Otto August Strandman (; – 5 February 1941) was an

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 ...

n politician, who served as

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

(1919) and State Elder of Estonia (1929–1931). Strandman was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections. Strandman was a key figure in composing the radical land reform law and the 1920 Constitution. He also served as Minister of Agriculture (1918–1919), Minister of Justice (acting 1918; 1920–1921), Minister of Finance (1924),

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, ...

(1918, 1920–1921 and 1924) and

Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

(1919). During his tenure Minister of Finance, having been a critic of the previous government's policies,he pursued an anti-inflationary policy, seeing it as a method of avoiding

hyperinflation In economics, hyperinflation is a very high and typically accelerating inflation. It quickly erodes the real versus nominal value (economics), real value of the local currency, as the prices of all goods increase. This causes people to minimiz ...

and crisis. He was aiming at a 'Danish' model of a modern agricultural economy rather than indsutrialization, Strandman served as the speaker of the Estonian Provincial Assembly in 1917–1918, and as speaker of the newly independent country's parliament (''

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 ...

'') in 1921. He was also a diplomat, serving as the Estonian envoy in

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(1927–1929), and in

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France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(1933–1939). After 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 ...

invaded and occupied Estonia and the other Baltic states in June 1940, Strandman committed suicide in February 1941, after being called to appear at the local headquarters of the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...

Early life

Strandman was born in the village of Vandu, Undla Parish (now Kadrina Parish). His father, Hans Strandman, was a schoolteacher, and Otto was his third child.Histrodamus �
Poliitikud: Otto Strandmani lugu
Strandman was first educated by his father, until he began his studies at the municipal school of

Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...

in 1886, and later at Emperor Alexander State High School 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 ...

and the 5th and the 7th High School in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. He graduated as an extern in 1896 after his exams in the Estonian Governorate High School of Tallinn.Pillak, Peep. Eesti Päevaleht �
Riigimees Otto Strandman 130
, 03.12.2005 After graduation, Strandman served as an official at the Tallinn Office of the

State Bank of the Russian Empire The State Bank of the Russian Empire () was the dominant financial institution of the Russian Empire from its founding in 1860 until the Empire's end in 1917. A public bank headquartered in Saint Petersburg, it initially coexisted within the Emp ...

until he went on to study law at the University of Tartu in 1899. In 1901 he continued his studies at the

Saint Petersburg Imperial University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public university, 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 uni ...

, graduating in 1903.Heads of State of the Republic of Estonia – Otto Strandman

Career

Early career

After graduating, Strandman worked as a lawyer 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 ...

and Tallinn. He became known for his eloquence and was elected to be a member of Tallinn city council from 1904 to 1905. As a lawyer, he defended Estonians against

Baltic Germans Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their resettlement in 1945 after the end of World War II, Baltic Germans have drastically decli ...

and state officials. Strandman was also active in Estonian national organizations and became an activist on self-government reform, where he supported national autonomy in the Baltic governorates. Strandman was among the politicians who were supposed to compose the draft of self-government reform, but in the course of the 1905 Revolution, Strandman, like many other Estonian activists, was forced to flee abroad. At the time of the revolution, he supported radical

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

political positions, but later in his life moved towards the

centre-left Centre-left politics is the range of left-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. Ideologies commonly associated with it include social democracy, social liberalism, progressivism, and green politics. Ideas commo ...

. During his exile years, Strandman lived in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and other European countries. In Switzerland, Strandman and other Estonian exiles eventually did form the draft of self-government reform, but it was never implemented. Strandman returned to the Russian Empire in 1906, but he was banned from living in the Baltic governorates for three years, forcing him to live in

and

. He returned to Estonia in 1909 and worked as an attorney, defending participants of the 1905 Revolution. He was also a keen supporter of

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...

in the media. In 1917, he became a prosecutor at Tallinn District Court. In March 1917, Strandman and some other known politicians, who were known supporters of autonomy, were chosen to compose the draft of self-government reform, that eventually created the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. Strandman was again elected to the Tallinn City Council and, in the summer of 1917, to the Estonian Provincial Assembly, where he was part of the leftist Estonian Radical Socialist Party, led by Jüri Vilms. He served as the Chairman of the assembly between 25 October 1917 and 27 November 1918, although with periods of non-activity in between, due to the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

and German occupation. After the October Revolution, Strandman led the Provincial Assembly session of , where the assembly declared itself the highest legitimate power in Estonia. After his work as the speaker of the parliament, Strandman was acknowledged for his neutrality and punctuality.Riigikogu pressiteated �
Ene Ergma sõnavõtt Otto Strandmani mälestustahvli avamisel Tallinnas
30 November 2005

Leader of the centre-left

After Jüri Vilms was mysteriously executed in Finland in 1918, Otto Strandman took over as acting Minister of Court. He also became one of the leaders of the Estonian Radical Socialist Party, which in 1919 would merge with the Social Travaillist Party to form the centre-left Estonian Labour Party. Strandman was however arrested by Germans in the summer of 1918. After the German occupation ended in November 1918, Strandman continued in the

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

, first as

and then as Minister of Agriculture, when he also served as a deputy for Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaan Poska. As Minister of Agriculture, Strandman became the key person in composing and implementing a new land reform law. Being one of the leaders of the Labour Party, he fought hard to make the land reform as radical as possible. In result, land that had belonged to Baltic German nobility was redistributed to ethnic Estonians. His diplomatic career started in December 1918, when he was part of the delegation to

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 ...

as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, asking for support in the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...

. Eventually Sweden sent a group of volunteers to the war. To pay for his trip 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 ...

, Strandman was forced to sell his own furniture. In the

Constituent Assembly A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...

elections of 1919, the Estonian Labour Party won 30 of the 120 seats with a majority held by centre-left parties. This gave the Labour Party a chance to shape Estonian politics on a larger scale. Otto Strandman became the first

of the country on 8 May 1919, and additionally

. Strandman's first cabinet was a centre-left coalition with the

Estonian People's Party The Estonian People's Party (, ER) was a centre-right political party in 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 w ...

and the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party. The Estonian People's Party left the coalition in September, and Strandman's cabinet resigned on 18 November 1919, being in office for half a year. The Estonian Labour Party's

Ants Piip Ants Piip VR III/1 (also Anton or Hans Piip; in Tuhalaane, Kreis Fellin – 1 October 1942 in Nyrobsky camp, Perm Oblast, Russian SFSR) was an Estonian lawyer, diplomat and politician. Piip was the 1st Head of State of Estonia and the 5 ...

then headed a one-party minority government between 26 October 1920 and 25 January 1921, where Otto Strandman served as both Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Justice. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he established diplomatic relations between Estonia and Soviet Russia, making Estonia one of the first countries to do so. The 1920 elections made the Estonian Labour Party the biggest party in Estonia with 22 of the 100 seats in

, the first constitutional parliament, but the centre-right parties had also gained strength. The Estonian Labour Party remained in the coalition, headed by State Elder Konstantin Päts of Farmers' Assemblies. Strandman went on to serve as the first speaker of the Riigikogu between 4 January and 18 November 1921. Juhan Kukk headed another Estonian Labour Party cabinet in 1922–1923, but without Strandman. In the following cabinet of Christian Democrat Friedrich Karl Akel, he returned as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 26 and 14 March May 1924 and then Minister of Finance until 16 December 1924.

Economic policies

Strandman figured several times in financial affairs. On 7 and 19 December 1923, he accused long-term inflationist Minister of Finance Georg Vestel in the parliament for incorrect spending of the state treasury. It was Strandman's criticism that eventually led to the fall of Konstantin Päts's cabinet and caused him to stay away from power from 1924 to 1931. After the Estonian War of Independence, a large number of new businesses were started in a short time period and the industry was developed on loans, something which eventually led to financial difficulties. As Minister of Finance, Strandman proposed a plan for economic redevelopment that was supposed to reduce loans, lower the state budget and achieve a trade surplus by raising customs duties. At first, his actions saw little effect and he was criticised from both left- and right-wing parties, but eventually the Estonian mark stabilized, integrating the Estonian economy more with Europe. He also supported building the economy on agriculture rather than transit between

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

and Europe, regarding

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

as a model agricultural country. In the media, his policies were mockingly called UMP (''Uus majanduspoliitika'' – "New Economic Policy" (''nep'')) and KUMP (''Kõige uuem majanduspoliitika'' – "Newest Economic Policy") after the economic policy in the Soviet Union at the time. In May 1924, Strandman didn't blame his predecessor Georg Vestel for deliberately creating hyperinflation, only for sheer optimism about his policies. For almost five years, Strandman didn't hold any important offices. He remained active in parliamentary politics and became known for his eloquence. As leader of the centre-left, his work continued to have a great effect on the economy, since he achieved for same kind of policies as he had implemented during his term as Minister of Finance. Economic historian Jaak Valge has argued that it was thanks to Strandman's rapid and decisive work that Estonia was able to avoid

in the early 1920s. It was Strandman who made the suggestion to name the new Estonian currency the " kroon", after the currencies of the Scandinavian countries.

Late political career

As the Estonian Labour Party slowly turned from leftist to centrist, its popularity fell, leaving its highlights to the 1919 Constituent Assembly and 1920 Riigikogu elections. The party achieved only 12 of the 100 seats in 1923 elections, 13 in

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

and 10 in 1929, until it finally merged with other centrist parties to form the National Centre Party in 1932. During a governmental crisis in July 1926, the speaker of the Riigikogu Karl August Einbund gave Strandman the task to form a cabinet. His economic programme still consisted of lowering the budget and reducing loans, something which was unacceptable to the right-wing

Settlers' Party The Settlers' Party () was a political party in 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 ...

and Farmers' Assemblies. From 1927 to 1929, Strandman served as Estonian envoy to

, with additional accreditation to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

and

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, residing in

. In June 1929, he unexpectedly resigned and returned to Estonian politics to head his second cabinet, starting from 9 July 1929. It was a coalition between his Labour Party, People's Party, Christian People's Party, Farmers' Assemblies and the Settlers' Party, combining almost all political parties from the centre-left to right. Before taking office, he criticized the parliament for becoming a "factory of inadequate laws". His cabinet remained in office until 12 February 1931. It is however ironic, that the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

reached Estonia when the head of government was Strandman, who had always supported cautious economic and financial policies. It was thanks to his strong skills in economics and finance that the coalition lasted for a relatively long time, 1 year and 7 months.Sirp �
Otto Strandman manitseb tänaseid eelarvetegijaid
, 12.09.2008 During his time in office, he made a state visit to Poland in February 1930, where he met both President Ignacy Mościcki and

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

to propose the formation of a Baltic Entente, something which however didn't find Polish support. On his return home, he visited

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, which was controlled by Poland at the time. The visit damaged the relations between Estonia and

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

, with Dovas Zaunius,

's Minister of Foreign Affairs, protesting the visit as a breach of neutrality in the Vilnius disputeBy 1931, Estonian-Lithuanian relations had somewhat healed. In August 1930, Strandman hosted President Mościcki in Estonia. Membership in the parliament: * 1917–1919 Estonian Provincial Assembly (Maapäev) * 1919–1920 Estonian Constituent Assembly (Asutav kogu) * 1920–1923 I Riigikogu * 1923–1926 II Riigikogu * 1926–1927 III Riigikogu * 1929–1932 IV Riigikogu * 1932 V Riigikogu

Later diplomatic career and death

From 1933 to 1939 Strandman was envoy of Estonia to France,

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and the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, residing in Paris. In 1936 he supported Juhan Kukk,

, Jaan Teemant, and Jaan Tõnisson, who signed a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister in duties of the State Elder Konstantin Päts, demanding civil freedoms and an end to his authoritarian rule. In 1938, Strandman became a judge at the

Permanent Court of International Justice The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. In 1939, Strandman returned to Estonia, but retired from public life due to ill health. As he was not active in politics, he was initially left alone after the Soviet occupation in 1940. In 1941 however, Strandman received a formal notice to appear at the local headquarters of the

. Realizing his fate, he shot himself to death in his home in Kadrina on 5 February 1941. He was buried in Tallinn's Sisekalmistu Cemetery.

Cultural activities

Strandman was on the board of the Estonia Society and Tallinn Savings and Loans Society (''Tallinna Vastastikune Krediitühisus''). He was a member of the Estonian Students' Society since 1899, and received honorary doctorates from the University of Tartu in 1928 and Warsaw University in 1930. Strandman renounced all honours and awards that had been given to him.

Personal life

In 1907, Strandman married Lydia Hindrikson (1889–1934). They had three children; their daughter Hella (1909–1913) and son Hans (1911–1913) both died at an early age, with only the second daughter, Lydia (1914–1966), surviving into adulthood.Välisministeerium �
Eesti välisteenistus. Biograafiline leksikon 1918–1991
, p. 110

Honours

National Honours

* : Cross of Liberty, III class, 1st degree (1920) * : Order of the Estonian Red Cross, 3rd class (1921) * : Order of the Estonian Red Cross, 2nd class (1928) * : Order of the Estonian Red Cross, 1st class (1929) * : Order of the Cross of the Eagle, 1st class (1930)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strandman, Otto 1875 births 1941 suicides 1941 deaths People from Kadrina Parish Politicians from Lääne-Viru County People from Kreis Wierland Estonian Lutherans Estonian Radical Socialist Party politicians Estonian Labour Party politicians National Centre Party (Estonia) politicians State Elders of Estonia Heads of state who died by suicide Prime ministers of Estonia Ministers of foreign affairs of Estonia Agriculture ministers of Estonia Finance ministers of Estonia Justice ministers of Estonia Ministers of defence of Estonia Government ministers of Estonia Members of the Estonian Provincial Assembly Members of the Estonian Constituent Assembly Members of the Riigikogu, 1920–1923 Members of the Riigikogu, 1923–1926 Members of the Riigikogu, 1926–1929 Members of the Riigikogu, 1929–1932 Members of the Riigikogu, 1932–1934 Speakers of the Riigikogu Envoys of Estonia 20th-century Estonian lawyers University of Tartu alumni Saint Petersburg State University alumni Recipients of the Cross of Liberty (Estonia) Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I Estonian politicians who died by suicide Suicides by firearm in Estonia