Soviet Republic of Naissaar
Encyclopedia
The Soviet Republic of Soldiers and Fortress-Builders of Naissaar was a revolution
ary state that during the First World War
controlled the Estonian island of Naissaar
(Swedish
: Nargö; German
: Nargen) in 1917-1918 for a brief period after the October Revolution
and prior to the Occupation of Estonia by German Empire
.
to Russia
. 28 November (15 November) 1917 the Maapäev
(Provincial Diet) refused to recognize the new Bolshevik
rule and proclaimed itself the supreme legal authority in Estonia. At the time, the most important fortification system in the area, called Peter the Great's Naval Fortress
, was located at the narrowest point of Gulf of Finland
. It included heavy coastal artillery
batteries in the area of Estonia's capital Tallinn
(Reval) and the nearby island of Naissaar. At the time, anarchosyndicalist Stepan Petrichenko
was transferred to Tallinn.
In December 1917, the revolutionary sailors of the battleship Petropavlovsk took power on the small island of Naissaar and proclaimed an independent Soviet republic
there. The Russian sailors, numbering about 80-90, formed the government. The Republic of Estonia
formally declared independence on February 23, 1918, only to be forcibly occupied and annexed by the German Empire
. Between February and November 1918, the Germans - who had already occupied the Estonian islands (Hiiumaa
, Muhu
and Saaremaa
) in 1917 - also occupied Tallinn and the rest of Estonia, for the time being putting an end to both the Republican and the Soviet regimes. On February 26, 1918, the government of Naissaar evacuated from the island.
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
ary state that during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
controlled the Estonian island of Naissaar
Naissaar
Naissaar is an island northwest of Tallinn in Estonia. The island covers an area of 18.6 km². It is 13-14 km long and 6 km wide, and lies about 8.5 km from the mainland. The highest point on the island is Kunilamägi, which is 27 meters above sea-level. The island consists predominantly of...
(Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: Nargö; German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Nargen) in 1917-1918 for a brief period 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...
and prior to the Occupation of Estonia by German Empire
Occupation of Estonia by German Empire
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 , consisting of the islands of Saaremaa , Hiiumaa , and Muhu...
.
History
On November 5, 1917, the October Revolution spread from EstoniaEstonia
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...
to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. 28 November (15 November) 1917 the 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....
(Provincial Diet) refused to recognize 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....
rule and proclaimed itself the supreme legal authority in Estonia. At the time, the most important fortification system in the area, called Peter the Great's Naval Fortress
Peter the Great's Naval Fortress
Peter the Great's naval fortress or the Tallinn-Porkkala defence station was a Russian fortification line, which aimed to block access to the Russian capital Saint Petersburg via the sea. The plans for the fortress included heavy coastal artillery pieces along the northern and southern shores of...
, was located at the narrowest point of Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. It included heavy coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
batteries in the area of Estonia's capital 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...
(Reval) and the nearby island of Naissaar. At the time, anarchosyndicalist Stepan Petrichenko
Stepan Petrichenko
Stepan Maximovich Petrichenko , was a Russian revolutionary, an anarcho-syndicalist politician, one of the main leaders of the Third Russian Revolution, the head of the Soviet Republic of Soldiers and Fortress-Builders of Nargen and in 1921, de facto leader of the Kronstadt Commune, and the leader...
was transferred to Tallinn.
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
there. The Russian sailors, numbering about 80-90, formed the government. The Republic 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...
formally declared independence on February 23, 1918, only to be forcibly occupied and annexed by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. Between February and November 1918, the Germans - who had already occupied the Estonian islands (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:...
, 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....
and Saaremaa
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...
) in 1917 - also occupied Tallinn and the rest of Estonia, for the time being putting an end to both the Republican and the Soviet regimes. On February 26, 1918, the government of Naissaar evacuated from the island.
See also
- Kronstadt Commune
- Kronstadt rebellionKronstadt rebellionThe Kronstadt rebellion was one of many major unsuccessful left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks in the aftermath of the Russian Civil War...
- Soviet RepublicSoviet (council)Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....