Cabinet of Päts V
The Päts V cabinet under Prime Minister Konstantin Päts ruled the Republic of Estonia from October 21, 1933 to May 9, 1938.
government
The government was officially the 25th government of the Republic of Estonia since independence was proclaimed in 1918. It remained in office for 1647 days.
cabinet
Head of government
Head of State and Government Konstantin Päts had the following titles:
- from October 21, 1933 to January 24, 1934: State Elder ( riigivanem )
- from January 24, 1934 to September 3, 1937: Prime Minister and incumbent state elder ( peaminister riigivanema ülesannetes )
- from September 3, 1937 to April 24, 1938: State Administrator ( riigihoidja )
- from April 24, 1934: President ( Vabariigi president )
minister
| Department | Surname | Term of office |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign minister | Julius Seljamaa | October 21, 1933 - June 2, 1936 |
| Foreign minister | Friedrich Karl Akel | 06/02/1936 - 05/09/1938 |
| Minister of Justice | Johan Müller | October 21, 1933 - May 9, 1938 |
| Interior minister | Johan Müller | October 21, 1933 - August 25, 1934 |
| Interior minister | Karlsbund (Kaarel Eenpalu) | August 25, 1934 - May 9, 1938 |
| Minister of Agriculture | Nikolai Talts | October 21, 1933 - September 11, 1937 |
| Minister of Agriculture | Artur Tupits | 09/11/1937 - 05/09/1938 |
| Economics Minister | Karl Selter | October 21, 1933 - May 9, 1938 |
| Minister of Education | Nikolai May | October 21, 1933 - May 11, 1936 |
| Minister of Education | Aleksander Jaakson | May 11, 1936 - May 9, 1938 |
| Minister of Social Affairs | Nikolai May | October 21, 1933 - March 16, 1936 |
| Minister of Social Affairs | Oskar Kask | March 16, 1936 - May 9, 1938 |
| Minister of transport | Otto Sternbeck | October 21, 1933 - August 25, 1937 |
| Minister of transport | Nikolai Viitak | August 25, 1937 - May 9, 1938 |
| Defense Minister | Paul Lill | October 21, 1933 - May 9, 1938 |
history
1934 Constitution
In a referendum from October 14-16, 1933, the Estonian people adopted a new Estonian constitution . The approval rate was 72.7 percent.
The constitution was based heavily on the ideas of the right-wing extremist " League of Freedom Fighters " ( Eesti Vabadussõjalaste Liit ), whose supporters were popularly known as Vapsid . The widespread support for the draft was in response to the fragmented political system in Estonia in the interwar period, when unstable governments and coalition changes were common.
The new constitution provided for the introduction of a presidential system with strong powers for a state elder ( riigivanem ) directly elected by the people . A prime minister should be placed alongside him as head of government. The unicameral parliament, the Riigikogu , was to be reduced from 100 to 50 members, who were to receive considerably fewer powers than before.
The previous government of State Elder Jaan Tõnisson had voted against the draft constitution, which it rejected as largely undemocratic. Due to her defeat, she submitted her resignation on October 17, 1933. On October 21, 1933, Konstantin Päts formed a transitional government that was to remain in office until the electoral state and parliament.
The new constitution came into force on January 24, 1934. According to the transitional provisions, the previous head of government, i.e. H. Konstantin Päts, automatically Prime Minister until new elections. He was the incumbent president and had extensive powers.
Elections to the head of state and parliament were to take place a hundred days after the constitution came into force. The victory of the “Federation of Freedom Fighters” in the parliamentary elections was considered certain, even if the party would probably not achieve an absolute majority. The two bourgeois candidates, Konstantin Päts for the “Association of Farmers” ( Põllumeeste Kogud ) and Johan Laidoner for the “National Center Party and Settlers Association” ( Rahvuslik Keskerakond yes Asunike Koondis ) also saw an election victory for Andres Larka from "League of Freedom Fighters" as likely in the second ballot.
Putsch of March 1934
On March 12, 1934, with the help of Johan Laidoner, the head of state and government, Päts, seized power in a bloodless coup and established a dictatorship. In doing so, he ostensibly used the extensive powers he was entitled to under the new presidential constitution to give the coup a legal look.
The government declared the country a state of emergency ("state of defense") for six months. She had around four hundred political opponents arrested, most of them members of the "League of Freedom Fighters". Political meetings and demonstrations were banned. The mandates of the "Federation of Freedom Fighters", which had achieved great success in the local elections at the end of 1933, were canceled. The parliamentary and presidential elections were postponed by a decree by Prime Minister Päts of March 19, 1934 “until the end of the state of emergency”.
With his coup d'état, Head of State and Government Päts de facto repealed the current constitution . In the following months he established a police state , which relied mainly on the army, police and domestic secret service. Päts had the state administration searched for political opponents and dismissed officials and judges who were unpopular.
On August 25, 1934, Päts, in consultation with Laidoner, appointed Karl Einbund ( estnisized a year later in Kaarel Eenpalu) as the third strong man in the regime as Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister.
On September 7, 1934, the state of emergency was extended by a further year (then in the September months of 1935, 1936 and 1937 for a further twelve months). After October 2, 1934, parliament did not meet again under pressure from the government. Estonia thus remained de facto without a legislature. Prime Minister Päts ruled with decrees that had the force of law.
On March 5, 1935, Minister of the Interior Embund issued a ban on political activity by the parties. It was replaced two days later by the newly established Fatherland Union ( Isamaaliit ) as the regime's bipartisan “culture” association.
In 1934/35 Konstantin Päts consolidated his authoritarian rule. At the end of 1935, the government, now firmly in the saddle, decided to put the political system back on an orderly constitutional foundation.
1938 Constitution
A referendum initiated by Päts on the convening of a constituent national assembly ( Rahvuskogu ) took place from February 23 to 25, 1936. A free political debate was not possible under the prevailing conditions. The result was what the government wanted. 474,218 voted for the calling of the Rahvuskogu (62.4%), 148,824 against. 6,175 votes were invalid.
The bicameral Rahvuskogu met from February to August 1937. After six months of work, the Rahvuskogu presented a new constitution in July 1937 . As head of state it provided for a state president who had extensive powers. He appoints a government led by the Prime Minister, which remained dependent on his trust. Estonia received a bicameral parliament, but it had only limited rights.
The new constitution was therefore tailored entirely to Constantine Pats and the consolidation of his rule. There was no return to democracy and the rule of law. The new Basic Law was signed by Päts on August 17, 1937. The constitution came into force on January 1, 1938.
On February 24 and 25, 1938, the election for the Chamber of Deputies ( Riigivolikogu ) took place under the new constitution . A short time later, the members of the second chamber of parliament, the State Council ( Riiginõukogu ), were appointed.
On April 24, 1938, the electoral assembly ( Valimiskogu ) formed from the Chamber of Deputies ( Riigivolikogu ), State Council ( Riiginõukogu ) and representatives of the municipality elected Konstantin Päts as the first President of the Republic of Estonia for a six-year term. Päts received 219 yes and 19 no votes. Each of the three institutions could only nominate one candidate under Article 40 of the Constitution. Since Päts was proposed by all three institutions, there was no popular election.
After his election as president, Päts called the new government under Prime Minister Kaarel Eenpalu into office. The decision was confirmed by the Riigivolikogu on May 9, 1938. The government took office on the same day. In September 1938 the state of emergency was extended further. The parties remained banned. Parliament was a passive organ in the hands of the government.
See also
Web links
- Cabinet List (Estonian State Chancellery)
Individual evidence
1. Provisional Government of Päts I (02/1918 - 11/1918) | 2. Provisional Government of Pat II (11/1918) | 3. Provisional Government of Pat III (11/1918 - 05/1919) | 4. Strandman I (05/1919 - 11/1919) | 5. Tõnisson I (11/1919 - 07/1920) | 6. Birk (07/1920) | 7. Tõnisson II (07/1920 - 10/1920) | 8. Piip (10/1920 - 01/1921) | 9. Päts I (01/1921 - 11/1922) | 10. Kukk (11/1922 - 08/1923) | 11. Päts II (08/1923 - 03/1924) | 12. Akel (03/1924 - 12/1924) | 13. Jaakson (12/1924 - 12/1925) | 14. Teemant I (12/1925 - 07/1926) | 15. Teemant II (07/1926 - 03/1927) | 16. Teemant III (03/1927 - 12/1927) | 17. Tõnisson III (12/1927 - 12/1928) | 18. Rei (12/1928 - 07/1929) | 19. Strandman II (07/1929-02/1931) | 20. Päts III (02/1931 - 02/1932) | 21. Teemant IV (02/1932 - 07/1932) | 22. Binding (Eenpalu) I (07/1932 - 11/1932) | 23. Päts IV (11/1932 - 05/1933) | 24. Tõnisson IV (05/1933 - 10/1933) | 25. Päts V (10/1933 - 05/1938) | 26. Eenpalu (binding) II (05/1938 - 10/1939) | 27. Uluots (10/1939 - 06/1940)