Konstantin Päts
Encyclopedia
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 (23 February 1874 – 18 January 1956) 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. He was condemned to death during the 1905 Revolution
, but managed to flee first to Switzerland
, then to Finland
, where he continued his literary work. He returned to Estonia, but had to spend time in prison in 1910–1911.
In 1917, Päts headed the Provincial Government of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
, but was forced to go underground after the October Revolution
. On 19 February 1918, Päts became one of the three members of the Estonian Salvation Committee, that issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence
on 24 February. Konstantin Päts headed the Estonian Provisional Government
(1918–1919), although being imprisoned during the German Occupation. In the Provisional Government, Päts also served as Minister of Internal Affairs
(1918) and Minister of War
(1918–1919), that left him organizing Estonian troops for the War of Independence.
During the 1920s and early 1930s, Päts led the most right-wing party of the major political parties of the time – Farmers' Assemblies, that eventually merged into the United Farmers Party in 1932. Päts was the speaker of the Riigikogu (1922–1923) and served five times as State Elder (1921–1922, 1923–1924, 1931–1932, 1932–1933 and 1933–1934). During his last term in 1934, he organized a coup d'etat to succumb the right-wing populist
Vaps Movement. He was supported by the army and the parliament
. During the authoritarian regime ("Era of Silence
"), many reforms were made and the economy grew. Päts ruled as Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder
(1934–1937) and President-Regent (1937–1938) until a new constitution was adopted in 1938, after which Päts became the first President of Estonia
. During his presidency, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1940. As President, he was forced to sign decrees for over a month, until he was finally arrested and deported to Russia, where he died in 1956.
, Pärnu County
, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire
. According to locals, Konstantin was born in a barn of a roadside farm, since his mother couldn't reach a doctor in time.
The father of Konstantin, Jakob (Jaagup) Päts, was a housebuilder from Heimtali
, Viljandi County
, but was forced to move after getting into conflict with local nobility. His mother, Olga Tumanova, was from a mixed Estonian-Russian family and therefore Päts's father converted from Lutheranism
to Orthodox Christianity
. Konstantin, his older brother, two younger brothers and his younger sister were all brought up in strong Orthodox traditions.
Konstantin started his education in the Orthodox parish school of Tahkuranna
. After one year, the family moved to Raeküla borough near Pärnu
, where Konstantin started attending the Russian language
Orthodox parish school. Later he attended the clerical seminar in Riga
in 1887–1892, but after deciding not to become a priest, he left for the high school in Pärnu.
From 1894 to 1898 he attended the Faculty of Law of Tartu University, that he graduated as cand. jur.
After graduation, Päts served in the Russian
96th Infantry Regiment of Omsk in Pskov
and was promoted an ensign
. After rejecting an academic career in Tartu, he moved to Tallinn
in 1900, to start a political career.
, but the job wasn't satisfactory for Päts. In Tartu
, Jaan Tõnisson
had already founded his nationalist newspaper Postimees
in 1891, Päts was planning to found his own in Tallinn. The first inspiration came from writers Eduard Vilde
and Anton Hansen Tammsaare
, who couldn't get a licence from the Ministry of Internal Affairs because of their social democratic
views. Instead they used Päts as an unknown lawyer with an affiliation in the Orthodox Church
.
Päts was considered by the authorities to establish a newspaper that was loyal to the Empire and would "unite all Orthodox Estonians", however in reality his newspaper had a radical political content. The first issue of the Teataja ("The Publisher") came out on , starting a rivalry not only between Postimees and Teataja, but also between Jaan Tõnisson and Konstantin Päts for the leading national figures. Instead of the ideological and nationalist Postimees, Teataja emphasized the importance of economic activity. The work was made difficult by strong government censorship.
During the 1905 Revolution
, Päts was already an activist on self-government reform, where he supported national autonomy in the Baltic governorates. In the escalation of the revolution, his newspaper was closed and its staff members arrested. Päts found out about this in advance and managed to escape to Switzerland
, only to find out that he had been condemned to death in the Russian Empire.
In 1906 he moved to Helsinki
, Finland, where he continued his literary and journalist career. Much of his work on was published anonymously in Estonia. He also advised local municipalities on land reform questions. In 1908, Päts moved to Ollila
, which was located at the Russian border near Saint Petersburg
. There he became one of the editors for the Estonian newspaper Peterburi Teataja ("The Publisher of Saint Petersburg") in 1908, although he resided still in Finland. In Ollila, he was reunited with his family, with whom he had parted when he escaped to Switzerland in 1905.
After his wife had gotten seriously ill, Päts found out that he was no longer condemned to death in the Russian Empire. He moved back to Estonia in 1909, to face only minor charges. From February 1910, he served time in Kresty Prison
in Saint Petersburg, while his wife died of tuberculosis
in Switzerland, where Päts had sent her for treatment. During his imprisonment, he was able to study foreign languages and write articles, to be published in newspapers. Päts was released on 25 March 1911. The governor of the Governorate of Estonia
complained about Päts’s activity in Estonia in 1905 and pleaded for the government not to let him return and he was banned from living in the Governorates of Estonia and Livonia for six years. However, strong connections with Jaan Poska helped him return to Estonia, where he founded another newspaper, Tallinna Teataja ("The Publisher of Tallinn").
From February 1916, Päts served as an officer in Tallinn and in July 1917, he was elected as Chairman of the Supreme Committee of Estonian Soldiers, where he actively worked to form Estonian units in the Imperial Army
. During the war, he also organized the cooperation between Estonians and liberal Baltic German
estate owners.
forces were advancing on Estonia, Päts was able to avoid the mobilization. Since the control after the February Revolution
was in the hands of the Russian Provisional Government
, Estonians were pursuing for an autonomy within the Russian Empire. In local debates on whether to form one or two autonomous governorates in Estonia, Konstantin Päts, who supported a single autonomous governorate, took yet another victory from Jaan Tõnisson, who supported two autonomous governorates. After Estonian mass protests in Petrograd, the Provisional Government formed the autonomous Governorate of Estonia
on .
The Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev) was elected, Päts joined and became one of the leading figures of the Estonian Country People's Union, which took 13 of the 55 seats. Left- and right-wing politicians gained an equal number of seats in the Provincial Assembly, which made it difficult to appoint a speaker for the assembly. Jaan Tõnisson
of the centre-right nominated the candidacy of Konstantin Päts, who however lost with only one vote to the almost unknown Artur Vallner. At first, Päts chose not to join any of the parliamentary groups, but eventually joined the most right-wing Democratic group. Päts replaced Jaan Raamot as Chairman of the Provincial Government on . During the October Revolution
, Bolsheviks took control in Estonia and the Provincial Assembly was disbanded. After failing to give over official documents, Päts was arrested three times, until he finally went underground.
Since Bolshevik power in Estonia was relatively weak, the Council of Elders of the Maapäev declared on , that the assembly was the only legally elected and constituted authority in Estonia. Since even the Council of Elders was too big to work underground, the three-membered Estonian Salvation Committee was formed on 19 February 1918 and Konstantin Päts became one of its members.
Soviet Russia
n forces evacuating, the Salvation Committee wanted to use the interregnum
and declare Estonia's independence. On 21 February 1918, a delegation with Päts was sent to Haapsalu, that was chosen to be the site of the initial declaration, but they were forced to head back to Tallinn, since German forces had captured Haapsalu on the very same day. Attempts to reach Tartu before German occupation had also failed.
When Soviet Russian forces had finally evacuated from Tallinn and German forces were advancing, the Salvation Committee issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence
on 24 February 1918 (The declaration had also been delivered to Pärnu
, where it was proclaimed on 23 February). Instantly the Estonian Provisional Government
was formed and Konstantin Päts became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers
and Minister of Internal Affairs.
On 25 February 1918, German forces captured Tallinn and arrested Konstantin Päts on 16 June 1918. He was sent to several prison camps in Latvia
until he was finally placed in a camp in Grodno, Poland. He was released at the end of the war on 17 November 1918.
After the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Jüri Vilms
mysteriously died in Finland, Jaan Poska led the underground republic. After Germany surrendered, Konstantin Päts's 2nd cabinet of the Provisional Government took office on 12 November 1918, making Päts the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government and the Minister of Internal Affairs.
After Päts arrived to Tallinn and the Maapäev had gathered, Päts's 3rd cabinet of the Provisional Government was formed on 27 November 1918, with Päts as Prime Minister of the Provisional Government and the Minister of War, leaving it up to him to organize national defence.
to provide defence for the advancing Red Army
. On 28 November 1918, Soviet Russian forces captured Narva
, which resulted the Estonian War of Independence. During a government meeting, Konstantin Päts banged his fist on the table and refused to compromise with the Communists. This persuaded other government members to start a war against Soviet Russia. In January 1919, Estonians forced the Bolsheviks to retreat and by 24 February 1919, entire Estonian territory was under the control of the Provisional Government. In his speech at the 1919 Independence Day parade, he said: "We have to secure our economy so we could become less dependent from our allies. In order to avoid bankrupcy, we have to found our state on agriculture". This became the basis for the Estonian economy
for the next 20 years.
In April 1919, the Estonian Constituent Assembly
was elected, but the Estonian Country People's Union achieved only 8 of the 120 seats, leaving the majority to centre-left wing parties. On 9 May 1919, Otto August Strandman
took over as the first Prime Minister. In the summer of 1919, Päts opposed going into war with the Baltic German Landeswehr
, but as he was in opposition, the government decided to start the Landeswehr War, which ended in Estonian-Latvian victory. After the war had ended on 2 February 1920, the majority left wing Constituent Assembly adopted the radical land reform law and the first constitution, which brought upon a very proportional parliament, short government cabinets and no separate and stable head of state.
, the party won 21 seats in the 100-member Riigikogu
and from 25 January 1921 to 21 November 1922, Konstantin Päts was the State Elder and led the first constitutional government cabinet. It was a centre-right coalition with three centrist parties. The cabinet fell soon after the centre-left Estonian Labour Party criticized Päts's right-wing politics and left the coalition. After stepping down as head of government, Päts served as President (speaker) of the Riigikogu from 20 November 1922 to 7 June 1923.
In 1923 elections
, Farmers' Assemblies took 23 seats. On 2 August 1923, Päts became State Elder for the second time. A similar centre-right coalition with three centrist parties lasted again until the Estonian Labour Party left the coalition, forcing Päts to step down on 26 March 1924. He kept away from office politics for seven years. From 15 December 1925 to 9 December 1927, Jaan Teemant
of the Farmers' Assemblies was the State Elder.
In 1926 elections
, Farmers' Assemblies took again 23 seats and Jaan Teemant continued as State Elder. Already in 1927, Päts criticized members of the parliament, saying that they have been causing the instability of government coalitions, rather than ideological differences. At the 6th Congress of Farmers' Assemblies in 1929, the party was in opposition to August Rei
's leftist government and Päts, among others, demanded changes in the constitution, a smaller parliament, a separate presidential office and fight against corruption.
In 1929 elections
, Farmers' Assemblies took 24 seats and Päts served his third term as State Elder from 12 February 1931 to 19 February 1932. It was an ideologically wide coalition with the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party and the centre-right Estonian People's Party. On 26 January 1932, Farmers' Assemblies and the left wing-agrarian Settlers' party joined their groups in Riigikogu, only to be followed by the formation of the National Centrist Party by four centrist parties in Riigikogu. Päts's cabinet resigned, making Jaan Teemant the new State Elder.
In 1932 elections
the newly formed United Farmers' Party took 42 seats in Riigikogu and one of the party's leaders, Karl August Einbund, became the State Elder. On 3 October 1932, the coalition between the United Farmers Party and National Centre Party broke up since the latter wanted to devalue
the Estonian kroon
during the Great Depression
. A month-long government crisis started. Since there were only three major parties in the parliament, the third being the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party, no functioning coalition could be found until special authority was given to Konstantin Päts to form a grand coalition
between all three major parties. His cabinet took office on 1 November 1932. On 25 November 1932, Päts's government got even more power from the disunited parliament to deal with the economic crisis. His government cabinet was forced to resign on 18 May 1933, after the National Centre Party, still favouring devaluation, left the coalition and the United Peasants' Party had lost many of its members to the reactivated Settlers' party.
Konstantin Päts was relatively successful in internal politics. After adopting the constitution, his party was in all the government cabinets, except for Friedrich Karl Akel's and August Rei's cabinets and Jaan Tõnisson's fourth cabinet. This makes it 4,017 days (89%) in the government (of 4,497 between 1921–1933). Päts was himself the State Elder four times, a total of 1,476 days (33%). Interestingly, he never filled any other position in the government besides the head of government (except for the additional minister positions in the Provisional Government).
Päts served as the chairman of the Farmers' Assemblies party only unofficially and he was considered to be a bad partyman and often formed the opposition within the party. Therefore he seldom took part of their official meetings. Only in 1933, he was made honorary chairman of the party.
Membership in the parliament:
Lack of government stability led to several new constitution proposals, but only the third proposal by the right-wing populist Vaps Movement was accepted in a referendum in 1933. Päts was elected on 21 October 1933 to head the non-aligned transitional government to the second constitution. Until 24 January 1934, he served as State Elder, but after the new constitution came into force, he became Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder. The new constitution was a drift from democracy, giving a lot of power to the president (still named "State Elder") and leaving the parliament only an advisory role .
Both Päts and his recent predecessor Jaan Tõnisson
tried to control the Vaps Movement, that was seen by democratic parties as a local National Socialist
party that had to be kept away from power. In August 1933, State Elder Jaan Tõnisson had declared a state of emergency and temporary censorship, that was lifted only when Päts's transitional government took office. On 27 February 1934, Päts himself imposed a law, prohibiting members of the military to take part in politics. This action forced several thousand members of the army to secede from the Vaps Movement.
Päts was one of the candidates in the presidential elections, but he was accompanied by threats by the Vaps Movement to take power and rumors of a forthcoming coup. Konstantin Päts then carried out a coup d'état on 12 March 1934. He was supported by general Johan Laidoner
and the army.
. Johan Laidoner was appointed Commander in Chief of the Armies. On 15–16 March 1934, the parliament approved of Päts's actions, hoping to save the democracy. Päts postponed the presidential elections until the end of the state of emergency for "emotions being too high because of anti-government agitation by the Vaps Movement".
In August 1934, Päts appointed Karl August Einbund as Minister of Internal Affairs, making him the third leading figure of the era next to Päts and Laidoner. In September, the Agitation and Propaganda Department was created, in October, all parliamentary work was stopped after the opposition criticized the political restrictions and in December, censorship was introduced.
In February 1935 the Fatherland Union (Isamaaliit) was formed to replace political parties, while all other political organizations were disbanded in March. Päts thought that political organizations should unite the society, not fragmentize it. The initial state of emergency was declared for six months in March 1934, but since September 1934, Päts extended it for a year for a total of six times.
As Päts believed that a nation should be organized not by political views into parties, but by vocation into respective chambers, a series of state corporative institutions
were introduced, based on corporatism in Fascist Italy. Päts had promoted the idea of corporate chambers already in 1918, but the idea did not gain support from strong left-wing parties at the time. Päts was main the proponent of the formation of the chambers and the first two were also founded while his government cabinets were in office in 1924 and 1931. Fifteen more chambers were established between 1934 and 1936, bringing the total number to 17.
On 7 December 1935, a coup d'état attempt (The "Estonia" plot) by the Vaps Movement was exposed. More than 750 people were arrested throughout the state, crushing the movement conclusively. Leaders of the movement were eventually given punishments as hard as 20 years of forced labour, they were pardoned in December 1937.
Meanwhile, Jaan Tõnisson
had criticized Päts's inability to bring the new constitution into effect. In July 1935, Tõnisson was ousted from the Postimees
board. In October 1936, four former State Elders, Juhan Kukk
, Ants Piip
, Jaan Teemant
and Jaan Tõnisson, sent a joint letter to Päts, demanding civil freedoms.
During the authoritarian regime, it was easier for the government to pass reforms, since there was no longer an organized opposition. Päts ruled mostly through presidential decree
s, because the parliament was needed to pass real laws. The economy grew and the infrastructure, industry and education were developed. The Estonianization
of personal names was supported, the most prominent example being Karl August Einbund, who changed his name to Kaarel Eenpalu.
Regarding the 1934 constitution too undemocratic, Päts organised the passing of a new constitution through a plebiscite and a constituent assembly. The corporate chambers
were to be the basis of forming the assembly. Its formation was approved (with 76% in favour) in a plebiscite in 1936. The 1936 National Assembly elections were boicotted by the opposition in most electoral districts.
On 28 July 1937, the assembly adopted the third constitution, that was based on Päts's draft. A bicameral parliament was to be elected and the president was to be elected by the parliament, not by the people. On 3 September 1937, a 120-day period of transition began, during which Päts ruled as President-Regent.
On 1 January 1938, the new constitution came into force and the 1938 parliamentary elections
were held. Opposition candidates were allowed to take part, however they were given little or no attention in the media. Päts's supporters took 64 of the 80 seats in the lower chamber, Riigivolikogu. The president, who was yet to be elected, was also able to directly appoint into office 10 of the 40 members of the higher chamber, Riiginõukogu.
The parliament, together with municipal appointees elected Konstantin Päts the first President of Estonia
. No other candidates were nominated and Päts was elected with 219 votes in favour and 19 ballots left empty. He took office on 24 April 1938 and appointed Kaarel Eenpalu as Prime Minister on 9 May 1938. On 5 May 1938, all political prisoners, mostly Communists and members of the Vaps Movement, were given amnesty. There is no consensus, whether the so-called "Era of Silence
" ended in 1938 with the adoption of the new constitution, or in 1940 with the Soviet occupation.
on 28 September 1939 to allow Soviet military bases in Estonia. On 12 October 1939, Päts appointed Jüri Uluots
as a new, moderate Prime Minister.
In May 1940, Päts believed that the best option for Estonia would be to follow Soviet guidelines until the German-Soviet war
. In case of such war, "Estonia would be saved". However on 16 June 1940, the Soviet Union delivered an ultimatum to the Estonian government, which was forced to accept it. Complete occupation by the Soviet Union followed on 17 June 1940.
On 21 June 1940, Päts was forced to assign the communist Johannes Vares
as the new Prime Minister. For an entire month Päts signed ca. 200 decrees for the new Soviet regime. Among other things, he gave the decree to change the electoral law, allowing the new regime to organize preliminary elections. Only the lower chamber of the Riigikogu, the Riigivolikogu, was convened, its members being only Communists. On Victory Day of 23 June 1940, Päts declared, that "the greatest thing we have accomplished, is the creation of the Estonian state. To her we have given our strongest love, our loyalty, our work and our life." From 29 June 1940, Päts remained under permanent house arrest. Even in early July, Päts declared to the German ambassador, that he doesn't believe in the Sovietization
of Estonia.
On 21 July 1940, Estonian SSR was proclaimed, Päts was forced to leave the office and was deported to Leningrad
with his family on 30 July 1940. After a few weeks, they were sent to Ufa
, where they lived in a small house for a year. On 26 June 1941, Konstantin Päts was arrested, parted from his family and sent to a prison in Bashkir ASSR.
In 1952, Päts was sent to forced treatment in Kazan
prison hospital. His forced psychiatric hospitalization was justified by his "persistent claiming of being the President of Estonia". Forced treatment was ended in 1954 and Päts was sent to a mental hospital in Jämejala
, Estonia. Recognition by the locals and too much attention resulted him being sent to Burashevo psychiatric hospital in Kalinin Oblast (now Tver Oblast), where he eventually died on 18 January 1956.
during his authoritarian years.
Several aspects of Päts's career are still under critical public debate. Päts has been seen as a politician, who destroyed democracy in pre-war Estonia. According to some historians, he and his close allies used the 1934 coup for their own personal gains and not to keep the Vaps Movement from taking power. Several members of the Päts family gained important positions in ranging from clerical to cultural fields. Others have criticised the long time that took to adopt a new constitution (more than three years).
His actions before and during the Soviet occupation have been questioned even more. One of the more prominent critics has been Magnus Ilmjärv
. In 1918, Päts refused to compromise with the Communists, but in 1940, he gave Estonia to Soviets without many objections. This controversy has led to theories, that Päts's bad health didn't let him realistically analyze the situation.
Other theories maintain that Päts trusted the Soviet officials and had befriended some of the Soviet leaders. It is also possible, that the NKVD
controlled Päts's health or the information that reached him. Another theory suggests, that Päts knew of the outbreaking war between Nazi Germany
and the Soviet Union
and was only looking for a way for Estonia to survive the short period in between.
One more theory insists that Päts knew of the difficulty of the situation and tried to keep Estonians as safe as possible by avoiding war with the Soviets. As a lawyer, he also had to understand that his decisions were not valid when forced by an occupying power. Under international law a war would have invalidated the Tartu Peace Treaty.
According to international law and the Estonian constitution, Päts's actions were of no affect from the beginning of the occupation, or at least from 21 June 1940, when Andrei Zhdanov
dictated the formation of government cabinet led by Johannes Vares. The laws passed by the Vares government and promulgated by Päts were illegal in any case as they were not ratified by the upper chamber as required by the Estonian constitution.
Legally, his duties went to the last Prime Minister Jüri Uluots, who let Otto Tief
form a government
in 1944, before the Soviet reoccupation. After Uluots died in Stockholm
in 1945, presidential duties went to the oldest member of Tief's cabinet, August Rei, who formed the Estonian Government in Exile
in 1953. The last Prime Minister in duties of the President, Heinrich Mark
, handed over his credentials to the incoming President Lennart Georg Meri on 8 October 1992.
was named after him in 1936–1940. Konstantin Päts Boarding School of Tallinn was opened after Päts's own initiative for children with respiratory disorders.
A museum of Konstantin Päts was set up in 1991 in the Tallinn Botanical Gardens, where Päts's farmstead still remains. The museum still exists, but the farmstead was returned to Päts's descendants in 1995.
Päts has been portrayed in literature, one of the best known is the satirical Memoirs of Ivan Orav
by Andrus Kivirähk
, where Päts is portrayed as a true people's person, who was beloved by the entire nation and who was a thoroughly good person. Periods of Päts's life were also portrayed in the television series Tuulepealne maa
.
. However, Finnish leaders weren't so eager about the union and the idea was rejected. Päts still bore the idea in his mind, as testified by his so-called "political testament", written in July 1940. In 1922, during his first term as State Elder, he made the first Estonian state visit
, to Finland. He also made unofficial visits to Finland in 1931, 1935 and 1937. President of Finland
, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
visited Estonia twice during Päts's authoritarian rule, in 1934 and in 1936.
In 1933, Päts also made a state visit to Latvia
and the Baltic Entente
between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
was signed in 1934 during his authoritarian regime. This agreement was another attempt to draw Finland closer to Estonia, but saw no results. During the 1930s, Estonian and Polish officials made several state visits to both countries.
In late 1930s, the Soviet Union excited interest for the Baltic states, causing Estonia to move closer to Germany in its foreign policy. This change was marked by appointing the amassador to Germany, Friedrich Karl Akel, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1936. On 3 December 1938, Estonia declared its neutrality.
and continued as its honorary councillor from 1935. He also served as the chairman of the board of the Harju Bank and chairman of the Tallinn Exchange Committee. He ran a farm in Kloostrimetsa
, near Tallinn – a place which now functions as the Tallinn Botanic Garden
.
Päts was the chairman of Estonian-Finnish-Hungarian Association from 1925 to 1936 and continued as honorary chairman from 1936. From 1927 to 1937, he was the chairman of the "Fenno-Ugria" foundation.
Päts received honorary doctorates from Tartu University in 1928, Tallinn Technical University and Andhra University
(in India
) in 1938, along with honorary membership of the Learned Estonian Society
in 1938 and the Estonian Academy of Sciences
in 1939. In 1938, he became honorary member of the Estonian Naturalists' Society (Loodusuurijate Selts) and the Estonian Institute of Natural Resources (Loodusvarade Instituut). He was also named honorary alumnus of the fraternal student corporation Fraternitas Estica
and honorary citizen of Tallinn
, Narva
, Pärnu
and Tartu
and Tahkuranna Parish
.
), where Päts had been a patient in the hospital. They met his last doctor Ksenya Gusseva, who described Päts's funeral in 1956. She said, that Päts was buried like a president – in a coffin, unlike other deceased patients of the time. On 22 June 1990, his grave was dug up and the remains were reburied to Tallinn Metsakalmistu cemetery on 21 October 1990.
High School. They had two sons, Leo and Viktor. Konstantin left his family for exile in 1905 and his second son was born while he still resided in Switzerland. They were united when Konstantin moved to Ollila, Finland. His wife died of lung disease in 1910 while he was imprisoned in Saint Petersburg, Päts never remarried. His children were raised by his wife's unmarried sister Johanna Pung.
Päts was seen as a kind person, who was able to give good speeches, was grown in a rural area and therefore had a heart for the land. He took a special interest in issues related to children. He often donated money to large families and organized events for students, which he also took part of. He was also known to take long walks in the morning and to get into conversations with park workers.
and Tallinn
city council.
1920 – Cross of Liberty III/I
1921 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
III
1926 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
I/I
1929 – Order of the Cross of the Eagle
I
1938 – Special sash of the Order of the National Coat of Arms
1938 – Collar of the Order of the White Star
1938 – Collar of the Order of the National Coat of Arms
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
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...
. He was one of the first Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
, first through journalism with his newspaper Teataja, later through politics. He was condemned to death during the 1905 Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, but managed to flee first to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, then to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, where he continued his literary work. He returned to Estonia, but had to spend time in prison in 1910–1911.
In 1917, Päts headed the Provincial Government of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
The local autonomy in Estonia 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 . The Governorate of Estonia in the north corresponded roughly to the area of Danish Estonia and the northern...
, but was forced to go underground 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...
. On 19 February 1918, Päts became one of the three members of the Estonian Salvation Committee, that issued the Estonian Declaration of 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 24 February. Konstantin Päts headed 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...
(1918–1919), although being imprisoned during the German Occupation. In the Provisional Government, Päts also served as Minister of Internal Affairs
Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs
The Minister of Internal Affairs is the senior minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Estonian Government.-Ministers of Internal Affairs:List of ministes of Internal Affairs since 1990....
(1918) and Minister of War
Estonian Minister of Defence
The Minister of Defence is the senior minister at the Ministry of Defence in the Estonian Government...
(1918–1919), that left him organizing Estonian troops for the War of Independence.
During the 1920s and early 1930s, Päts led the most right-wing party of the major political parties of the time – Farmers' Assemblies, that eventually merged into the United Farmers Party in 1932. Päts was the speaker of the Riigikogu (1922–1923) and served five times as State Elder (1921–1922, 1923–1924, 1931–1932, 1932–1933 and 1933–1934). During his last term in 1934, he organized a coup d'etat to succumb the right-wing populist
Right-wing populism
Right-wing populism is a political ideology that rejects existing political consensus and combines laissez-faire liberalism and anti-elitism. It is considered "right-wing" because of its rejection of social equality and government programs to achieve it, its opposition to social integration, and...
Vaps Movement. He was supported by the army and the parliament
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
. During the authoritarian regime ("Era of Silence
Era of Silence
"Era of Silence" is a term used to describe the years 1934-1938 or 1940. in Estonian history. It was introduced by Kaarel Eenpalu, Prime Minister of Estonia in 1938-39 and a strong supporter of Konstantin Päts, Estonia's dictator during that period...
"), many reforms were made and the economy grew. Päts ruled as Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
(1934–1937) and President-Regent (1937–1938) until a new constitution was adopted in 1938, after which Päts became the first President of Estonia
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
. During his presidency, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1940. As President, he was forced to sign decrees for over a month, until he was finally arrested and deported to Russia, where he died in 1956.
Early life
Konstantin Päts was born on 23 February 1874 in Tahkuranna ParishTahkuranna Parish
Tahkuranna is a municipality located in Pärnu County, one of the 15 counties of Estonia.-Settlements:Small borough:VõisteVillages:Laadi - Leina - Lepaküla - Metsaküla - Piirumi - Reiu - Tahkuranna - Uulu...
, Pärnu County
Pärnu County
Pärnu County , or Pärnumaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in south-western part of the country, on the coast of Gulf of Riga, and borders Lääne and Rapla counties to the north, Järva and Viljandi counties to the east, and Latvia to the south...
, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. According to locals, Konstantin was born in a barn of a roadside farm, since his mother couldn't reach a doctor in time.
The father of Konstantin, Jakob (Jaagup) Päts, was a housebuilder from Heimtali
Heimtali
Heimtali is a village in Pärsti Parish, Viljandi County, Estonia. It has a population of 235 ....
, Viljandi County
Viljandi County
Viljandi County , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in southern Estonia bordering Pärnu, Järva, Jõgeva, Tartu and Valga counties. 55,657 people live in Viljandi County – constituting 4.2% of the total population in Estonia ....
, but was forced to move after getting into conflict with local nobility. His mother, Olga Tumanova, was from a mixed Estonian-Russian family and therefore Päts's father converted from Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
to Orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
. Konstantin, his older brother, two younger brothers and his younger sister were all brought up in strong Orthodox traditions.
Konstantin started his education in the Orthodox parish school of Tahkuranna
Tahkuranna
Tahkuranna is a village in Tahkuranna Parish, Pärnu County in southwestern Estonia....
. After one year, the family moved to Raeküla borough near 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...
, where Konstantin started attending the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Orthodox parish school. Later he attended the clerical seminar in 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,...
in 1887–1892, but after deciding not to become a priest, he left for the high school in Pärnu.
From 1894 to 1898 he attended the Faculty of Law of Tartu University, that he graduated as cand. jur.
Candidate of Law
Candidate of Law is the degree awarded to jurists who have passed the law exam in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland after studying law for about 5–6 years....
After graduation, Päts served in the Russian
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
96th Infantry Regiment of Omsk in Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
and was promoted an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. After rejecting an academic career in Tartu, he moved to 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...
in 1900, to start a political career.
Journalism
In Tallinn, Konstantin Päts started his career as an assistant at the advocacy of Jaan PoskaJaan Poska
Jaan Poska VR III/1 was an Estonian barrister and politician....
, but the job wasn't satisfactory for Päts. In 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...
, Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
had already founded his nationalist newspaper Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
in 1891, Päts was planning to found his own in Tallinn. The first inspiration came from writers Eduard Vilde
Eduard Vilde
Eduard Vilde was an Estonian writer and a pioneer of critical realism in Estonian literature.-Works:* Musta mantliga mees...
and Anton Hansen Tammsaare
Anton Hansen Tammsaare
Anton Hansen Tammsaare , born Anton Hansen, was an Estonian writer whose pentalogy Truth and Justice is considered one of the major works of Estonian literature and "The Estonian Novel"....
, who couldn't get a licence from the Ministry of Internal Affairs because of their social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
views. Instead they used Päts as an unknown lawyer with an affiliation in the Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
Päts was considered by the authorities to establish a newspaper that was loyal to the Empire and would "unite all Orthodox Estonians", however in reality his newspaper had a radical political content. The first issue of the Teataja ("The Publisher") came out on , starting a rivalry not only between Postimees and Teataja, but also between Jaan Tõnisson and Konstantin Päts for the leading national figures. Instead of the ideological and nationalist Postimees, Teataja emphasized the importance of economic activity. The work was made difficult by strong government censorship.
Early political career
Päts's first political goal was to take power in the towns, where Baltic Germans still controlled the municipal governments. Päts served as a municipal adviser in Tallinn from 1904 and together with Jaan Poska, he organized an electoral block between Estonians and liberal Russians, that managed to win at the 1904 Tallinn municipal elections. Päts became a member of the city council and in April 1905, he became the deputy mayor, meaning he headed the city council. His active work at the town government left him little time for his newspaper. A group of revolutionaries, led by Hans Pöögelmann, had taken control in Teatajas staff and published anti-government articles and called people for a revolution.During the 1905 Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, Päts was already an activist on self-government reform, where he supported national autonomy in the Baltic governorates. In the escalation of the revolution, his newspaper was closed and its staff members arrested. Päts found out about this in advance and managed to escape to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, only to find out that he had been condemned to death in the Russian Empire.
In 1906 he moved to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland, where he continued his literary and journalist career. Much of his work on was published anonymously in Estonia. He also advised local municipalities on land reform questions. In 1908, Päts moved to Ollila
Solnechnoye, Saint Petersburg
Solnechnoye is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Population:...
, which was located at the Russian border near Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. There he became one of the editors for the Estonian newspaper Peterburi Teataja ("The Publisher of Saint Petersburg") in 1908, although he resided still in Finland. In Ollila, he was reunited with his family, with whom he had parted when he escaped to Switzerland in 1905.
After his wife had gotten seriously ill, Päts found out that he was no longer condemned to death in the Russian Empire. He moved back to Estonia in 1909, to face only minor charges. From February 1910, he served time in Kresty Prison
Kresty Prison
Kresty prison, officially 1st Detention Center of Administration of Federal Service of Execution of Punishments in Saint Petersburg is a detention center in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The prison consists of two cross-shaped buildings and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral...
in Saint Petersburg, while his wife died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in Switzerland, where Päts had sent her for treatment. During his imprisonment, he was able to study foreign languages and write articles, to be published in newspapers. Päts was released on 25 March 1911. The governor of the Governorate of 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:...
complained about Päts’s activity in Estonia in 1905 and pleaded for the government not to let him return and he was banned from living in the Governorates of Estonia and Livonia for six years. However, strong connections with Jaan Poska helped him return to Estonia, where he founded another newspaper, Tallinna Teataja ("The Publisher of Tallinn").
From February 1916, Päts served as an officer in Tallinn and in July 1917, he was elected as Chairman of the Supreme Committee of Estonian Soldiers, where he actively worked to form Estonian units in the Imperial Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
. During the war, he also organized the cooperation between Estonians and liberal 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...
estate owners.
Autonomy and German Occupation
In 1917, when GermanGerman 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...
forces were advancing on Estonia, Päts was able to avoid the mobilization. Since the control after the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
was in the hands of the Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
, Estonians were pursuing for an autonomy within the Russian Empire. In local debates on whether to form one or two autonomous governorates in Estonia, Konstantin Päts, who supported a single autonomous governorate, took yet another victory from Jaan Tõnisson, who supported two autonomous governorates. After Estonian mass protests in Petrograd, the Provisional Government formed the autonomous Governorate of Estonia
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
The local autonomy in Estonia 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 . The Governorate of Estonia in the north corresponded roughly to the area of Danish Estonia and the northern...
on .
The Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev) was elected, Päts joined and became one of the leading figures of the Estonian Country People's Union, which took 13 of the 55 seats. Left- and right-wing politicians gained an equal number of seats in the Provincial Assembly, which made it difficult to appoint a speaker for the assembly. Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
of the centre-right nominated the candidacy of Konstantin Päts, who however lost with only one vote to the almost unknown Artur Vallner. At first, Päts chose not to join any of the parliamentary groups, but eventually joined the most right-wing Democratic group. Päts replaced Jaan Raamot as Chairman of the Provincial Government on . During 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...
, Bolsheviks took control in Estonia and the Provincial Assembly was disbanded. After failing to give over official documents, Päts was arrested three times, until he finally went underground.
Since Bolshevik power in Estonia was relatively weak, the Council of Elders of the Maapäev declared on , that the assembly was the only legally elected and constituted authority in Estonia. Since even the Council of Elders was too big to work underground, the three-membered Estonian Salvation Committee was formed on 19 February 1918 and Konstantin Päts became one of its members.
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....
n forces evacuating, the Salvation Committee wanted to use the interregnum
Interregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
and declare Estonia's independence. On 21 February 1918, a delegation with Päts was sent to Haapsalu, that was chosen to be the site of the initial declaration, but they were forced to head back to Tallinn, since German forces had captured Haapsalu on the very same day. Attempts to reach Tartu before German occupation had also failed.
When Soviet Russian forces had finally evacuated from Tallinn and German forces were advancing, the Salvation Committee issued the Estonian Declaration of 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 24 February 1918 (The declaration had also been delivered to 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...
, where it was proclaimed on 23 February). Instantly 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...
was formed and Konstantin Päts became the Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
and Minister of Internal Affairs.
On 25 February 1918, German forces captured Tallinn and arrested Konstantin Päts on 16 June 1918. He was sent to several prison camps in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
until he was finally placed in a camp in Grodno, Poland. He was released at the end of the war on 17 November 1918.
After the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Jüri Vilms
Jüri Vilms
Jüri Vilms was a member of the Estonian Salvation Committee and the first Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia. Empowered by Maapäev the Salvation Committee issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence on February 24, 1918 in the middle of a political power vacuum created by the...
mysteriously died in Finland, Jaan Poska led the underground republic. After Germany surrendered, Konstantin Päts's 2nd cabinet of the Provisional Government took office on 12 November 1918, making Päts the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government and the Minister of Internal Affairs.
After Päts arrived to Tallinn and the Maapäev had gathered, Päts's 3rd cabinet of the Provisional Government was formed on 27 November 1918, with Päts as Prime Minister of the Provisional Government and the Minister of War, leaving it up to him to organize national defence.
War of Independence
Päts founded the Estonian Defence LeagueEstonian Defence League
The Estonian Defence League is the name of the unified paramilitary armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Defence League is a paramilitary defence organization which aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its...
to provide defence for the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. On 28 November 1918, Soviet Russian forces captured 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:...
, which resulted the Estonian War of Independence. During a government meeting, Konstantin Päts banged his fist on the table and refused to compromise with the Communists. This persuaded other government members to start a war against Soviet Russia. In January 1919, Estonians forced the Bolsheviks to retreat and by 24 February 1919, entire Estonian territory was under the control of the Provisional Government. In his speech at the 1919 Independence Day parade, he said: "We have to secure our economy so we could become less dependent from our allies. In order to avoid bankrupcy, we have to found our state on agriculture". This became the basis for the Estonian economy
Economy of Estonia
Estonia is a member of the European Union and the eurozone and is an advanced economy, according to the IMF.Before the Second World War Estonia's economy was based on agriculture, but there was a significant knowledge sector and a growing industrial sector, similar to Finland...
for the next 20 years.
In April 1919, the Estonian Constituent Assembly
Estonian Constituent Assembly
The Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...
was elected, but the Estonian Country People's Union achieved only 8 of the 120 seats, leaving the majority to centre-left wing parties. On 9 May 1919, Otto August Strandman
Otto Strandman
Otto August Strandman VR III/1 was an Estonian politician, who served as Prime Minister and State Elder of Estonia . He was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections...
took over as the first Prime Minister. In the summer of 1919, Päts opposed going into war with the Baltic German Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr was the name of the unified armed forces of the Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.- Command structure :...
, but as he was in opposition, the government decided to start the Landeswehr War, which ended in Estonian-Latvian victory. After the war had ended on 2 February 1920, the majority left wing Constituent Assembly adopted the radical land reform law and the first constitution, which brought upon a very proportional parliament, short government cabinets and no separate and stable head of state.
Democratic republic
In September 1918, Päts formed a new political party, the agrarian-conservative Farmers' Assemblies. In 1920 electionsEstonian parliamentary election, 1920
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1920 to form the I Riigikogu were held from 27 to 29 November 1920. Those were the first elections by the constitution of 1920. 100 deputies were elected into the new parliament by party lists in 10 regions, by which one party or electoral bloc could put up several...
, the party won 21 seats in the 100-member Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
and from 25 January 1921 to 21 November 1922, Konstantin Päts was the State Elder and led the first constitutional government cabinet. It was a centre-right coalition with three centrist parties. The cabinet fell soon after the centre-left Estonian Labour Party criticized Päts's right-wing politics and left the coalition. After stepping down as head of government, Päts served as President (speaker) of the Riigikogu from 20 November 1922 to 7 June 1923.
In 1923 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1923
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1923 to form the II Riigikogu were held from May 5-7, 1923. There were some controversies - some lists, most remarkably Communist, were declared void before the elections because of electoral law violations, and the results gave Estonia its most fragmented...
, Farmers' Assemblies took 23 seats. On 2 August 1923, Päts became State Elder for the second time. A similar centre-right coalition with three centrist parties lasted again until the Estonian Labour Party left the coalition, forcing Päts to step down on 26 March 1924. He kept away from office politics for seven years. From 15 December 1925 to 9 December 1927, Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant was an Estonian lawyer and politician.Teemant studied in H. Treffner's Private High School. In 1901 he graduated from the Department of Law the St. Petersburg University. He was a solicitor in Tallinn. In 1904–1905 was a member of the Tallinn Municipal Council...
of the Farmers' Assemblies was the State Elder.
In 1926 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1926
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1926 to form the III Riigikogu were held in 15.-17. may of 1926. Before those elections the electoral law was changed to create more stability:1. the system of bonds was introduced;2...
, Farmers' Assemblies took again 23 seats and Jaan Teemant continued as State Elder. Already in 1927, Päts criticized members of the parliament, saying that they have been causing the instability of government coalitions, rather than ideological differences. At the 6th Congress of Farmers' Assemblies in 1929, the party was in opposition to August Rei
August Rei
August Rei VR III/1 was an Estonian Social Democratic politician. He was born in Pilistvere, Kõo Parish, Viljandi County.- Education :...
's leftist government and Päts, among others, demanded changes in the constitution, a smaller parliament, a separate presidential office and fight against corruption.
In 1929 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1929
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1929 to form the 4th Riigikogu were held on 11–13 May 1929.-Results:Eligible voters: 712,670 Turnout: 508,106 Invalid votes: 3,110 ; 0.6%...
, Farmers' Assemblies took 24 seats and Päts served his third term as State Elder from 12 February 1931 to 19 February 1932. It was an ideologically wide coalition with the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party and the centre-right Estonian People's Party. On 26 January 1932, Farmers' Assemblies and the left wing-agrarian Settlers' party joined their groups in Riigikogu, only to be followed by the formation of the National Centrist Party by four centrist parties in Riigikogu. Päts's cabinet resigned, making Jaan Teemant the new State Elder.
In 1932 elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1932
Estonian parliamentary elections, 1932 were held 21-23 May 1932. Before those elections major shifts occurred on the political landscape. The Farmers Unions and Settler's party joined forces into the United Peasants Party...
the newly formed United Farmers' Party took 42 seats in Riigikogu and one of the party's leaders, Karl August Einbund, became the State Elder. On 3 October 1932, the coalition between the United Farmers Party and National Centre Party broke up since the latter wanted to devalue
Devaluation
Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a currency with respect to those goods, services or other monetary units with which that currency can be exchanged....
the Estonian kroon
Estonian kroon
In 1992, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 10, 20 & 50 senti, as well as 1 kroon. The 1 kroon was struck in cupronickel, the others in aluminum-bronze. However, in 1997, nickel-plated steel 20 senti were introduced, followed by aluminum-bronze 1 kroon in 1998. 5 senti coins were not...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. A month-long government crisis started. Since there were only three major parties in the parliament, the third being the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party, no functioning coalition could be found until special authority was given to Konstantin Päts to form a grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
between all three major parties. His cabinet took office on 1 November 1932. On 25 November 1932, Päts's government got even more power from the disunited parliament to deal with the economic crisis. His government cabinet was forced to resign on 18 May 1933, after the National Centre Party, still favouring devaluation, left the coalition and the United Peasants' Party had lost many of its members to the reactivated Settlers' party.
Konstantin Päts was relatively successful in internal politics. After adopting the constitution, his party was in all the government cabinets, except for Friedrich Karl Akel's and August Rei's cabinets and Jaan Tõnisson's fourth cabinet. This makes it 4,017 days (89%) in the government (of 4,497 between 1921–1933). Päts was himself the State Elder four times, a total of 1,476 days (33%). Interestingly, he never filled any other position in the government besides the head of government (except for the additional minister positions in the Provisional Government).
Päts served as the chairman of the Farmers' Assemblies party only unofficially and he was considered to be a bad partyman and often formed the opposition within the party. Therefore he seldom took part of their official meetings. Only in 1933, he was made honorary chairman of the party.
Membership in the parliament:
- 1917–1919 Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev)
- 1919–1920 Estonian Constituent AssemblyEstonian Constituent AssemblyThe Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...
- 1920–1923 I RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1923–1926 II RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1926–1929 III RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1929–1932 IV RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
- 1932-1934/1937 V RiigikoguRiigikoguThe Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
Lack of government stability led to several new constitution proposals, but only the third proposal by the right-wing populist Vaps Movement was accepted in a referendum in 1933. Päts was elected on 21 October 1933 to head the non-aligned transitional government to the second constitution. Until 24 January 1934, he served as State Elder, but after the new constitution came into force, he became Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder. The new constitution was a drift from democracy, giving a lot of power to the president (still named "State Elder") and leaving the parliament only an advisory role .
Both Päts and his recent predecessor Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
tried to control the Vaps Movement, that was seen by democratic parties as a local National Socialist
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
party that had to be kept away from power. In August 1933, State Elder Jaan Tõnisson had declared a state of emergency and temporary censorship, that was lifted only when Päts's transitional government took office. On 27 February 1934, Päts himself imposed a law, prohibiting members of the military to take part in politics. This action forced several thousand members of the army to secede from the Vaps Movement.
Päts was one of the candidates in the presidential elections, but he was accompanied by threats by the Vaps Movement to take power and rumors of a forthcoming coup. Konstantin Päts then carried out a coup d'état on 12 March 1934. He was supported by general Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner was a seminal figure of Estonian history between the world wars. His highest position was Commander-in-chief of the Estonian Army in 1918–1920, 1924–1925, and 1934–1940.-Education:Laidoner was born in Viiratsi , Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire...
and the army.
Era of Silence
A state of emergency was declared and the Vaps Movement was disbanded, with about 400 members arrested, including the presidential candidate Andres LarkaAndres Larka
Andres Larka VR I/1 was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence and a politician....
. Johan Laidoner was appointed Commander in Chief of the Armies. On 15–16 March 1934, the parliament approved of Päts's actions, hoping to save the democracy. Päts postponed the presidential elections until the end of the state of emergency for "emotions being too high because of anti-government agitation by the Vaps Movement".
In August 1934, Päts appointed Karl August Einbund as Minister of Internal Affairs, making him the third leading figure of the era next to Päts and Laidoner. In September, the Agitation and Propaganda Department was created, in October, all parliamentary work was stopped after the opposition criticized the political restrictions and in December, censorship was introduced.
In February 1935 the Fatherland Union (Isamaaliit) was formed to replace political parties, while all other political organizations were disbanded in March. Päts thought that political organizations should unite the society, not fragmentize it. The initial state of emergency was declared for six months in March 1934, but since September 1934, Päts extended it for a year for a total of six times.
As Päts believed that a nation should be organized not by political views into parties, but by vocation into respective chambers, a series of state corporative institutions
Corporate chambers (Estonia)
Corporate chambers were a series of corporate institutions in Estonia during the interwar period. The first of these – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – was created in 1924, and the second, the Chamber of Agriculture, followed in 1931...
were introduced, based on corporatism in Fascist Italy. Päts had promoted the idea of corporate chambers already in 1918, but the idea did not gain support from strong left-wing parties at the time. Päts was main the proponent of the formation of the chambers and the first two were also founded while his government cabinets were in office in 1924 and 1931. Fifteen more chambers were established between 1934 and 1936, bringing the total number to 17.
On 7 December 1935, a coup d'état attempt (The "Estonia" plot) by the Vaps Movement was exposed. More than 750 people were arrested throughout the state, crushing the movement conclusively. Leaders of the movement were eventually given punishments as hard as 20 years of forced labour, they were pardoned in December 1937.
Meanwhile, Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
had criticized Päts's inability to bring the new constitution into effect. In July 1935, Tõnisson was ousted from the Postimees
Postimees
Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. It was established in 1 January 1857 by Johann Voldemar Jannsen and became Estonia's first daily newspaper in 1891....
board. In October 1936, four former State Elders, Juhan Kukk
Juhan Kukk
Juhan ' Kukk VR III/1 was an Estonian politician....
, Ants Piip
Ants Piip
Ants Piip VR III/1 was an Estonian lawyer, diplomat and politician.-Education:Piip studied at the Teachers' Seminar in Kuldīga , now in Latvia...
, Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant
Jaan Teemant was an Estonian lawyer and politician.Teemant studied in H. Treffner's Private High School. In 1901 he graduated from the Department of Law the St. Petersburg University. He was a solicitor in Tallinn. In 1904–1905 was a member of the Tallinn Municipal Council...
and Jaan Tõnisson, sent a joint letter to Päts, demanding civil freedoms.
During the authoritarian regime, it was easier for the government to pass reforms, since there was no longer an organized opposition. Päts ruled mostly through presidential decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
s, because the parliament was needed to pass real laws. The economy grew and the infrastructure, industry and education were developed. The Estonianization
Estonianization
Estonianization is the changing of one's personal names from other languages into Estonian, or the development of Estonian language, culture and identity within educational and other state institutions through various programs.-Family names:...
of personal names was supported, the most prominent example being Karl August Einbund, who changed his name to Kaarel Eenpalu.
Regarding the 1934 constitution too undemocratic, Päts organised the passing of a new constitution through a plebiscite and a constituent assembly. The corporate chambers
Corporate chambers (Estonia)
Corporate chambers were a series of corporate institutions in Estonia during the interwar period. The first of these – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – was created in 1924, and the second, the Chamber of Agriculture, followed in 1931...
were to be the basis of forming the assembly. Its formation was approved (with 76% in favour) in a plebiscite in 1936. The 1936 National Assembly elections were boicotted by the opposition in most electoral districts.
On 28 July 1937, the assembly adopted the third constitution, that was based on Päts's draft. A bicameral parliament was to be elected and the president was to be elected by the parliament, not by the people. On 3 September 1937, a 120-day period of transition began, during which Päts ruled as President-Regent.
On 1 January 1938, the new constitution came into force and the 1938 parliamentary elections
Estonian parliamentary election, 1938
Parliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 24 and 25 February 1938. The National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution was the only party to contest the election, and won 64 of the 80 seats...
were held. Opposition candidates were allowed to take part, however they were given little or no attention in the media. Päts's supporters took 64 of the 80 seats in the lower chamber, Riigivolikogu. The president, who was yet to be elected, was also able to directly appoint into office 10 of the 40 members of the higher chamber, Riiginõukogu.
The parliament, together with municipal appointees elected Konstantin Päts the first President of Estonia
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
. No other candidates were nominated and Päts was elected with 219 votes in favour and 19 ballots left empty. He took office on 24 April 1938 and appointed Kaarel Eenpalu as Prime Minister on 9 May 1938. On 5 May 1938, all political prisoners, mostly Communists and members of the Vaps Movement, were given amnesty. There is no consensus, whether the so-called "Era of Silence
Era of Silence
"Era of Silence" is a term used to describe the years 1934-1938 or 1940. in Estonian history. It was introduced by Kaarel Eenpalu, Prime Minister of Estonia in 1938-39 and a strong supporter of Konstantin Päts, Estonia's dictator during that period...
" ended in 1938 with the adoption of the new constitution, or in 1940 with the Soviet occupation.
Late republic and Soviet Occupation
After the beginning of World War II Estonia declared its neutrality, but was compelled to sign the Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance TreatySoviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty
The Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty was a bilateral treaty signed in Moscow on September 28, 1939. The treaty obliged both parties to respect each other's sovereignty and independence, while in practice allowed the Soviet government to establish military bases in Estonia, which facilitated...
on 28 September 1939 to allow Soviet military bases in Estonia. On 12 October 1939, Päts appointed Jüri Uluots
Jüri Uluots
Jüri Uluots was an Estonian prime minister, journalist, prominent attorney and distinguished Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu....
as a new, moderate Prime Minister.
In May 1940, Päts believed that the best option for Estonia would be to follow Soviet guidelines until the German-Soviet war
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. In case of such war, "Estonia would be saved". However on 16 June 1940, the Soviet Union delivered an ultimatum to the Estonian government, which was forced to accept it. Complete occupation by the Soviet Union followed on 17 June 1940.
On 21 June 1940, Päts was forced to assign the communist Johannes Vares
Johannes Vares
Johannes Vares , commonly known as Johannes Vares Barbarus, was an Estonian poet, doctor, and politician.Vares was born in Heimtali, now in Pärsti Parish, Viljandi County, and educated at Pärnu Gymnasium...
as the new Prime Minister. For an entire month Päts signed ca. 200 decrees for the new Soviet regime. Among other things, he gave the decree to change the electoral law, allowing the new regime to organize preliminary elections. Only the lower chamber of the Riigikogu, the Riigivolikogu, was convened, its members being only Communists. On Victory Day of 23 June 1940, Päts declared, that "the greatest thing we have accomplished, is the creation of the Estonian state. To her we have given our strongest love, our loyalty, our work and our life." From 29 June 1940, Päts remained under permanent house arrest. Even in early July, Päts declared to the German ambassador, that he doesn't believe in the Sovietization
Sovietization
Sovietization is term that may be used with two distinct meanings:*the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets .*the adoption of a way of life and mentality modelled after the Soviet Union....
of Estonia.
On 21 July 1940, Estonian SSR was proclaimed, Päts was forced to leave the office and was deported to Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
with his family on 30 July 1940. After a few weeks, they were sent to Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
, where they lived in a small house for a year. On 26 June 1941, Konstantin Päts was arrested, parted from his family and sent to a prison in Bashkir ASSR.
In 1952, Päts was sent to forced treatment in Kazan
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
prison hospital. His forced psychiatric hospitalization was justified by his "persistent claiming of being the President of Estonia". Forced treatment was ended in 1954 and Päts was sent to a mental hospital in Jämejala
Jämejala
Jämejala is a village in Pärsti Parish, Viljandi County, Estonia. It has a population of 199 ....
, Estonia. Recognition by the locals and too much attention resulted him being sent to Burashevo psychiatric hospital in Kalinin Oblast (now Tver Oblast), where he eventually died on 18 January 1956.
Politics
Päts's ideology went through major changes during his career. During the 1905 Revolution, he was considered to be a socialist, as many of the progressive ideas were considered socialist at the time. During his exile years, he became more social liberal, trying to use the best of both ideologies. During independent Estonia, he acted as a conservative with even elements of statismStatism
Statism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
during his authoritarian years.
Several aspects of Päts's career are still under critical public debate. Päts has been seen as a politician, who destroyed democracy in pre-war Estonia. According to some historians, he and his close allies used the 1934 coup for their own personal gains and not to keep the Vaps Movement from taking power. Several members of the Päts family gained important positions in ranging from clerical to cultural fields. Others have criticised the long time that took to adopt a new constitution (more than three years).
His actions before and during the Soviet occupation have been questioned even more. One of the more prominent critics has been Magnus Ilmjärv
Magnus Ilmjärv
Magnus Ilmjärv is an Estonian historian. He graduated from the University of Tartu cum laude in 1988 and defended his MA thesis in 1997, in June 2004 defended his PhD at the University of Helsinki. From 2006 on, Ilmjärv has been the director of the Estonian Institute of History...
. In 1918, Päts refused to compromise with the Communists, but in 1940, he gave Estonia to Soviets without many objections. This controversy has led to theories, that Päts's bad health didn't let him realistically analyze the situation.
Other theories maintain that Päts trusted the Soviet officials and had befriended some of the Soviet leaders. It is also possible, that the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
controlled Päts's health or the information that reached him. Another theory suggests, that Päts knew of the outbreaking war between Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and was only looking for a way for Estonia to survive the short period in between.
One more theory insists that Päts knew of the difficulty of the situation and tried to keep Estonians as safe as possible by avoiding war with the Soviets. As a lawyer, he also had to understand that his decisions were not valid when forced by an occupying power. Under international law a war would have invalidated the Tartu Peace Treaty.
According to international law and the Estonian constitution, Päts's actions were of no affect from the beginning of the occupation, or at least from 21 June 1940, when Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov was a Soviet politician.-Life:Zhdanov enlisted with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1915 and was promoted through the party ranks, becoming the All-Union Communist Party manager in Leningrad after the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934...
dictated the formation of government cabinet led by Johannes Vares. The laws passed by the Vares government and promulgated by Päts were illegal in any case as they were not ratified by the upper chamber as required by the Estonian constitution.
Legally, his duties went to the last Prime Minister Jüri Uluots, who let Otto Tief
Otto Tief
Otto Tief was a lawyer, an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence and a politician. He was Acting Prime Minister of the last government of Estonia before Soviet troops occupied Estonia in 1944...
form a government
National Committee of the Republic of Estonia
The National Committee of the Republic of Estonia was formed by the underground resistance movements in German-occupied Estonia in March 1944. By April 1944 a large number of the committee members were arrested by the German security agencies....
in 1944, before the Soviet reoccupation. After Uluots died in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1945, presidential duties went to the oldest member of Tief's cabinet, August Rei, who formed the Estonian Government in Exile
Estonian Government in Exile
The Estonian Government in Exile refers to the formally declared governmental authority of the Republic of Estonia in exile, existing from 1953 until the reestablishment of Estonian sovereignty over Estonian territory in 1992...
in 1953. The last Prime Minister in duties of the President, Heinrich Mark
Heinrich Mark
Heinrich Mark was born on October 1, 1911, in Krootuse, Kõlleste Parish, now in Põlva County, Estonia. He died on August 2, 2004, in Stockholm, Sweden....
, handed over his credentials to the incoming President Lennart Georg Meri on 8 October 1992.
Society
A number of places and institutions in Estonia have been named after Konstantin Päts. Kentmanni street in Tallinn was named after Konstantin Päts in 1939–1940 and 1941–1944 and Lossi street in PõltsamaaPõltsamaa
-External links:...
was named after him in 1936–1940. Konstantin Päts Boarding School of Tallinn was opened after Päts's own initiative for children with respiratory disorders.
A museum of Konstantin Päts was set up in 1991 in the Tallinn Botanical Gardens, where Päts's farmstead still remains. The museum still exists, but the farmstead was returned to Päts's descendants in 1995.
Päts has been portrayed in literature, one of the best known is the satirical Memoirs of Ivan Orav
Ivan Orav
Ivan Orav is a fictional character created by Estonian writer Andrus Kivirähk, who published a book "Memoirs of Ivan Orav or the Past as Azure Mountains" in 1995...
by Andrus Kivirähk
Andrus Kivirähk
Andrus Kivirähk is an Estonian writer.By 2004, 25,000 copies of his book Rehepapp ehk November had been sold, making him the most popular 21st century Estonian writer...
, where Päts is portrayed as a true people's person, who was beloved by the entire nation and who was a thoroughly good person. Periods of Päts's life were also portrayed in the television series Tuulepealne maa
Tuulepealne maa
Tuulepealne maa is a twelve-part Estonian television mini-series about the pre-World War II history of Estonia, its birth as a country, the Estonian War of Independence, post-war life throughout 1920 up to 1941 and World War II....
.
Foreign Relations
In 1918, Päts made a proposal for an Estonian-Finnish personal unionPersonal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
. However, Finnish leaders weren't so eager about the union and the idea was rejected. Päts still bore the idea in his mind, as testified by his so-called "political testament", written in July 1940. In 1922, during his first term as State Elder, he made the first Estonian state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
, to Finland. He also made unofficial visits to Finland in 1931, 1935 and 1937. President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad , December 15, 1861 – February 29, 1944) was the third President of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major role in the movement for Finnish independence...
visited Estonia twice during Päts's authoritarian rule, in 1934 and in 1936.
In 1933, Päts also made a state visit to Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and the Baltic Entente
Baltic Entente
The Baltic Entente was based on Treaty of Understanding and Collaboration signed between Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia on September 12, 1934 in Geneva. The main objective of the agreement was joint action in foreign policy. It also included mutual commitments to support each other politically, and...
between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
was signed in 1934 during his authoritarian regime. This agreement was another attempt to draw Finland closer to Estonia, but saw no results. During the 1930s, Estonian and Polish officials made several state visits to both countries.
In late 1930s, the Soviet Union excited interest for the Baltic states, causing Estonia to move closer to Germany in its foreign policy. This change was marked by appointing the amassador to Germany, Friedrich Karl Akel, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1936. On 3 December 1938, Estonia declared its neutrality.
Economic and cultural activities
Päts actively participated in economic activities. In periods between 1919 to 1933, he was chairman of the insurance company "Estonian Lloyd". From 1925 to 1929, Päts was the chairman of the council of the Chamber of Commerce and IndustryCorporate chambers (Estonia)
Corporate chambers were a series of corporate institutions in Estonia during the interwar period. The first of these – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry – was created in 1924, and the second, the Chamber of Agriculture, followed in 1931...
and continued as its honorary councillor from 1935. He also served as the chairman of the board of the Harju Bank and chairman of the Tallinn Exchange Committee. He ran a farm in Kloostrimetsa
Kloostrimetsa
Kloostrimetsa is a subdistrict in the district of Pirita, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is mostly covered by the park forest Kloostrimets...
, near Tallinn – a place which now functions as the Tallinn Botanic Garden
Tallinn Botanic Garden
Tallinn Botanic Garden , is the largest botanical garden in Estonia. It's located in the Kloostrimetsa subdistrict , Pirita district , Tallinn...
.
Päts was the chairman of Estonian-Finnish-Hungarian Association from 1925 to 1936 and continued as honorary chairman from 1936. From 1927 to 1937, he was the chairman of the "Fenno-Ugria" foundation.
Päts received honorary doctorates from Tartu University in 1928, Tallinn Technical University and Andhra University
Andhra University
Andhra University or Andhra Viswa Kala Parishad , located in Visakhapatnam, north east coastal Andhra Pradesh, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus...
(in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) in 1938, along with honorary membership of the Learned Estonian Society
Learned Estonian Society
The Learned Estonian Society is Estonia's oldest scholarly organisation, and was formed at the University of Tartu in 1838. Its charter was to study Estonia's history and pre-history, its language, literature and folklore....
in 1938 and the Estonian Academy of Sciences
Estonian Academy of Sciences
Founded in 1938, the Estonian Academy of Sciences is Estonia's national academy of science. As with other national academies, it is an independent group of well-known scientists whose stated aim is to promote research and development, encourage international scientific cooperation, and...
in 1939. In 1938, he became honorary member of the Estonian Naturalists' Society (Loodusuurijate Selts) and the Estonian Institute of Natural Resources (Loodusvarade Instituut). He was also named honorary alumnus of the fraternal student corporation Fraternitas Estica
Fraternitas Estica
Fraternitas Estica is an all-male academic corporation at the University of Tartu, Estonia. It was founded in 1907.-External links:...
and honorary citizen of 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...
, 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:...
, 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...
and 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...
and Tahkuranna Parish
Tahkuranna Parish
Tahkuranna is a municipality located in Pärnu County, one of the 15 counties of Estonia.-Settlements:Small borough:VõisteVillages:Laadi - Leina - Lepaküla - Metsaküla - Piirumi - Reiu - Tahkuranna - Uulu...
.
Remains
In 1988, Estonians Henn Latt and Valdur Timusk decided to search for Konstantin Päts's remains in Russia. They reached Burashevo village, 15 km from Kalinin (now TverTver
Tver is a city and the administrative center of Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: 403,726 ; 408,903 ;...
), where Päts had been a patient in the hospital. They met his last doctor Ksenya Gusseva, who described Päts's funeral in 1956. She said, that Päts was buried like a president – in a coffin, unlike other deceased patients of the time. On 22 June 1990, his grave was dug up and the remains were reburied to Tallinn Metsakalmistu cemetery on 21 October 1990.
Personal life
In 1901, Konstantin Päts married Helma (Vilhelmine) Peedi, whom he had met in PärnuPärnu
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...
High School. They had two sons, Leo and Viktor. Konstantin left his family for exile in 1905 and his second son was born while he still resided in Switzerland. They were united when Konstantin moved to Ollila, Finland. His wife died of lung disease in 1910 while he was imprisoned in Saint Petersburg, Päts never remarried. His children were raised by his wife's unmarried sister Johanna Pung.
Päts was seen as a kind person, who was able to give good speeches, was grown in a rural area and therefore had a heart for the land. He took a special interest in issues related to children. He often donated money to large families and organized events for students, which he also took part of. He was also known to take long walks in the morning and to get into conversations with park workers.
Descendants
Konstantin's eldest son, Leo Päts, managed to escape to Finland in 1939. He eventually moved on to Sweden, where he died in 1988. Konstantin's second son, Viktor Päts, died in a Siberian prison in 1952. He had two sons, Matti and Enn, but Enn died of starvation in an orphanage in 1944. All living descendants of Konstantin Päts are the children and grandchildren of Matti Päts, who returned from Siberia with his mother in 1946. Matti Päts has been director of the Estonian Patent Office since 1991; he has also been a member of the RiigikoguRiigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
and 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...
city council.
Awards
1920 – Cross of Liberty I/I1920 – Cross of Liberty III/I
1921 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
Order of the Estonian Red Cross
The Order of the Estonian Red Cross was instituted in 1920 by the Estonian Red Cross Society. The Order of the Estonian Red Cross is bestowed in order to give recognition for humanitarian services rendered in the interests of the Estonian people and for the saving of life.-Classes:The Order of the...
III
1926 – Order of the Estonian Red Cross
Order of the Estonian Red Cross
The Order of the Estonian Red Cross was instituted in 1920 by the Estonian Red Cross Society. The Order of the Estonian Red Cross is bestowed in order to give recognition for humanitarian services rendered in the interests of the Estonian people and for the saving of life.-Classes:The Order of the...
I/I
1929 – Order of the Cross of the Eagle
Order of the Cross of the Eagle
The Order of the Cross of the Eagle was instituted in 1928 by the Estonian Defence League to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Estonian independence. It was adopted as a state order in 1936.The Order of the Cross of the Eagle is bestowed to give recognition for military services and services...
I
1938 – Special sash of the Order of the National Coat of Arms
1938 – Collar of the Order of the White Star
Order of the White Star
The Order of the White Star was instituted on 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state.- Classes :The Order of the White Star comprises five classes:...
1938 – Collar of the Order of the National Coat of Arms
Order of the National Coat of Arms
The Order of the National Coat of Arms was instituted by Konstantin Päts on 7 October 1936 to commemorate 24 February 1918, the day on which Estonian independence was declared...
See also
- Estonian War of Independence
- Occupation of Baltic states
- Kaarel EenpaluKaarel EenpaluKaarel Eenpalu was an Estonian journalist, politician and head of state.- Education :...
- Johan LaidonerJohan LaidonerJohan Laidoner was a seminal figure of Estonian history between the world wars. His highest position was Commander-in-chief of the Estonian Army in 1918–1920, 1924–1925, and 1934–1940.-Education:Laidoner was born in Viiratsi , Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire...
- Jaan TeemantJaan TeemantJaan Teemant was an Estonian lawyer and politician.Teemant studied in H. Treffner's Private High School. In 1901 he graduated from the Department of Law the St. Petersburg University. He was a solicitor in Tallinn. In 1904–1905 was a member of the Tallinn Municipal Council...