Estonian Independence Day (0)

Independence Day
On 24 February , Independence Day is celebrated in the Rebublic of Estonia. This is the day that the Manifesto was declared in Tallinn 91 years ago.
In responce to a period of Russification initiated by the Russian empire in the 1890’s, Estonian nationalism took on more political tones, with intellectuals first calling for greater autonomy, and later , complete independence from the Russian empire. Following the Bolshevik takeover of power in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 and German victories against the Russian army , between the Russian Red Army’s retreat and the arrival of advancing German troops, the Committee of Elders of the Maapäev issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence in Pärnu on February 24, 1918. after winning the Estonian Liberation War against Soviet Russia and at the same time German Freekorps volunteers (the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed on 2 February 1920), Estonia maintained its independence for 22 years. Initially a parliamentary democracy, the parliament was disnaded in 1934, following political unrest caused by the global economic crisis . Subsequently the country was ruled by decree by Konstatin Päts, who became President in 1938, the year parliamentary elections resumed.
Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940, after Stalin gained Hitler ’s agreement to divide Eastern Europe into „spheres of special interest “ according to the Molotov -Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocol.
Subsequently, the country was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1944. Germans pillaged the country for the war effort and unleashed the Holocaust.
Soviet forces reconquered Estonia in the autumn of 1944 after fierce battles in the northeast of the country on the Narva river and on the Tannenberg Line. Tens of thousands of people chose to eighter retreat together with the Germans or flee to Finland or Sweden , becoming war refugees and later, expatriates.
The United States , United Kingdom and the majority of other western democracies considered the annexation of Estonia by USSR illegal. They retained diplomatic relations with the representatives of the independent Respublic of Estonia, never recognized Estonia as a legal constituent part of Soviet Union. Estonia’s return to independence became possible as the Soviet Union ran into economic dufficulties as a consequence of the Cold War and began to disintegrate. As te situation evolved, a movement for more Estonian self-governance started .
In 1989, during the „ Singing Revolution“, a human chain of more than 2 million people, called the Baltic Way, was formed , streching through Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia.
Estonia formally declared regained independece on August 20, 1991, during the Soviet military coup attempt in Moscow .
The last Russian troops left on 31 August 1994. Estonia joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and the European Union on 1 May 2004.
Retreat - taganema
Estonian Liberation War - Eesti vabadussõda
Tartu Peace Treaty - Tartu rahuleping
disband - laiali saatma , minema
political unrest - poliitiline rahutus
subsequently - järgnevalt
give one’s assent - nõustuma
establish military bases - asustama sõjaväe baasid
mutual - vastastikune
perceive - tajuma , märkama
pillage - rüüstamine, rüüstama
unleash - valla päästma
fierce - metsik, raevukas
flee - pagema
nothing short of - mitte vähem kui
coup - riigipööre