The Estonian War of Independence (Estonian: Vabadussõda, German: Estnischer Freiheitskrieg), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was an armed uprising of Estonian freedom fighters against the German occupation forces, which had opted to cooperate with the local Baltic German elite instead of the native majority ethnicities, unlike in Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine.
The uprising started a mere week after the proclamation of the United Baltic Duchy by a Baltic German regency council in Riga, when Jaan Poska, head of the Estonian Provisional Government in Reval (which already had been established in early 1918, but remained largely unrecognized by the international community), called for the struggle against the German occupiers.
After several small-scale battles all over Estonia, all of whom were decisively won by the Germans due to better equipment for a guerilla war during the harsh winter, the Estonian Provisional Government evacuated across the Baltic Sea to Sweden, Finland and Russia. The spirit of the independence war lives on among the Forest Brothers, armed Baltic partisans who wage guerrilla warfare against German rule on the Estonian and Latvian countryside.
Even though the war ended in a heavy defeat for the Estonians, it would strengthen the Estonian national identity in the long-term, very differently to the Latvians, who were not able to declare a liberation war against Germany due to the absence of a centralized national leadership and would suffer the consequences, namely a severely weakened national pride, almost two decades later.
Prelude[]
After centuries of oppression by Tsarist administrators and Baltic German landlords, the Estonians would finally get their own autonomous zone and their own provisional parliament (Maapäev) after the Republican February Revolution struck Russia in early 1917. However, this short period of political liberalization would soon be over with the October Revolution, which led to a Bolshevik coup in Tallinn and forced the Maapäev and its chairman, Jaan Poska, underground.
Many Estonians cheered when the Germans drove the Soviets out of the Baltic countries in early 1918 following Operation Faustschlag, and Estonian nationalists were sure that the Germans were supportive of their national cause, just like they had been with the Lithuanians, Poles, Jews and Ruthenians. But the Germans had different plans and began to support the local Baltic German nobility instead, with the aim to establish a German State in the Baltics just like in the days of the Livonian Order: The United Baltic Duchy.
In the following months, many high-ranking Estonian freedom fighters were arrested and interned in Germany, among them Konstantin Päts, the most important figure of the Estonian National Movement. Estonian language newspaper were forbidden, except the pro-German Tallinna Päevaleht.
During this whole period the Estonian Provisional Government continued its underground activities, entering into relation with the Entente to gain support. Britain recognized Estonian independence on 3 May 1918, followed by the French Republic on 18 May and Italy on 29 May 1918, giving the committee a legal status of the representative of the Estonian nation.
However, the Entente's position would become weaker and weaker with every day, while the Germans would grow stronger and stronger, especially with the war in the east finally over. Throughout late 1918, Germany prepared for a last major offensive against the French, Belgians and British and withdrew many troops to the west; The Estonians knew that now or never would be their only chance to strike.
Course of the War[]
WIP