User:Petri Krohn/Restoration of Estonian independence

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The re-establishment or restoration of Estonia's pre-war independence is an ongoing process, as well a political aim of Estonian nationalist. The restoration consist of cutting all political, historic, legal, linguistic, and demographic ties to Estonia's past as a Soviet Socialist Republic. The declaration of independence by the Estonian SSR in 1991 was only one step in this process. The aim of supporters of the restoration is to re-establish Estonia as an monolingual, Estonian language nation state. A final step in the process is the removal of symbols of Soviet Estonia, including war memorials of the Great Patriotic War.


opponets see it as an establisment of a...


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[edit] History

In Imperial Russia, the territory of present-day Estonia was divided among one and a half provinces in two different Governorates Unlike its northern neighbour, the Grand Duchy of Finland, it did not have any centraliced government.

With the collapse of the Russian Empire in World War I, Russia's Provisional Government granted national autonomy to Estonia in April. A popularly elected assembly (Maapäev) was formed but was quickly forced underground by the Bolsheviks. The Committee of Elders of the underground Maapäev proclaimed the Republic of Estonia on February 24, 1918, one day before German troops invaded. After the collapse of the short-lived United Baltic Duchy and the withdrawal of German troops in November 1918, an Estonian provisional Government retook office. A military invasion by Soviet Russia followed a few days later, however, marking the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920). The Estonian army cleared the entire territory of Estonia of Soviet troops by February 1919. On February 2, 1920, the Treaty of Tartu was signed by the Republic of Estonia and Bolshevist Russia. The terms of the treaty stated that Russia renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia. The Republic of Estonia obtained international recognition and became a member of the League of Nations in 1921.

In Russia, Estonian independence was only supported by Vladimir Lenin and followers, as part of his national policy of self-determination.

[edit] Soviet Estonia

Soviet rule saw an increase in the Russian speaking population. Most of these were economic migrants, who had been drawn to Estonia by its rapid post-war industrialization and the major Soviet construction projects undertaken mostly in the northeastern regions of of Estonia. A large number of non-Estonians also served in the Red Army or worked in Soviet military bases. By the 1980s, over a third of Estonia's population were non-Estonians.

Throughout the Soviet period the Estonian language had a strong position in Estonia, with Estonian languege literature, an Estonian press, Estonian shools and university education. (Only the department of sports medicine at the University of Tartu, the main unit in its field in the whole USSR, offered teaching in Russian.) Estonian nationalists however saw this influx of Russian as a threat to the Estonian language and Estonia's position as a nation.

After the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev to power in 1985, calls were made for increased Estonian autonomy.

[edit] Restoration

In 1991 the Estonian SSR, under premier minister Edgar Savisaar and Communist president Arnold Rüütel, declared itself independent from the Soviet Union.

In 1992, under prime minister Mart Laar, the pre-war citizenship law was reinstated, reserving Estonian citizenship to descendants of pre-1940 citizens. Ex-Soviet citizens could apply for Estonian citizenship after passing an Estonian language and history exam.[1]

In 1992, 32% of Estonian residents lacked any form of citizenship. Of the ethnic non-Estonians approximately one third have received Estonian citizenship, one third have opted for Russian citizenship (or may hold illegal dual citizenship[2]) and a third have no citizenship at all. In April 2006, the Population Registry of the Estonian Ministry of the Interior reported that 9% of Estonia's residents have undefined citizenship and 7.4% have foreign citizenship.[3] While there have been calls for the return of all non-Estonians to Russia, the official government policy has been of integration, demanding that all residents of Estonia learn the Estonian language on a basic level.[1]

The issue of post-WWII history is at the core of the ethnic issues in Estonia. Non-Russian ethnic Estonians widely regard the period of Soviet Estonia as an illegal occupation of the Baltic States, a viewpoint that is the official position of the Estonian Government as well as major Western powers such as the US. As a consequence, the ethnic Russian and other non-native population that immigrated during the Soviet occupation have been labeled by some as illegal occupiers.

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[edit] Estonian SSR (independent)

{Infobox Former Country |native_name = Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistlik Vabariik |conventional_long_name = Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic |common_name = Estonia |continent = Europe |region = Nordic countries |status = Unrecognized state |year_start = 1988 |year_end = 1990 |date_start = November 16 |date_end = May 8 |event_start = Declaration of independence |event_end = Republic restored |event1= Referendum |date_event1 = May 3 |p1 = Estonian SSR |flag_p1= Flag of Estonian SSR.svg |s1 = Republic of Estonia (1990-1991) |flag_s1= Flag of Estonia.svg |image_flag = Flag of Estonian SSR.svg |image_coat = COA Estonian SSR.png |image_map = LocationEstonia.png |image_map_caption = Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic |capital = Tallinn |government_type = Socialist republic |legislature = Supreme Soviet |title_leader= Chairman of the Presidium ¹ |leader1 = Arnold Rüütel |title_deputy = Premier ² |deputy1 = Edgar Savisaar |common_languages= Estonian, Russian |currency = Soviet ruble |footnotes=¹ Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR (Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu Presiidiumi esimees)
² Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Estonian SSR (Eesti NSV Ministrite Nõukogu esimees) }}

The independent Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, short: Estonian SSR (in Estonian: iseseisev Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistlik Vabariik, short: Eesti NSV) was a short-lived country located on the present territory of Estonia, 1988 - 1990. Estonian SSR had land borders to the south with Latvian SSR (339 km) and Soviet Union (229 km) to the east.

As the situation developed, in Estonian SSR a movement for more self-governance started. In the beginning, at the period of 1987-1989 it was partially for more economic independence but as the Soviet Union weakened and it became increasingly obvious that nothing short of full independence would do, and the country began a course towards self-determination.

The Supreme Council of Estonian SSR proclaimed Estonia an independent republic on November 16, 1988.

The flag of Estonia.
The flag of Estonia.

The flag of Estonia remained illegal until the days of perestroika in the late 1980s and the independent Estonian SSR, when on 24 February 1989 the blue-black-white flag was again flown from the Pikk Hermann tower in Tallinn. In 1989 a major landmark demonstration was held for more independence, called The Baltic Way. During the demonstration a human chain consisting of more than two million people was formed through all of the three Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (the latter two former Baltic and then Soviet states had and continue to have similar fates and aspirations as Estonia). The leadership of the 'Estonian SSR' renamed the state the 'Republic of Estonia' again on May 8, 1990.

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[edit] Republic of Estonia (1990-1991)

{Infobox Former Country |native_name = Eesti Vabariik |conventional_long_name = Republic of Estonia |common_name = Estonia |continent = Europe |region = Nordic countries |status = Unrecognized state |year_start = 1990 |year_end = 1991 |date_start = May 8 |date_end = August 20 |event_start = Restoration |event_end = Regained sovereignty |event_pre = Declaration of independence |date_pre = November 16, 1988 |p1 = Estonian SSR (independent) |flag_p1= Flag of Estonia.svg |s1 = Estonia |flag_s1= Flag of Estonia.svg |image_flag = Flag of Estonia.svg |image_coat = Coat of arms of Estonia.svg |image_map = LocationEstonia.png |image_map_caption = Republic of Estonia |religion= |capital = Tallinn |government_type = Republic |legislature = Supreme Soviet |title_leader= Chairman of the Presidium ¹ |leader1 = Arnold Rüütel |title_deputy = Premier ² |deputy1 = Edgar Savisaar |common_languages= Estonian, Russian |currency = Soviet ruble |footnotes=¹ Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR (Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu Presiidiumi esimees)
² Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Estonian SSR (Eesti NSV Ministrite Nõukogu esimees) }}

The Republic of Estonia, short: Estonia (in Estonian: Eesti Vabariik, short: Eesti) was a short-lived country located on the present territory of Estonia, 1990 - 1991. The Republic of Estonia had land borders to the south with Latvian SSR (339 km) and Soviet Union (229 km) to the east.

On March 3, 1990, a referendum was held on the question of Estonia’s independence. 82.9 % of all the eligible voters took part, 77.8 of whom voted for independent Estonia (almost all Estonians and about 30 % of non-Estonians).

The leadership of the 'Estonian SSR (independent)' renamed the state The 'Republic of Estonia' again on May 8, 1990. On May 8 the Supreme Council passed the law on Estonian national symbols; Estonian SSR became the Republic of Estonia; blue-black-white were taken as state colours and the 1937 Constitution’s paragraphs 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 were implemented. The first of them stated that ‘Estonia is an independent and sovereign republic where the highest power belongs to people.’ Soon the previous independence period’s flag and coat of arms were made lawful. Moscow’s proposal of a special status in the Soviet Union on the basis of a confederation pact, was rejected. A decision by the Estonian Supreme Council of May 16, 1990, established that the judicial system of the Republic of Estonia was to be founded on the will of the Estonian people and universally recognised norms of international law. Estonia gradually moved away from the Soviet Union: the legislative, executive and court power were separated from the corresponding Soviet institutions, the leading role of the Communist Party of Estland was abolished and a pluralist political system was established. On the way to full independence, the victims of Soviet persecution were rehabilitated, and the Estonian economic border was fixed. With the privatisation of small enterprises and restoration of farms, the country started its path towards a market economy. During the days of the August 1991 coup attempt the Estonian Supreme Council confirmed once more the national sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia and requested that diplomatic relations be restored on the basis of continuity. [citation needed]

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