn-Väike and a battallion of engineering troops in Nõmme.

[edit] Uprising

On the evening of November 30, 1924, the men preparing the attack on the military college were to gather at the Reimann house about one kilometre from the college. There were supposed to be 140 men present, but only 56 of them turned up. They were armed with one light machine gun, four rifles, some pistols and hand grenades. Three messengers were appointed to keep in touch with other groups and the headquarters.

The insurgents started to move on December 1, 1924, at 5:00 a.m. At the time there were 450 cadets, non-commissioned officers and officers in the military college. The officer on duty was Lieutenant Joosep Lääne, assisted by a cadet. Three-member guard had just returned to the building after their patrol.

When the insurgents reached their target, they attacked the dormitory of cadets, throwing hand grenades into windows and shooting sleeping cadets on the ground floor. Three guardsmen assisted by four artillery cadets who had managed to get 9 mm automatic pistols from the armory blocked the way to the first floor and opened fire on the attackers. This gave the cadets on the first floor time to get their guns from the armory and launch a counterattack, forcing the attackers to retreat. At the same time a smaller group of insurgents had attacked the cadets' casino. The casino was empty as the officer on duty and his assistant had left the building.

A patrol of cadets stopped a car coming from the city. Seeing armed cadets, the driver tried to escape, but he and his companions were caught and brought to the military academy. Two of them turned out to be brothers of an insurgent, Rudolf Vakmann, who had been sent to bring weapons from the academy. A court-martial comprised of three officers was formed. After a quick investigation it sentenced all seven defendants to death. The sentence was carried out late that night.

Nine cadets were wounded during the uprising. Cadets Arnold Allebras, Aleksander Teder, Aleksander Tomson and August Udras were killed.

Another strike team of insurgents attacked Toompea Castle, where the offices of the State Elder, Parliament and Government were located. A third group entered the apartment of the State Elder behind the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The State Elder, Friedrich Akel, managed to escape through the back door.

The rebels were successful in capturing the military airfield and barracks of the air division in Lasnamäe, where some soldiers joined them. However, the additional units that soon arrived forced the attackers to retreat. Two air force lieutenants were court-martialled for their collaboration with the attackers and sentenced to death. Seeing their failure, the attackers hijacked two military aircraft and tried to escape to the Soviet Union. One of the planes was forced to land close to Narva, but the other plane managed to cross the border unharmed.

In the motorised division the insurgents got some help from a non-commissioned officer, took over the tank garage and damaged some of the tanks, rendering them immovable. After the non-commissioned officer Loorents was shot by Rudolf Kaptein, another non-commissioned officer, the insurgents ran away.

Another group took over the main railway station, arrested the officer of the day and killed several police officers. As all passenger trains were halted by the insurgents, the Minister of Roads, Karl Kark, decided to check personally on the situation. He was shot and mortally wounded on the stairs of the railway station.

An exchange of fire also took place on the corner of Vene and Apteegi Streets in the Old Town where the Main Post Office was located. The Chief of Tartu garrison, General Ernst Põdder, was on an errand in Tallinn and was having a drink in a casino with his friends. Early in the morning they noticed an exchange of fire in the street and rushed into the battle.

By 10:00 a.m. the government forces had the situation under control and had retaken all buildings captured by the rebels.

[edit] Aftermath

Although the insurgency was over in five hours, the manhunt for insurgents continued for several days.

On December 5, 1924, a battle took place near Tallinn in Iru. Police officers shot three prominent Communists – Arnold Sommerling, Evald Ambos and Osvald Piiri. On December 7 there was a police operation in Vilmsi Street in Tallinn. The police raided a house at 50 Vilmsi Street and shot three Communists – G. Kreuks, V. Bogdanov and R. Pälson.

Some of the main organisers, including Jaan Anvelt and Rudolf Vakmann, managed to escape to the Soviet Union. Later they were arrested and executed by Soviet authorities during the Great Purge.

The government awarded the Cross of Freedom to ten people for their contribution in crushing the uprising: Johan Laidoner, Johan Unt, Hermann Rossländer, Rudolf Aaman, Richard Brücker, Rudolf Kaptein, August Keng, Alfred Klemmer, Albert Pesur and August Schaurup. This was the last occasion that this award was granted to someone.

In 1974 a monument to the rebels was opened across the road from the main railway station. It was demolished at the beginning of the 1990s. People used to joke that this was the only monument in the world that managed to portray all the participants of the uprising (there were less than ten figures pictured).