Konstantin Päts
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| Konstantin Päts | |
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| In office 24 April 1938 – 21 June 1940 |
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| Succeeded by | Jüri Uluots |
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| Born | February 23, 1874 Estonia |
| Died | January 18, 1956 Tver, Russia |
| Political party | initially Unions of Farmers, later none |
| Spouse | Helma Peedi |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox Church |
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 (February 23, 1874 – January 18, 1956) was a politician and the first President of Estonia.
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[edit] Education
In 1898, Päts graduated from the faculty of Law of Tartu University as Cand. jur. Later he received honorary doctorates of Tartu University, Tallinn Technical University and Andhra University, along with honorary membership of Estonian Academy of Sciences.
[edit] Career
[edit] Military and literary experience
Päts served in the Russian Army and worked as an editor of the "Teataja" newspaper in Tallinn, then worked in the Tallinn municipality. He participated in the 1905 Revolution and was convicted in absence having fled to Switzerland. He returned to the Russian Empire in 1909 and served his sentence in a St. Petersburg prison.
[edit] Political career
On 24 February 1918, Päts became Chairman Council of Ministers and Minister of Interior of the newly proclaimed Republic of Estonia. Under the following German occupation, he was arrested by German authorities and spent June to November in a prison camp in Poland. After returning to Estonia he became the Prime Minister and the Minister of War of the Provisionary Government, on which posts he served until 8 May 1919.
Päts served several times as State Elder of Estonia:
- 25 January 1921 - 21 November 1922 (first elected incumbent on this post)
- 2 August 1923 – 26 March 1924
- 12 February 1931 - 19 February 1932
- 1 November 1932 - 18 May 1933
- 21 October 1933 - 3 September 1937.
During his whole political career he was champion and founder of autonomous local and professional self-government bodies and vocational schools.
Since 1924 he began designing a framework of self-governments of various professional groups and ethnic minorities, in order to found a well-balanced state based on proportional representation and cooperation of such groups.
In 1934 Päts established an authoritarian rule, declaring a state of national emergency, during which he became Riigihoidja (President-Regent) of Estonia. In 1938 he was elected president. His Constitution was based on the contemporary Polish and Belgian constitutions. He also admired the British two-chamber Parliament. This time is nostalgically remembered as an era of economic success and prosperity.
Konstantin Päts's foreign policy was less successful. After beginning of World War II his administration was compelled to allow Soviet military bases in Estonia, to which next year followed complete occupation and annexation to Soviet Union. His successors in exile (Jüri Uluots and August Rei) considered him the legal Estonian Head of State and themselves as his substitutes until his death. He was arrested and deported by the Soviets and died in a psychiatric hospital in Kalinin (currently Tver) in 1956.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Konstantin Päts on official site of the President of Estonia
- Official site of the President of Estonia
- Video
| Preceded by none |
Prime Minister of Estonia 1918–1919 |
Succeeded by Otto Strandman |
| Preceded by none |
Minister of Interior 1918 |
Succeeded by August Peet |
| Preceded by Andres Larka |
Minister of War 1918 |
Succeeded by Otto Strandman |
| Preceded by Ants Piip |
State Elder of Estonia 1921–1922 |
Succeeded by Juhan Kukk |
| Preceded by Juhan Kukk |
State Elder of Estonia 1923–1924 |
Succeeded by Friedrich Akel |
| Preceded by Otto Strandman |
State Elder of Estonia 1931–1932 |
Succeeded by Jaan Teemant |
| Preceded by Kaarel Eenpalu |
State Elder of Estonia 1932–1933 |
Succeeded by Jaan Tõnisson |
| Preceded by Jaan Tõnisson |
State Elder of Estonia 1933–1937 |
Succeeded by Riigihoidja |
| Preceded by State Elder of Estonia |
Riigihoidja 1937–1938 |
Succeeded by President of Estonia |
| Preceded by suspended |
Prime Minister of Estonia 1934–1937 |
Succeeded by merged with Riigihoidja |
| Preceded by Riigihoidja |
President of Estonia 1938–1940 |
Succeeded by Jüri Uluots |
| Heads of State of Estonia |  |
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|---|---|---|
| Republic of Estonia (1918-1940) Piip | Päts | Kukk | Päts | Akel | Jaakson | Teemant | Tõnisson | Rei | Strandman | Päts | Teemant | Eenpalu | Päts | Tõnisson | Päts |
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| Heads of Government of Estonia | |
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| Prime Ministers (1918-1920) |
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| Päts | Strandman | Tõnisson | Birk | Tõnisson | Piip | |
| State Elders (1920-1934) Piip | Päts | Kukk | Päts | Akel | Jaakson | Teemant | Tõnisson | Rei | Strandman | Päts | Teemant | Einbund | Päts | Tõnisson | Päts |
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| Prime Ministers (1934-1940, 1944) |
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| Prime Ministers in Exile (1944-1992) |
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| Prime Ministers, Estonian SSR (1940-1990) Lauristin | (Mäe) | (Sepre) | Veimer | Müürisepp | Klauson | Saul | Toome |
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| Prime Ministers, Republic of Estonia (1990-) (Savisaar) | (Vähi) | Laar | Tarand | Vähi | Siimann | Laar | Kallas | Parts | Ansip |
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