History of Estonia Podcast

We talk about the war in Ukraine and how it will its outcome is likely to have an influence on Estonia. We talk about the passing of Jüri Arrak the great Estonian artist. A new future format is introduced in which esteemed guests will appear on the podcast.

In this episode, we look at how Estonia developed itself into a market economy. We also learn how Estonia began to integrate itself into Europe and a discussion was started about the eventual acceptance of Estonia into NATO.

Perestroika has arrived and the Soviet Union gets more than what they expected with the new reforms.

Lennart Meri Speech Hamburg, Germany February 25, 1994, Matthiae-Supper of Hansa Cities

In this episode, we learn what modernity did for Estonia, which was to allow it to get a small glimpse of the outside world with Finnish television broadcasts being picked up in Northern Estonia and also Radio broadcasts that came in from the west. We also learned about the Letter of 40 that spelled out clearly the years of Russification that Estonia had to endure.

In this episode, we learn more about student protest groups, who were really the lifeblood for retaining Estonian dignity and culture. We mostly cover the third wave of Russification which put Estonians as a minority in the cities.

In this episode, we take a look at the political leadership of the Estonian SSR during the 1950s-1970s.  We learn about the Komsomol student groups and how they made their impact felt in Estonia. We also learned a little about how the suppression of the Prague Spring put a stop to liberalization in Estonia.

In this episode we see how Estonian industry and agriculture was collectivized under the Soviet Union.

The war is over and the Soviet Union took power in Estonia. Many politicians are shuffled around as Moscow is intent on keeping Estonia Politically Correct. In Marxism, bourgeois nationalism is the practice by the ruling classes of deliberately dividing people by nationality, race, ethnicity, or religion, so as to distract them from engaging in class struggle. It is seen as a divide-and-conquer st...

In this episode the Soviet Union is able to regroup and push back against the invading Germans and eventual retake Estonia. In this episode, we see how and when this is accomplished.

In this episode we cover the invasion of Estonia by the German Army. We briefly look at the local uprising against Soviet rule and the fight for Tartu before learning what German rule meant for every day Estonians.

In this episode we take a brief detour from Estonia and cover what Operation Barbarrosa  meant to the Jews and Romani of Latvia and Lithuania. 

In this episode we learn what happened after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and how the Soviet Union brought Estonia into the Union through deception and force of arms.

In last episode we covered the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact. In this episode we find out what the implications were of the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact and the terrible choices the Estonian government were offered. Option 1: was to agree to the Treaty on Bases,   Option 2: face an overwhelming invasion from the Soviet Union.             N...

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is known as one of the most well known and impactful treaties to be signed in modern times. It kicked off the beginning of World War 2 and millions in Europe have had to suffer its consequences ever since.

In this episode we learn about Estonian Culture during the inter-war period. This is largely seen as the golden age of Estonian culture. Schools were reformed and Estonians were now both the professors and students at university and that is new development that came in this period.

In this episode we cover the Estonian Foreign Policy after its Independence. Estonia Joins the League of Nations but no countries were willing to stand up for smaller nations if it would have possibly meant war with Germany or the Soviet Union. We also learn about an attempt to have the Baltic Countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland join a pact for mutual assistance but because of confl...

In this episode we cover the pre war era in Estonia. A national emergency is declared and the President of Estonia becomes head of government through a coupe d'etat and rules through decrees, while the parliament only works on topics of secondary importance. Estonia is reported to have followed the model of government created in Fascist Italy.

In this episode we look as the period between the World Wars. Estonia found it way through the Great Depression through devaluation of the Eesti Kroon by Jaan Tonisson. Also Estonia scraps their constitution and the office of President is established.

In this episode we learn about Estonia's early political parties in the 1920's. Estonia develops its first constitution and the communists try unsuccessfully to overthrow the new Estonian government and the Estonian Defense League is resurrected. 

In this episode we learn how the banking system was set up in Estonia in the 1920's to offer loans. It gave way too many loans and many defaulted on their debt leaving the state in a financial bind. Eventually, with the help of western countries the debts were restructured and the Eesti Kroon is finally introduced.

In this episode we wrap up the Legend of Vana Toomas or (Old Thomas).  Please share it with others that will walk the cobble stoned square one day.

The legend of Vana Toomas (old Thomas). In this episode we are going to cover something that almost everyone that has stood in Tallinn’s town hall square is probably familiar with. The weather vein of vana toomas, has sat on town hall square since the year 1530. It is a  symbol of Tallinn as well as one of its legendary defenders. In 1944, Old Thomas was hit during a Russian bombardment. The...

Many different factions were vying for power in Estonia at the end of WW1. Luckily for Estonia, the time was right for Estonia to finally proclaim and be recognized as the sovereign country of Estonia.

In this episode Estonia takes advantage of the destruction that the First World War has caused to proclaim it independence.