Occupation of Estonia by German Empire
Encyclopedia
The occupation of Estonia by the German Empire occurred during the later stages of the First World War. On October 11–21, 1917, when the Imperial German Army occupied the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), consisting of the islands of Saaremaa
(Ösel), Hiiumaa
(Dagö), and Muhu
(Mühn). To put on the pressure against the new Bolshevik
regime of Soviet Russia
to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk the Germans landed on the mainland of Estonia
on February 18, 1918 and marched in Haapsalu
(Hapsal) on February 21, 1918. The Germans occupied Valga (Walk
) on February 22, Pärnu
(Pernau), Viljandi
(Fellin), Tartu
(Dorpat) on February 24. Tallinn
(Revel), was occupied on February 25, 1918 and the rest of Estonia, last town taken being Narva
, on March 4, 1918, putting an end to both the republican regime which had declared Estonia's independence
on February 24, 1918 at Tallinn
, and the rule of local Russian-Estonian Red Guards
. The last Red Guards escaped over River Narva on March 5, 1918. Lieutenant General Adolf von Seckendorff arrived in Tallinn
(Revel) on February 28, 1918. He had acted as Military Commander of Third Kommandatur at the head of the German military administration of the West Estonian archipelago. In 1918 Estonia became part of the German Ober Ost
military administration for Curonia, Estonia
, Livonia, Ösel
, and Riga
.
, was sunk during the Battle of Moon Sound
just outside Muhu island. The Imperial German Army used its 60th Corps (19th Infantry Division, 77th Reserve Division, and 4th Cavalry Division) to attack Northern Livonia and Estonia. The 6th Corps (205th and 219th Infantry Divisions, and 1st Cavalry Division) attacked from West Estonian archipelago to Lihula, Virtsu, and Haapsalu.
of the Estonian National Council, Maapäev
, declared the independence of Estonia on 24 February 1918. However, the German forces did not recognise the independence.
On March 23, 1918 the Commander of German 68th Corps declared the just formed Estonian Army illegal. The arrests of the leaders of the national independence movement started in June 1918. The elected head of state Konstantin Päts
was sent to Germany to be kept in prison. During this whole period the Estonian Salvation Committee continued its underground activities
, entering into relation with the Western Allied powers. Great Britain recognised Estonian independence (de facto) on May 3, 1918, followed by France on May 18, and Italy on May 29, 1918, giving the committee a legal status of the representative of the Estonian nation.
After the German Revolution
, between 11 and 14 November 1918 the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power in Estonia to the national government. The Russian Bolshevik invasion and The Estonian War of Independence followed. On 2 February 1920, the Peace Treaty of Tartu
was signed by the Republic of Estonia and Bolshevist Russia
. The Republic of Estonia obtained international recognition and became a member of the League of Nations
in 1921.
. When signing the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk on March 3, 1918 Soviet Russia formally transferred Estonia to German military administration, its future status having to be determined later.
On April 12, 1918 the German Balts assembled Landesversammlung at Riga
asking the forming of United Duchy of Estland, Livland and Kurland to be incorporated to Imperial Germany in personal union with Hohenzollern family, a request presented by the Landesrat in Riga to the Emperor of Germany.
), but the rest of the country were divided and administrated as Amtsbezirgs and smaller Ortsbezirgs. Usually representatives of the Baltic nobility
(Baltic German
feudal landowners) were appointed as local heads of administration. All Estonian language
newspapers, except the German minded Rewaler Tagesblatt / Tallinna Päevaleht were forbidden. This situation lasted until November 10, 1918. Germany denounced the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
with all its (then secret) additional protocols on 5 November 1918. August Winnig, the last German representative in Estonia signed the treaty with the Estonian Provisional Government
on November 19, 1918 giving all the administration power to the Estonian Provisional Government. Soviet Russia invaded Estonia on November 28, 1918, starting the Estonian War of Independence.
, Livonia and Ösel
- were set up as German advance progressed. The military administrators were at first subordinated to the Ober Ost 1917 -
1918 and then to the Head of the Military Administration of the Baltic Lands.
, the major island)
Head of the Military Administration
Verwaltungschefs
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
(Ösel), Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the West Estonian archipelago. Its largest town is Kärdla.-Name:...
(Dagö), and Muhu
Muhu
Muhu , is an island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 198 km² it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa....
(Mühn). To put on the pressure against the new 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....
regime of Soviet Russia
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....
to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk the Germans landed on the mainland of Estonia
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...
on February 18, 1918 and marched in Haapsalu
Haapsalu
Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It's the administrative centre of Lääne County and has a population of 11,618 ....
(Hapsal) on February 21, 1918. The Germans occupied Valga (Walk
Walk, Livonia
Walk was the historical German name for the town that is now divided into Valga in Estonia and Valka in Latvia. After 1419 it was the seat of the Landtag of the Livonian Confederation.-See also:*List of German exonyms for places in Estonia...
) on February 22, Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
(Pernau), 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....
(Fellin), 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...
(Dorpat) on February 24. Tallinn
Tallinn
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...
(Revel), was occupied on February 25, 1918 and the rest of Estonia, last town taken being Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
, on March 4, 1918, putting an end to both the republican regime which had declared Estonia's independence
Estonian Declaration of Independence
The Estonian Declaration of Independence, also known as the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia , is the founding act of the Republic of Estonia from 1918. It is celebrated on 24 February, the National Day or Estonian Independence Day....
on February 24, 1918 at Tallinn
Tallinn
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...
, and the rule of local Russian-Estonian Red Guards
Red Guards (Russia)
In the context of the history of Russia and Soviet Union, Red Guards were paramilitary formations consisting of workers and partially of soldiers and sailors formed in the time frame of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. The last Red Guards escaped over River Narva on March 5, 1918. Lieutenant General Adolf von Seckendorff arrived in Tallinn
Tallinn
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...
(Revel) on February 28, 1918. He had acted as Military Commander of Third Kommandatur at the head of the German military administration of the West Estonian archipelago. In 1918 Estonia became part of the German Ober Ost
Ober Ost
Ober Ost is short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is a German term meaning "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East" during World War I. In practice it refers not only to said commander, but also to his governing military staff and the district...
military administration for Curonia, Estonia
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
, Livonia, Ösel
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
, and Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
.
German Occupation
During the occupation of Estonia the Germans suffered total 368 dead and about 1400 wounded soldiers. They took 20.000 Russian POW's and captured several Russian warships. One older Russian warship, battleship SlavaRussian battleship Slava
Slava was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy, the last of the five s. Commissioned too late to participate in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War, she survived while all of her sister ships were either sunk during the battle or surrendered to the Imperial...
, was sunk during the Battle of Moon Sound
Battle of Moon Sound
The Battle of Moon Sound was a naval battle in World War I, fought on 17 October 1917 between naval forces of the German and Russian Empires in the Baltic Sea....
just outside Muhu island. The Imperial German Army used its 60th Corps (19th Infantry Division, 77th Reserve Division, and 4th Cavalry Division) to attack Northern Livonia and Estonia. The 6th Corps (205th and 219th Infantry Divisions, and 1st Cavalry Division) attacked from West Estonian archipelago to Lihula, Virtsu, and Haapsalu.
Estonian Declaration of Independence
Between retreating Russian and advancing German troops, the Occupation of Estonia by the German Empire approaching, the Salvation CommitteeSalvation Committee
The Estonian Salvation Committee was the executive body of the Estonian Provincial Assembly that issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence....
of the Estonian National Council, Maapäev
Maapäev
The Estonian Provincial Assembly was elected after the February Revolution in 1917 as the national diet of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia in Russian Empire....
, declared the independence of Estonia on 24 February 1918. However, the German forces did not recognise the independence.
On March 23, 1918 the Commander of German 68th Corps declared the just formed Estonian Army illegal. The arrests of the leaders of the national independence movement started in June 1918. The elected head of state 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...
was sent to Germany to be kept in prison. During this whole period the Estonian Salvation Committee continued its underground activities
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
, entering into relation with the Western Allied powers. Great Britain recognised Estonian independence (de facto) on May 3, 1918, followed by France on May 18, and Italy on May 29, 1918, giving the committee a legal status of the representative of the Estonian nation.
After the German Revolution
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
, between 11 and 14 November 1918 the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power in Estonia to the national government. The Russian Bolshevik invasion and The Estonian War of Independence followed. On 2 February 1920, the Peace Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)
Tartu Peace Treaty or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed on February 2, 1920 ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognises" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in...
was signed by the Republic of Estonia and Bolshevist Russia
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....
. The Republic of Estonia obtained international recognition and became a member of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in 1921.
United Baltic Duchy
The Baltic German minority tried to found the United Baltic DuchyUnited Baltic Duchy
The proposed United Baltic Duchy also known as the Grand Duchy of Livonia was a state proposed by the Baltic German nobility and exiled Russian nobility after the Russian revolution and German occupation of the Courland, Livonian and Estonian governorates of the Russian Empire.The idea comprised...
. When signing the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk on March 3, 1918 Soviet Russia formally transferred Estonia to German military administration, its future status having to be determined later.
On April 12, 1918 the German Balts assembled Landesversammlung at Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
asking the forming of United Duchy of Estland, Livland and Kurland to be incorporated to Imperial Germany in personal union with Hohenzollern family, a request presented by the Landesrat in Riga to the Emperor of Germany.
Ober Ost
Tallinn, Tartu, and Narva were placed direct under the German military administration (Ober OstOber Ost
Ober Ost is short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is a German term meaning "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East" during World War I. In practice it refers not only to said commander, but also to his governing military staff and the district...
), but the rest of the country were divided and administrated as Amtsbezirgs and smaller Ortsbezirgs. Usually representatives of the Baltic nobility
Baltic nobility
The Baltic nobility was the privileged social class in the territories of today's Estonia and Latvia. It existed continuously since the medieval foundation of Terra Mariana...
(Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
feudal landowners) were appointed as local heads of administration. All Estonian language
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
newspapers, except the German minded Rewaler Tagesblatt / Tallinna Päevaleht were forbidden. This situation lasted until November 10, 1918. Germany denounced the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
with all its (then secret) additional protocols on 5 November 1918. August Winnig, the last German representative in Estonia signed the treaty with the Estonian Provisional Government
Estonian 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...
on November 19, 1918 giving all the administration power to the Estonian Provisional Government. Soviet Russia invaded Estonia on November 28, 1918, starting the Estonian War of Independence.
German military administrators
Three German military administrations (Etappenverwaltungen) - EstoniaGovernorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
, Livonia and Ösel
Ösel
Ösel may refer to:* The Swedish and German name for Saaremaa, Estonia* Ösel - the Yoga of the Clear Light* Tenzin Ösel Rinpoche - Spanish-born Tibetan Buddhist and tulku*Ösel Tendzin, an American-born Tibetan Buddhist...
- were set up as German advance progressed. The military administrators were at first subordinated to the Ober Ost 1917 -
1918 and then to the Head of the Military Administration of the Baltic Lands.
Ösel
(for the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), Ösel being the German name for SaaremaaSaaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
, the major island)
Head of the Military Administration
Verwaltungschefs
- October 1917 - February 1918 Gen. Franz Adolf, Freiherr von Seckendorff (1857)
- March 1918 - November 1918 Gen. ... von Balk
- 1918 - Gen. Franz Adolf, Freiherr von Seckendorff