Continued from VES #3414

The Estonian citizens committees movement

In October 1988, Gorbachov unveiled a plan creating a new committee in the Soviet Union, the Congress of People's Deputies, and markedly restricting the rights of the constituent republics. Gorbachov's plan resulted in protests in every Soviet republic. In Estonia, hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions against the plan. On November 16th 1988 the Supreme Soviet of Estonia adopted a declaration of sovereignty, announcing that Soviet laws would be in force on Estonian soil only if they were approved by Estonia.  Estonia's decision fell under sharp criticism in Moscow. Abroad the move was seen as a declaration of independence and a sign of the weakening of the Soviet Union.

On February 24th 1989, at the initiative of the leaders of the Estonian SSR, the national tricolor was raised at the traditional seat of power in Tallinn, the Pikk Hermann tower. Interfront greeted the move with a strike threat. For their part, Estonians were unfortunately still lacking a common vision of how far Estonia could go in its demand—whether  it would be too radical perhaps to seek a full restoration of indepedence. At the election of  Congress of People's Deputies, held on March 26th 1989, Popular Front won the most seats. In Moscow, reform-minded Estonian deputies formed a new faction with deputies elected from the other Baltic republics and set as their goals the abrogation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and autonomy. However, this proved more complicated than the leaders of the Estonian SSR had expected.

To step up pressure on Moscow, on August 23rd 1989, at the initiative of the Popular Front, a more than 600-km-long human chain was formed, linking the three Baltic capitals, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. The "Baltic Chain" took the nations' aspirations for freedom to the front pages of the world's newspapers. It was becoming harder and harder to ignore the Baltic question. On  August 27th 1989, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR adopted a threatening resolution, regarding the Situation in the Soviet Baltic States. It warned that the striving for independence could place the existence of the Baltic nations in jeopardy. The effect of the document proved to be the opposite of that intended, reinforcing those very aspirations.

By this time, the independence movement was being aided by the citizens' committees movement that had arisen in Estonia. On   February 24th 1989, registration of Estonian citizens began on the proposal of the Estonian National Independence Party, the Christian Union and the Heritage Preservation Society. The aim was to hold free elections for a new independent representative body, the Congress of Estonia. Although registration progressed slowly in the beginning, a breakthrough took place in the summer. On November 11th 1989, the representatives of the committees elected the  Estonian Citizens Committee, headed by Tunne Kelam, as the frontrunner to be its representative. While just six months earlier, some Estonians had considered the bid for freedom unrealistic, now the majority of them were firmly in the independence camp.

Estonia's return to independence, 1990-1991

Elections of the Congress of Estonia on  February 24th 1990 became an independence referendum of sorts. The Congress of Estonia convened on  March 11h and 12th 1990, affirming the continuity of the state of Estonia in spite of decades of occupation. The same trend was continued by new Supreme Council, elected from the general population on 18th March, 1990, which declared a period of transition to the restoration of the Republic of Estonia. The Supreme Council elections were won by the Popular Front, whose leader, Edgar Savisaar, became prime minister of the Estonian SSR.
Moscow did not recognize the decisions taken by Estonia and began applying pressure on Estonia. On 15th May, 1990, Moscow-minded demonstrators attempted to seize Toompea castle, but were rebuffed by the people, who hastened to the aid of the Supreme Council.

Early in 1991, Soviet leaders opted for the use of force to quash the Baltic bids for independence. Bloody events in Vilnius and Riga led to barricades in the streets of Tallinn as well. The intervention of Russian President Boris Yeltsin helped resolve the crisis. The Baltic question had by this time risen to the level of international politics, a topic in talks among superpowers. A public poll held on 3rd March, 1991 also helped the cause, forestalling a pan-Soviet referendum on the issue of preservation of the Soviet Union. In the Estonian poll, 77% voted for Estonian independence. Moscow continued to wave a treaty of union at the Estonians, hinting at economic sanctions in the case of non-compliance.

This impasse was resolved when Soviet hardliners  attempted a coup in Moscow,  on August 19th,  1991, which rapidly collapsed. In Estonia, an understanding was reached between the two rival political movements, and in defiance of approaching tanks, the Supreme Council,  coordinating with the Congress of Estonia, adopted a decision for national independence on  August 20th 1991. The failed putsch was followed by the recognition of Estonian independence, first by Russia and some time later, by the Soviet Union. Within a month's time, leading Western countries had reinstated diplomatic relations with Estonia and on  September 17th 1991, the flags of all three Baltic States were raised in front of the UN headquarters in New York — Estonia had returned to the fold of the world's free nations.

http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/history/estonias-return-to-independence-19871991.htm