Estonia/Estonians: Development of a Nation
How Estonia became Estonia, and how the Estonians became Estonian.

How Estonians as a people, and the country of Estonia as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Estonian language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Estonia in 2008

Estonian Ancestral Background:

1. Peoples migrating from the Ural Mountains in modern Russia settled around the Gulf of Finland around 4000 BC, becoming the ancient ancestors to Finnish and Estonian peoples. From this location, they gradually began to move northwest into modern Finland. Those that separated to the south of the Gulf of Finland became the ancestors to modern Estonians.

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Development of Estonian Language:
 

1. The Proto-Uralic family of languages (~ 5000 BC) originated in the Ural Mountains in Russia. This may or may not be a Proto-Indo-European family language.
2. The Uralic family of languages branched from the Proto-Uralic around 4000 BC, representing a slight change.
3. The Finno-Ugric branch develops around 3000 BC, west of Ural Mountains, as speakers of this language cover much of the European portion of northern Russia.
4. The Baltic-Finnic language breaks off from Finno-Ugric around 3000 BC, as Uralic peoples subdivide into a northern group (ancestors to modern Finns and Estonians) and a southern group (ancestors to modern Hungarians). Spoken by Uralic peoples that continued to migrate west from Ural Mountain region, now gathered around Gulf of Finland.
5. Around 2000 BC, as some from this Baltic-Finnic group migrate northwest into modern Finland, as part of the group migrates northwest (into modern Finland), and another part to the southwest (modern Estonia), their respective languages diverge from one another, forming the basis for the modern Finnish and Estonian languages.

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Formation of Estonian Borders:
 

1. By the 2^nd millennia BC, the Finnic people had broken off from the Baltic-Finno peoples in modern Estonia, migrating northwest into modern Finland. The Finns that settle in this region become the earliest forefathers to the modern Finland nation. Those that remain behind become the forefathers to the modern nation of Estonia, as they spread to the south of the Gulf of Finland into the region comprising modern Estonia. Those living in this area approximating modern Estonia would remain a loosely affiliated group, geographically separated from their cousins to the north (Finnish), and culturally separated from Slavs to the east and the Baltic peoples to the south. Their ancient organization was based on parishes (comprised of several villages) and counties (comprised of multiple parishes).
2. In 1193, the Pope issued a papal bull (decree) to commence the Northern Crusades to bring pagan Northern Europeans (modern Estonia and Latvia in particular) to Christianity. By 1219, Denmark conquered the northern portion of Estonia, while the Livonian Order (Germanic Catholic order of knightly priests, also know as Teutonic Knights) conquered the southern portion.
3. In 1346, Denmark sold the rebellious Estonian provinces to the Livonian Order (a.k.a. Teutonic Knights), giving the Order control over all of Estonia.
4. Russia attempted to gain Baltic access, invading the Livonian Order in 1558. Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania and Poland joined the Order to restrain Russia. The Livonian Order/Teutonic Knights are wiped out in disastrous defeats to Russia in battle in 1560, ceding its Estonian territory to Lithuania (Duchy of Livonia), Sweden (the northern portion), and Denmark (island of Osel), which collectively went on to defeat Russia. This marked the end of the Livonian Order, and the Teutonic Knights outside of the Holy Roman Empire.
5. In the Polish-Swedish War of 1625 – 1629 (battle for supremacy along the southern Baltic coast), Sweden gained Livonia, consisting of southern portion of Estonia, along with northern Latvia. Now all of Estonia was under Sweden rule.
6. In Great Northern War (1700-21, battle over supremacy of Baltic Sea), Russia defeated Sweden, gaining all of Estonia.
7. With the Russian Revolution in 1917, during World War I, Estonia declared independence, which was recognized by Russia’s provisional government during Russian Civil War. Germans occupied Estonia in 1918 as part of WWI, but withdrew upon their defeat and surrender that same year. With the communists firmly in control of Russia by 1918, they deemed the ceding of Estonia by the provisional government as invalid. Consequently, they moved in to retake Estonia in 1918, but were driven out by the Estonians by 1920, establishing an independent Estonia, with its current borders.
8. As part of a secret pact between Nazi Germany and the USSR in 1939, the USSR claimed control over various Eastern European nations, including Estonia, under the agreement that Nazi would not interfere (as USSR would not interfere with German annexation of various central European nations). The USSR moved in to occupy Estonia in 1940, during World War II. In betrayal of the secret pact, Nazi Germany began its invasion of Russia in 1941, occupying Estonia in 1941. When the Red Army had the Nazis retreating a few years later, it reoccupied Estonia in 1944. Upon the defeat of the Nazis in WWII, the Soviets refused to withdraw from Estonia, establishing the Estonia SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic), as part of the USSR.
9. Upon the collapse of the USSR, Estonia declared independence in 1990, becoming officially sovereign as the Republic of Estonia in 1991.

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Etymology (How Name Received):

Based on the Germanic word for “Eastern Way”, referring to the fact that the land of modern Estonia was to the east of the German lands. The name would have probably been given around the times of the Northern Crusades.

Estonian Culture:

Since the Crusade period of the Middle Ages, Estonia has largely been under foreign rule, which has impacted its cultural characteristics accordingly, taking on elements of German, Swedish and Russian culture. But Estonians have had to fight to maintain their identity and distinct culture, as foreign powers have attempted to eradicate Estonian language and culture. Stubbornly, Estonians have maintained their pre-Crusades language, culture and identity.

Estonia in 2008:

Economy: Modern, free-market economy. Has made tremendous economic progress since independence from USSR in 1991. High per capita income levels for central/eastern Europe. Experiencing inflation since 2007. Limited resources, but strategic location enables it to be a transportation hub.
Government: Democratic Republic
Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, mostly unaffiliated/unspecified. Comprehensive statistics/info not available.
Demographics: Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6% (long-time under Russian rule), most of remainder other East Slav/European.
Foreign Policy: Since independence, close cooperation with other European nations (especially to the west, and Nordic countries) has been a key objective, as evident by joining the EU and NATO. Like Finland, wary of a powerful Russian state, due to centuries of unwanted rule/domination by Russia. Geopolitically vulnerable to Russia, due to long, hard-to-defend border with Russia (easy to transport troops across, no natural barriers), and low population density.
Population: 1,307,605 (2008)

 

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