Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party
The Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party (Estonian Eesti Iseseisev Sotsialistlik Tööliste Party) was a political party in Estonia during the interwar period.
Party of the Estonian Socialist Revolutionaries ( ESRP )
The party goes back to the Russian Socialist-Revolutionary Party (Russian Партия социалистов - революционеров ), from which it split off as Estonian section in the summer of 1917. She confessed to self-determination of peoples under socialist sign. After the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, she joined a detachment of Estonia by the Russian Empire.
In February 1918, the Republic of Estonia declared its sovereignty. In the elections to the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia ( Asutav Kogu ) in April 1919, the Party of Socialists - Revolutionaries Estonian ( Eesti Sotsialistide - Revolutionääride party - ESRP ) came on seven of the 120 seats. She was the leftmost force in the Constituent Assembly.
Their leader, the chairman of the Central Committee Hans Kruus, openly advocated pro-Communist ideas. Main goal of the party was a radical land reform in Estonia. The supporters of the party were popularly called eseerid ( " ESR'ler ").
Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party ( EISTP )
With the moderate land reform in 1919, which largely satisfied presented the Estonian peasants, and the victory of the Republic of Estonia on Soviet Russia in the war of liberation, the party organized to complete.
In March 1920, was from her the Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party ( Eesti Iseseisev Sotsialistlik Tööliste party - EISTP ). Your also joined disappointed supporters of the Social Democratic Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party ( Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Tööliste party). The supporters of the party were popularly called isesotsid (such as " self - socialists ").
At the head of the party, the chairman of the Central Committee Hans Kruus and among other prominent politicians Jaan Piiskar and Oskar Gustavson stood. The party was also supported by the writers Johannes Semper, Hugo Raudsepp and Jaan Kärner and journalist Karl Oskar Freiberg.
As developed in the young Estonian democracy three left-wing parties: the Social Democratic Estonian Social Democratic Workers 'Party ( Eesti Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Tööliste Party), the Socialist Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party ( EISTP ) and the forbidden, from Moscow supported Estonian Communist Party ( Eestimaa Kommunistlik party, EKP ).
In the parliamentary elections of 1920 the Estonian Independent Socialist Workers Party came to 10.6% of the vote. It was fourth-strongest political force. The guide first tried to establish the party as legal common arm of the Estonian Socialists and Communists, which the Communist Party of Estonia, however, fought. In the summer of 1921 Hans Kruus traveled to III. World Congress of the Communist International in Moscow. The EISTP applied to become a member of the Comintern, but failed because of the resistance of the EKP.
Independent Socialist Workers' Party ( ISTP )
It was only in April 1922 succeeded in substantial agreement with the Communists, when Kruus, who belonged to the right wing of the EISTP, completely withdrew from politics. The party then split into a right and a left- wing socialist-communist.
The latter founded the Party of the Working People of Estonia ( Eestimaa Töörahva party). It was banned in January 1924 because of anti-constitutional activities. The right wing of the party of EISTP in turn founded the Independent Socialist Workers' Party ( Iseseisev Sotsialistlik Tööliste party - ISTP ), who saw themselves as the successors of the EISTP.
In the elections of 1923, the ISTP gained 4.7% and moved with five deputies in parliament. The Communists won under their front organization " Common Front of the working people " ( Töörahva Ühine Väerind ) with 9.5%, nearly twice as many votes and ten seats. This could flare up again in the ISTP discussion of an association of the right wing of the Left Socialists with the Estonian Social Democracy ( EDSTP ).
Association of Social Democrats ( ESDTP ) and the Socialists ( ISTP )
The discussions about a party merger were successful. In April 1925, the social democratic and the socialist ESDTP ISTP combined. Henceforth called the common party Estonian Socialist Workers' Party ( Eesti Sotsialistlik Tööliste party - ESTP ). On 9 June 1925, the members elected the Socialists August Rei President of the Parliament.
In the parliamentary elections in 1926 the union of the two left democratic parties was 22.9% with the strongest political force in parliament. From December 1928 to July 1929 held August Rei in a coalition government, the Office of State and Government ( Riigivanem ). In the three years later elections, they could expand their result with 24.0% even further.
Estonian Workers' Party ( ETE)
Dissatisfied with the " right " course of the United Party in 1926, a radical left wing of the Socialist ESTP by the Estonian Workers' Party split by Eduard Pesur and Paul Abramson again.
The group founded the Estonian Workers' Party ( Eesti Tööliste party - ETP ). She tried to establish itself as a left-wing socialist alternative. The ETP received in the parliamentary elections in 1926 5.8% and three years later, 6.2% of the vote.
The ETP was then completely undermined in 1929 by the communists.
Election results
End of the party
On March 12, 1934 tore the right-wing heads of state and head of government Konstantin Pats and retired General Johan Laidoner with the help of the Estonian military in a bloodless coup the power. Pats ruled henceforth authoritarian. The parties were occupied with an operating ban.
In the summer of 1940 the Red Army occupied Estonia. Numerous prominent left-wing socialists like Oskar Gustavson, Hugo Raudsepp, Karl Oskar Freiberg and Jaan Piiskar were victims of political persecution. Other former leading members of the party in turn supported the new Stalinist regime yet. Examples are John Semper, Nigol Andresen and Hans Kruus.