The Estonian Provisional Government ( et, Eesti Ajutine Valitsus) was formed on 24 February 1918, by the
Salvation Committee appointed by ''
Maapäev'', the Estonian Province Assembly.
History
Konstantin Päts' first provisional cabinet
The Provisional Government was led by
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts (; – 18 January 1956) was an Estonian statesman and the country's president in 1938–1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades prior ...
.
Jüri Vilms
Jüri Vilms (, Arkma, Kabala Parish (now Türi Parish), Kreis Fellin, Governorate of Livonia – May 2, 1918, Hauho near Hämeenlinna, Finland, unconfirmed info) was a member of the Estonian Salvation Committee and the first Deputy Prime Min ...
was appointed minister of justice,
Jaan Poska minister of foreign affairs,
Juhan Kukk
Juhan (Johann) Kukk VR III/1 ( in Käru, Salla Parish (now in Väike-Maarja Parish), Wierland County, Governorate of Estonia – 4 December 1942 in Kargopol, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Soviet Union) was an Estonian politician.
Kukk finished the Tartu ...
minister of finance, Jaan Raamot minister of food and agriculture,
Andres Larka
Andres Larka VR I/1 (5 March 1879 Pilistvere (now Põhja-Sakala Parish), Kreis Fellin – 8 January 1943 Malmyzh, Kirov, Soviet Union) was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence and a politician.
In 1902 he gr ...
minister of war. Villem Maasik was minister of labour and welfare, Ferdinand Peterson minister of roads and Peeter Põld minister of education.
The main functions of the Provisional Government were lobbying for diplomatic recognition for
Estonian independence abroad, oppose the
German occupation of Estonia and organise elections to the
Estonian Constituent Assembly.
After the formation of the Provisional Government, the country was occupied by German troops and became administered by
Ober Ost
, short for ( "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East"), was both a high-ranking position in the armed forces of the German Empire as well as the name given to the occupied territories on the German section of the Eastern Front of Wo ...
. As the result of
German revolution and
capitulation of Germany in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on 11 November, the German occupation authorities handed over the power to the Estonian Provisional Government on 19 November 1918.
Konstantin Päts' second provisional cabinet
From 11 November 1918 to 27 November 1918, Konstantin Päts' second provisional cabinet was in power.
Konstantin Päts' third provisional cabinet
The Estonian Provisional Government resigned on 8 May 1919, after the Estonian Constituent Assembly had met on 23 April 1919, and the first elected government of the
Republic of Estonia took office.
See also
*
Estonian War of Independence
The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westw ...
*
Commune of the Working People of Estonia
The Commune of the Working People of Estonia ( et, Eesti Töörahva Kommuun, initially '; russian: Эстляндская трудовая коммуна , or ETK) was an unrecognised government claiming the Bolshevik-occupied parts of Republic ...
*
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia
References
{{reflist
Independence of Estonia
1918 in Estonia
Provisional governments