Backround

In the year 1923, only 3 years after the signing of the Tartu peace treaty with Soviet Russia, the political climate was cutthroat. It had become customary for socialists and communists to carry around machine guns around with them in the case of harassment by police. In the context of the 20s, it shouldn't surprise you to know that gunfights between socialists, authorities and paramilitaries (not so common in Estonia as elsewhere) were not all that rare, and so of course many socialists fell victim to these events. Such was the case for the outlawed EKP (Estonian Communist Party) central committee member, Jaan Kreuks, who died in a shootout in March of 1923.

Photo 1: Jaan Kreuks in police custody, unrelated to his death. Date unknown

Another common sight in 1920s Estonia were extrajudicial executions. Viktor Kingissepp, perhaps the most well-known and influential Estonian communist would, in May 1922, be murder by state authorities. On the 3rd of May, the apartment where he was residing would be raided by KAPO (Kaitsepolitsei, "Defense-police") agents, finding him hiding in a secret cellar alongside several printing machines, a machine gun and propaganda leaflets. The next day he would be executed.^[1]

Photo 2: Viktor Kingissepp in police custody, unrelated to his death. Date unknown.

The information the KAPO used to capture the revolutionary was given up by fellow communist and central committee member, Johannes Linkhorst.

He had been exiled from the country to Russia, but had secretly returned to his home country.

Despite the EKP staunchly opposing any members attending protests for the obvious security risks that would bring, he would attend a protest on the 1st of May, together with Kreuks. An informant would recognize the two communists and would quickly alert the head of the agency in Tallinn. KAPO would be dispatched to the protest. Once the communists came into contact with the KAPO a shootout would ensue. Kreuks would get away succesfully, but Linkhorst would be found hiding behind a trash bin after fleeing the scene and promptly apprehended. The authorities, seeing as he was wanted in the country and would face the death sentence, would pressure Linkhorst to rat out the underground activities of the EKP, including Kingissepps location. He would acquiesce.^[2]

Photo 3: 1st of May 1922, possibly the same protest that Linkhorst and Kreuks attended.

20 years after that fateful May day, after being captured by the NKVD, Sergei Kingissepp, the son of Viktor Kingissepp, would himself execute Linkhorst.^[3]

1923, the two Elections

In 1923, 2 elections would be held, local and Riigikogu (parliamentary) elections. The first in May, the latter in December.

The run up to the Riigikogu elections was tumultuous, the state had decided to remove several communist candidates from ballots in Tallinn and Virumaa. The reason given was that they were residing in Russia, which would be used by the government as a justification to block their candidacy. Of course the communists did not like this, after all these individuals were residing in Russia as they were considered fugitives in Estonia and like Linkhorst, Kreuks and Kingissepp, were at threat of being harassed by authorities and potentially murdered.

Despite the attempts at restricting communist participation in the elections, the communist would in a shock result, get 9,5% of the national voteshare. This was nearly twofold their previous result of 5,3% in 1921.

The Riigikogu election results:

• • Farmers' Assemblies; 99,226 votes, 21,6%; 23 seats
• • Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party; 64,297 votes, 14,0%; 15 seats
• • Estonian Labour Party; 51,674, 11,2%; 12
• • Workers United Front (communists); 43,711 votes, 9,5%; 10 seats
• • Estonian People's Party; 34,646 votes, 7,5%; 8 seats
• • Christian People's Party; 33,700 votes, 7,3%; 8 seats
• • Independent Socialist Workers' Party; 21,704 votes, 4,7%; 5 seats
• • National Liberal Party; 20,670 votes, 4,4%; 4 seats
• • United Russian People; 18,829 votes, 4,1%; 4 seats
• • Settlers, State Tenants and Small Farmers; 17,266 votes, 3,8%; 4 seats
• • Baltic German Party; 15,950, 3,5%; 3 seats
• • National Union of Homeowners' Associations; 9,967, 2,2%; 2 seats
• • Tenants' Union; 6,130; 1,3%; 1 seat
• • Union of Demobilized Servicemen; 5,670, 1,2%; 1 seat

Communists candidated under the name Töörahva Ühine Väerind or TÜV, Workers United Front in English. There were 100 seats in the Riigikogu at the time, nowadays theres 101.

Later that year, in December, local assembly elections would be held. In Tallinn, the capital and largest city in the country, 50,670 people would head out to the polls. The communists would get 35,9% of the vote, nearly triple the Tenants' Association "Tenants" (13,7%), who came in second.

The Tallinn local assembly election results:

• • Workers United Front (communists); 16,752 votes; 35,9%; 36 seats/101 candidates (List removed 10.03.1925. Seats won shared among other parties)
• • Tenants' Association "Tenants"; 5395 votes, 13,7%; 13+7 seats/53 candidates
• • Tallinn Homeowners Group; 4620 votes, 9,9% 10+5 seats/65 candidates
• • Christian People's Party; 4465 votes, 9,5%; 9+5 seats/48 candidates)
• • Baltic German Party; 4105 votes, 8,8%; 8+5 seats/37 candidates)
• • Estonian Labour Party; 3706 votes, 7,9%; 7+4 seats/48 candidates)
• • Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party and Independent Socialist Workers' Party; 3541 votes, 7.6%; 7+4 seats/45 candidates)
• • National Liberal Party; 3161 votes, 4.6%; 4+2 seats/50 candidates)
• • Estonian People's Party; 1362 votes, 2,9% 3+1 seats/40 candidates)
• • Citizens' Union; 1062 votes, 2,3%; 2+1 seats/62 candidates)

Aftermath

In January 1924, after litigation, it was decided to initially annul the results. This decision would eventually be overturned.

In April, the Labour Party candidate Paabo was re-"elected" chairman of the Tallinn local assembly with Homeowner Masing and Tenant Sepp at his side. A week later it was decided the previous mayor Antone Uesson of the Labour Party would resume his position, thus the Labour Party would continue being the driving force behind the city's governance, even though they had decisively lost the election.

The communist candidates were voted down by a nearly 2/3 majority in the assembly. Most were already under preliminary investigation. ^[4]

Photo 4: "Widespread arrest of communists across the country"

The same month hundreds of communists across the country would be arrested. Later that year, in November the Workers United Front organisation would be outlawed. 229 trade unions would closed. A total of 200 communists and trade union activists would be arrested. A few managed to get away leading to 149 out of the 200 facing charges of treason. Every single one of the convicted would be face years of forced labour, some 39 a lifetime of it.

The Workers United Front candidates who won seats in the Tallinn local assembly elections and their fate:^[4]

1. Tomp, Jaan Johani (1924, executed)
2. Kuppar, Johannes (1924 lifetime jail and forced labour)
3. Keerdo, Paul (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
4. Leimann, Johannes (15 years jail and forced labour)
5. Reinson, Aleksander (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
6. Janson, Aleksander (1924, 10 years jail and forced labour_
7. Tõnisson, Julius (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour
8. Tüürmann, Jakob 1924 (10 years jail and forced labour)
9. Weltson, Nikolai
10. Allik, Henrik (1924, lifetime of jail and forced labour)
11. Leiner, Aleksander (1924, exile to Russia; returned in 1926 illegaly, executed in 1927)
12. Glasen, Jaan
13. Hansen, August (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
14. Künnapuu, Olga (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
15. Reesen, Johannes (1925, exiled to Russia)
16. Hanson, Karl (1924, 10 years jail and forced labour)
17. Jalakas, Anton (1924, 8 years jail and forced labour)
18. Suuster, Tiiu (1924, 10 years jail and forced labour)
19. Tenno, Peeter
20. Prass, Robert
21. Rett, Johannes
22. Järvepera, Alma (1924, 10 years jail and forced labour)
23. Petree, Peeter (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
24. Weltson, Rosalie (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
25. Elmann, Johannes (1924, 8 years jail and forced labour)
26. Laurits, Eduard Jaani (1925, charges dropped)
27. Weiram, Rudolf
28. Laid, Leena (1924, lifetime of jail and forced labour)
29. Leimann, Gustav
30. Horn, Karl Mihkli (1925, charges dropped)
31. Arbon, Hermann (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
32. Suuster, Johannes (1924, lifetime jail and forced labour)
33. Leewald, Aleksander (1924, 10 years jail and forced labour)
34. Elmik, Oskar
35. Tuur, Aleksander
36. Kanter, Mihkel

After the removal of the Workers United Front lists in 1925, the council gained a completely new balance of power, with the tenants becoming the largest faction with 20 seats.^[4].