Estonia hails «lasting liberty» on March 27th

Photo: Tairo Lutter / Virumaa Teataja

On March 27^th, Estonia’s post-war independence exceeds the length of the pre-war one.

Toomas Kiho, adviser to Prime Minister and editor of the Akadeemia magazine, has based his calculations on the fact that Republic of Estonia was founded on February 24^th, 1918 and managed to last for one day, as on February 25^th 1918 the German occupation set in.

Authority of the Estonian state was re-established on the day the occupation ended – being November 11^th 1918.

From then on, Republic of Estonia, according to Mr Kiho’s calculations, lasted until occupied by the Soviet Union. As we know, the Soviet troops massively entered Estonia in the morning of June 17^th 1940, the USSR’s corresponding ultimatum having come on June 16^th.

Toomas Kiho recons the length of pre-war independence to be 21 years (fulfilled November 11^th 1940), seven months (fulfilled June 11^th 1940) and six days.

In order to get the precise picture in days, the leap years 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932 and 1936 must be taken into account.

According to calculations, the entire pre-war independence lasted for 7,890 days, including the single day in February 1918.

Post-war independence can be counted starting August 20^th 1991. Since then, six leap years have occurred:  1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Thus, by simple math, we arrive at the date of March 27^th, this year: thereafter, the post-war independence will be longer than the previous time period of 1918–1940. On that day, the regained independence will again have lasted for 7,890 days.

Every day that follows will make post-war independence longer that the pre-war one. True, celebrating the occasion on the opening second of March 27^th will be symbolic, as no-one will know second-wise when exactly Estonia got independent in 1918, at what time the German occupation started and ended, and at what time it came to an end on June 17^th 1940. However, history does tell us that the Russian forces launched their attack at 5 am.

Soviet occupation of Estonia started on June 17^th 1940, but even in these conditions, constitutional institutions attempted to function for a time. Thus, Prime Minister Jüri Uluots addressed the nation, on eve of June 18^th, with the following words: «Lest there be any misunderstandings, Estonia, at the moment, is functioning in its full constitutional order.»

However, by then government of Mr Uluots had submitted its resignation and the new one had to be coordinated with Soviet occupational forces.

In the days of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR), an important day for all communists was, however, June 21^st, when, supported by Russian armoured vehicles, the so-called working class demonstrations took place, with our blue-black-white flag removed from Pikk Hermann tower, replaced by a red one. ESSR as such was, however, only declared on July 21^st 1940, after alternative pseudo-elections of State Council.

Two times 7,890 days of independent Estonia

February 24^th 1918 – Declaration of an independent Republic of Estonia

February 25^th 1918 – German occupation of Estonia

November 11^th 1918 – end of German occupation, re-establishment of Estonian state authority

June 17^th 1940 – Soviet occupation of Estonia, which had been independent for 7,890 days.

August 20^th 1991 – Estonia’s independence restored

March 27^th 2013 – 7,890 days of Estonia’s post-war independence