Otto Tief
Otto Tief | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 5 March 1976 Ahja, Estonia | (aged 86)
Nationality | Estonia |
Occupation(s) | Lawyer Prime Minister |
Otto Tief (14 August [O.S. 2 August] 1889[1] – 5 March 1976) was an Estonian politician, military commander, and a lawyer.
Tief was the acting prime minister of the last government of Estonia[2][3] before Soviet troops occupied Estonia in the Second World War in September 1944. Due to his commitment to his country, Tief is regarded by many of his fellow countrymen as a symbol of national resistance.
Education and career
Tief studied law in
Tief government of 1944
During the turbulent days in September 1944, between the retreat of the German occupation forces in Estonia and the advancement of the Red Army, the acting President of the Republic of Estonia Jüri Uluots appointed Tief Prime Minister and asked him to form a government on 18 September 1944. Tief then published a proclamation, re-establishing the independence of the Republic of Estonia on the basis of legal continuity, and attempted to organise the defence of Tallinn against the invading Red Army, which pushed into the capital on 22 September 1944.
Members of the Tief's government:
- Otto Tief – Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
- Arnold Susi – Minister of Public Education
- Johannes Klesment (escaped to Sweden, assumed office 13 January 1945) – Minister of Justice
- Kaarel Liidak (died 16 January 1945) – Minister of Agriculture
- Hugo Pärtelpoeg (died 29 April 1951) – Minister of Finance
- Voldemar Sumberg – Minister of Social Affairs
- Juhan Pikkov (died 3 September 1947) – Minister of Communications
- August Rei (in Sweden, assumed office 31 December 1944, until 9 January 1945) – Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Juhan Kaarlimäe – Minister
- Johannes Sikkar (in Sweden, from 20 April 1952) – Minister
- Artur Terras (in Sweden, from 20 April 1952) – Minister
Aftermath
Otto Tief was arrested by the Soviet
Tief's symbolic significance
Tief held power for only a brief period of time (18–22 September 1944), and his efforts were rapidly undone by the invading
Commemoration
In February 2007, the Estonian parliament decided to commemorate the actions of Tief's government by proclaiming 22 September the annual "Day of Resistance". 22 September 1944 was the day, several days after the departure of Nazi Germany's occupying forces, that Stalin´s invading Red Army took over the administrative centre of Tallinn, tore down the Estonian national flag, and replaced it with the Red Banner, the symbol of Soviet occupation.[7]
References
Citations
- ^ "Otto Tiefi sünd". Histrodamus. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ^ The Otto Tief government and the fall of Tallinn Archived 21 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 22 September 1944: From one occupation to another Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Miljan 2004, p. 470.
- ^ Postimees 18 September 2007: Ilves: Tiefi valitsus rikkus jutud Tallinna vabastamisest
- ^ The Baltic Times 19 September 2007: 'No difference' between Nazis and Soviets – Ilves
- ^ Postimees/ETV24 22 September 2007: Eesti tähistab esmakordselt vastupanuvõitlemise päeva Archived 25 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- Miljan, Toivo (2004). Historical Dictionary of Estonia. Maryland, USA: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4904-6.
- Otto Tief, "Mälestusi aastaist 1944–1954" – Akadeemia 1990, nr. 2, lk. 231–250 (in Estonian)