Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
Estonian government-in-exile
The Estonian government-in-exile was the formally declared governmental authority of the Republic of Estonia in exile, existing from 1944 until the reestablishment of Estonian sovereignty over Estonian territory in 1991. It traced its legitimac ...
from 1945 to 1963.
Early life and education
August Rei was born in
Kurla
Kurla (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, uɾlaː is a suburb of East Mumbai, India. It is the headquarters of the Kurla taluka of Mumbai Suburban district. The neighbourhood is named after the eponymous Bombay East Indians, East Indian vill ...
Kreis Fellin
Viljandi County (; , ) was a historic county in the Governorate of Livonia, and in the Republic of Estonia dissolved during the administrative territorial reform of the Estonian SSR in 1949. It was situated in the northern part of the governora ...
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...
, but abandoned his studies there in December 1902, in order to forestall his expulsion after participating in Estonian nationalist circles. He continued his studies at
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
State High School, graduating in 1904. In 1904–1905 and 1907–1911, he studied law at
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
August Bebel
Ferdinand August Bebel (; 22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist activist and politician. He was one of the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Bebel, a woodworker by trade, co-founded the Sa ...
to Estonian.
Beginnings of political influence
Rei participated in the
Russian Revolution of 1905
The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, t ...
, taking part in the organization of an uprising at the cruiser Pamiat Azova in July 1906 and operating as an underground activist in
Narva
Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in the Ida-Viru County, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, E ...
. In 1906, he edited the underground paper ''Sotsiaaldemokraat'' ("Social Democrat") in
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
. Between 1912 and 1913, he was in compulsory army service. In 1913–1914 he worked as a lawyer in
Viljandi
Viljandi (, , , , ) is a Populated places in Estonia, town and Municipalities of Estonia, municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,255 in 2024. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major ...
.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Rei served as an artillery officer at the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg in 1914–1917. In 1917–1918 he organized the Estonian national army units, formed by the initiative of Estonian politicians after the Second Russian Revolution in March 1917. Rei was the head of the Judicial Department of the Estonian Military Headquarters, for a short time Secretary of the Higher Military Court, and a second lieutenant from 1918.
In 1917–1919, he was editor-in-chief of the paper ''Sotsiaaldemokraat'', and between 1927 and 1928 he was the editor of ''Rahva Sõna'' ("Word of the People"). Rei was one of the leaders of the moderate faction of Estonia's
social democratic
Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
movement. Aside of his later political career, he also worked as a lawyer in Tallinn up to 1936, and defended Ado Birk during his trial in 1927. He received a honorary doctorate in law from
Tartu University
The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a Public university, public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.German occupation of Estonia in September 1918, Rei was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in the Estonian Provisional Government. Between November 1918 and January 1919, he also served as Deputy Prime Minister under Konstantin Päts, and as Acting Minister of Education as a substitute of Karl Luts, as the latter was imprisoned in Russia and unable to exercise his functions. After a government reshuffle in February 1919, Rei served as a legal advisor in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
Representing the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party (ESDWP), Rei was a member of the Estonian Provincial Assembly in 1917–1919, and then of the
Estonian Constituent Assembly
The Estonian Constituent Assembly () was elected on 5–7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence.
Estonian Constituent Assembly elections
Activity
The 120 members of the Constituent ...
, where he was also Chairman between April 1919 and December 1920. From 1920 to 1937, Rei represented the ESDWP in the I and II
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu (, from Estonian ''riigi-'', "of the state", and ''kogu'', "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chi ...
, and the Estonian Socialist Workers' Party (ESWP) in the III, IV and V Riigikogu. He was also Chairman of the II Riigikogu between June 1925 and June 1926.
Between December 1928 and July 1929, Rei was State Elder of Estonia; during his term, a trade agreement with the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
was signed, and he hosted a visit of the King of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
Gustaf V to Estonia. Between 1930 and 1934, Rei was chairman of Tallinn City Council, as well as an advisor to the Ministry of Roads. Between November 1932 and May 1933, he served as
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
in the government of Konstantin Päts. Between August 1936 and December 1937 he was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then Estonia's envoy to the Soviet Union in 1938–1940.
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
to
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
through
Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
. Remaining in Sweden for the rest of his life, he was active in several Estonian exile organisations during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Estonian government-in-exile
The Estonian government-in-exile was the formally declared governmental authority of the Republic of Estonia in exile, existing from 1944 until the reestablishment of Estonian sovereignty over Estonian territory in 1991. It traced its legitimac ...
from 1945 until his death.
Rei died in Stockholm in 1963. In 2006, his urn, along with the urn of his wife Therese Rei, were moved from
Bromma
Bromma () is a Boroughs of Stockholm, borough (''stadsdelsområde'') in the western part of Stockholm, Sweden, forming part of the Stockholm Municipality. Bromma is primarily made up of Bromma Parish and Västerled Parish. The fourth largest airpo ...
Cemetery in Stockholm to Metsakalmistu Cemetery in Tallinn.
* ''Sotsialdemokraatia taktika põhimõtted'' Tallinnas : Tööliste kirjastusühisus, 1921 (Narva : Kärner)
* ''Have the Baltic countries voluntarily renounced their freedom : an exposé based on authentic documentary evidence'' by August Rei. New York : World Association of Estonians, 1944
* ''Have the small nations a right to freedom and independence?'' by August Rei. London : Boreas, 1946
* ''The drama of the Baltic peoples'' by August Rei; preface by Eugene Lyons. Stockholm: Vaba Eesti, 1970 (Åbo : Sydvästkusten)