Johannes Vares' cabinet
The Cabinet Vares was the first communist government after the Soviet occupation of Estonia. The Stalin's loyal puppet government held office from 22 June until 25 August 1940.
Historical Background
In the secret Additional Protocol to the German - Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 23 August 1939, Hitler and Stalin defeated the Republic of Estonia to the Soviet sphere of interest. The Red Army occupied Estonia on 17 June 1940, about 90,000 soldiers. This was preceded by a Soviet ultimatum of June 16, 1940 as well as a naval and air blockade of the country.
The Estonian Defence Forces and authorities offered no resistance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The commander in chief of the Estonian Army, General Johan Laidoner, and the Soviet delegation head Meretskow signed on 17 June 1940 in Narva during the occupation already running an agreement, the so-called Narva dictation. The Civil Prime Minister Jüri Uluots and his government had already submitted her resignation on 16 June 1940 in protest against the Soviet ultimatum.
World public opinion took from the occupation of the Baltic States little knowledge, because at the same time Germany France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg had attacked.
Communist government
The new Soviet rulers was located for the image at home and abroad in a quiet transition of power. On June 21, 1940 at 18.00 clock handed Stalin governor in Tallinn, Andrei Zhdanov, the Estonian President Konstantin Pats the cabinet list. It was made out of Pats and announced at 22.15 clock in the Estonian Radio. The new government joined with the swearing by the President on the following morning officially take office.
The government under the new Prime Minister, the writer Johannes Vares left, belonged to leftist Estonian intellectuals and members of the workers' movement. Leading Communists of the hitherto forbidden Estonia (ECPs ) or Russian-born Estonians Communist Party were initially not among them. However, almost all members of the government were already in July and August, the Communist Party, which was admitted again on July 4.
Vares The government played a decisive role. The actual state power was Zhdanov and the Soviet embassy in the country.
Immediately to the Soviet occupation of Estonia continued Stalinist persecution against dissenters. On 14 and 15 July 1940 sham elections to the Estonian Parliament ( Riigivolikogu ) took place in a climate of fear and persecution anti- communist opponents. Non- communist candidates were excluded from the election.
On July 21, 1940, the newly elected parliament called the Republic of Estonia unanimously in Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic to (RT 1940, 74, 733 ). It asked two days later unanimously by the recording as a union republic in the Soviet Union. This request was granted on August 6, 1940. The Riigivolikogu sat next step from President Pats, who was deported in late July with his family into the interior of Russia.
Parliament set about drafting a new constitution Estonian Soviet model, which was adopted on 25 August 1940. It had been three days earlier approved by the Central Committee of the CPSU.
The Riigivolikogu renamed itself on 25 August 1940 in " Provisional Supreme Soviet of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic " ( Eesti NSV Ajutine Ülemnõukogu ) around. With the entry into force of the new Constitution, the previous government Vares was replaced by the "Council of People's Commissars of the Estonian SSR " ( Eesti NSV Rahvakomissaride Nõukogu ).