Autonomous Governorate of Estonia

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Governorate of Estonia

Governorate of the Russian Empire

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1917 – 1918

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The joined governorates was located approximately on the later territory of Estonia (at the top in light brown).

Capital

Tallinn

Government

Autonomous governorate

History

- Local autonomy

April 12, 1917

- Republic est.¹

February 24, 1918

- Disestablished

1918

¹ Declaration of independence for the Republic of Estonia

The local autonomy in Estonia (Russian: Эстляндия) 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 (guberniyas). The Governorate of Estonia in the north corresponded roughly to the area of Danish Estonia and the northern portion of Governorate of Livonia that had a majority of ethnic Estonians. These two areas were amalgamated on April 12 (March 30 Old Style) by administrative reforms of the Russian Provisional Government.

Elections for a provisional parliament, Maapäev was organized, with the Menshevik and Bolshevik fractions of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party taking a share of the vote. On November 5, 1917, two days before the October Revolution in Saint Petersburg, Estonian Bolshevik leader Jaan Anvelt led his leftist gang in an anti-democratic coup in Tallinn, attempting to usurp political power in governorate from governor Jaan Poska on November 9. On November 28 (November 15) 1917 the Maapäev, refusing to recognize the attempted Bolshevik coup d'etat, proclaimed itself to be the only legally elected and constituted authority in Estonia. However it was soon driven underground by the Bolsheviks. On 5-7 April 1919, during the Estonian War of Independence elections for the Estonian Constituent Assembly were arranged, anti-Bolshevik parties again winning the majority.

In February, after the collapse of the peace talks between Soviet Russia and the German Empire, mainland Estonia was occupied by the Germans. Bolshevik forces retreated to Russia. On 23 February 1918, one day before German forces entered Tallinn, the Salvation Committee of the Estonian National Council Maapäev emerged from underground and issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence. Although it took nearly 9 months for Estonia to be liberated from German occupation, this date is still celebrated as Estonia's independence day.