Farmers' Assemblies
The Agrarian League (Estonian Põllumeeste Kogud - PK) was a conservative- agrarian party in Estonia during the interwar period.
History and Program
The " Federation of Farmers " was born from the " Estonian Country People's Union " ( Eesti Maarahva Liit ), which had been formed in the Russian Revolution, 1917.
While the " Federation of Farmers ' initially understood as a party for the entire rural population, it developed in the first half of the 1920s becoming a strong association of the large farmers. At its core voters were also those parts of the urban middle classes, who were economically tied to the agricultural trade and the agricultural industry. Together the members was the interest in the development of agriculture by large farms and areas. Many party supporters came from the banking or large industry.
As Estonia was still largely an agricultural state in the interwar period, the party was able to mobilize the elections a great potential voters. She was connected culturally conservative values . Reforms she was skeptical.
After a disappointing showing in the election to the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia in 1919, which was due mainly to unpopular Requisitionsmaßnahmen the provisional prime minister Konstantin Pats during the German occupation of Estonia (1918 ) and the Estonian War of Independence against Soviet Russia ( 1918-1920 ), the party could gain from mid- 1919 large circles of the Estonian population itself. In all elections 1920-1932 they remained the strongest or second strongest party.
Prominent representatives of the " Confederation of farmers " were the repeated Estonian Prime Minister Konstantin Pats, Jaan Teemant ( head of government from 1925 to 1927 and 1932 ), the multiple Minister Jaan Hünerson and the military Johan Laidoner. Besides impressed politicians such as Karl Einbund ( head of government in 1932 and 1938 /39), the military Jaan Soots and the Minister Georg Vestel, August Jürman and Jüri Uluots ( Prime Minister 1939/40 ) the appearance of the party.
Mouthpiece of the party was from 1919 to 1935, the newspaper Kaja ( "Echo "). Her successor was from 1935, the newspaper Uus Eesti ( "New Estonia ").
Association 1932
On January 26, 1932, came to the union of the two factions of the " Federation of Farmers " ( Põllumeeste Kogud ) and the Settlers Association ( Asunikkude, Väikepõllupidajate yes Riigirentnikkude Koondis ). The union representing the small farmers in Estonia, most of whom had only received the Estonian land reform of 1919 own land. In the "covenant of farmers ", however, the "old " traditional large farmers were represented.
The official party merger under the name Ühinenud Põllumeeste Erakond ("Party of the United Farmers " ) was decided on a Unification Congress on 29 February 1932. In the parliamentary elections in 1932 the party won 39.8 % of the vote an overwhelming success and presented henceforth with 42 of 100 deputies by far the largest group in the Parliament.
The following year, however, the merger fell apart again. On May 18, 1933 left 16 MPs, the Group and presented the "covenant of farmers " again. The " Federation of Farmers ' retained 21 seats in parliament, the Asunike Koondus 20
Coup in 1934
On March 12 1934 crack heads of state and head of government of Konstantin Pats ' League of farmers " with the help of Johan Laidoner in a bloodless coup, the power for himself and established a dictatorship. The parties were occupied with an operating ban and no longer summoned to Parliament. Pats ushered in the end of an Estonian democracy. His authoritarian rule was replaced in 1940 by the Stalinist occupation of Estonia and the annexation of the country to the Soviet Union.