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History of Estonia

A Baltic country that restored its independence in 1991 after the Singing Revolution. 4 eras, 1561 to today.

Duchy of Estonia, 1561–1721 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Duchy of Estonia, also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721 during the time that most or all of Estonia was under Swedish rule. The territory was eventually ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation during a plague outbreak in the Great Northern War. Erik XIV incorporated Reval (now Tallinn) and northern Estonia into the realm in 1561 to lay the foundations of the Swedish Baltic Empire.

Seat of power: Tallinn

Rulers

Estonia Governorate, 1721–1918 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Estonia Governorate, also historically known as the Estland or Esthonia Governorate, was a province (guberniya) and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire. In the Treaty of Nystad of 1721, Sweden formally ceded its former dominion of Estonia, Livonia, and its other territories to Russia, whereas Russia paid Sweden compensation of 2 million efimki (1.3 million rubles). The accession of Alexander III in 1881 marked the beginning of a period of more rigid Russification; the previous Baltic civil and criminal codes were replaced with Russian ones, and the Russian language replaced the German language and Estonian language. The Estonian independence that came on 24 February 1918 marked the permanent end for the governorate.

Seat of power: Tallinn

Rulers

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, 1940–1991 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Estonia, was a de facto administrative unit (union republic) of the former Soviet Union, established on the occupied and annexed territory of Estonia in 1940. It existed from 1940 to 1941 and again from 1944 until 1990, when the use of the name Estonian SSR was discontinued. Most of the world's countries did not recognise the incorporation of Estonia into the Soviet Union de jure and only recognised its Soviet administration de facto or not at all. On 16 November 1988, Estonia became the first of the then Soviet-controlled countries to declare state sovereignty from the central government in Moscow.

Seat of power: Tallinn

Rulers

Estonia, 1991 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Following the 1988–1990 "Singing Revolution" against Soviet rule, full independence was restored on 20 August 1991, and the country joined NATO and the European Union in 2004. Throughout the de facto Soviet occupation, from World War II until 1991, Estonia's de jure state continuity was preserved by diplomatic representatives and the government-in-exile. On 1 January 2011, Estonia joined the eurozone and adopted the euro, the single currency of EU. Estonia is a developed country with a high-income, advanced economy, and Eurozone membership.

Seat of power: Tallinn

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.