Põllumeeste Kogud
The Association of Farmers ( Estonian Põllumeeste Kogud - PK) was a conservative agricultural party in Estonia in the interwar period .
History and program
The “Union of Farmers” emerged from the “Estonian Rural People's Union” ( Eesti Maarahva Liit ), which was formed in 1917, the year of the Russian revolution.
While the “Federation of Farmers” initially saw itself as a party for the entire rural population, in the first half of the 1920s it developed more and more into a strong interest group for large farmers. His main constituency also included those parts of the urban bourgeoisie who were economically connected to agricultural trade and industry. The members shared an interest in the development of agriculture through large farms and areas. Numerous party supporters came from banking or large-scale industry.
Since Estonia was still largely an agricultural state in the interwar period , the party was able to mobilize a large number of voters for the elections. She was associated with culturally conservative values. She was skeptical of reforms.
After a disappointing performance in the elections for the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia in 1919, which was primarily due to unpopular requisitioning measures by the provisional Prime Minister Konstantin Päts during the German occupation of Estonia (1918) and the Estonian War of Independence against Soviet Russia (1918 to 1920), the party was able to do so from mid-1919 onwards, it won over large sections of the Estonian population. In all parliamentary elections between 1920 and 1932 it remained the strongest or second strongest party.
Prominent representatives of the “Association of Farmers” were the multiple Estonian Prime Minister Konstantin Päts , Jaan Teemant (Prime Minister 1925–1927 and 1932), the multiple Minister Jaan Hünerson and the military Johan Laidoner . In addition, politicians such as Karl Einbund (head of government 1932 and 1938/39), the military Jaan Soots and the ministers Georg Vestel , August Jürman and Jüri Uluots (head of government 1939/40) shaped the appearance of the party.
The party's mouthpiece from 1919 to 1935 was the daily newspaper Kaja (“Echo”). Its successor from 1935 was the newspaper Uus Eesti ("New Estonia").
Association 1932
On January 26, 1932, the two factions of the "Union of Farmers" ( Põllumeeste Kogud ) and the Settlers Union ( Asunikkude, Väikepõllupidajate yes Riigirentnikkude Koondis ) came together. The association represented the small farmers in Estonia, most of whom had only received their own land with the Estonian land reform of 1919. In the “Federation of Farmers”, however, the “old”, traditional large farmers were represented.
The official party merger under the name Ühinenud Põllumeeste Erakond ("Party of United Farmers") was decided at a unification congress on February 29, 1932. In the parliamentary elections in 1932 , the party achieved an overwhelming election success with 39.8% of the votes and from then on had by far the largest parliamentary group with 42 out of 100 members.
In the following year, however, the merger broke up again. On May 18, 1933, 16 members of parliament left the parliamentary group and re-established the “Federation of Farmers”. The “Federation of Farmers” retained 21 seats in parliament, the Asunike Koondus 20.
Coup in 1934
On March 12, 1934, with the help of Johan Laidoner, the head of state and government Konstantin Päts from the “Bund der Landwirte” seized power in a bloodless coup and established a dictatorship. The parties were banned from operating and parliament was no longer called together. Päts ushered in the end of Estonian democracy. His authoritarian rule was replaced in 1940 by the Stalinist occupation of Estonia and the country's annexation into the Soviet Union .
Election results
| choice | Legislative period | be right | MPs (Asutav Kogu = 120 seats) (Riigikogu = 100 seats) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Asutav Kogu | 6.5% | 8th |
| 1920 | 1. Riigikogu | 20.8% | 21st |
| 1923 | 2. Riigikogu | 21.6% | 23 |
| 1926 | 3. Riigikogu | 21.4% | 23 |
| 1929 | 4. Riigikogu | 23.1% | 24 |
| 1932 | 5. Riigikogu | 39.8% | 42 |
literature
- Sulev Vahtre (Ed.): Eesti Ajalugu. Volume 6: Vabadussõjast Taasiseseisvumiseni. Ilmamaa, Tartu 2005, ISBN 9985-77-142-7 , p. 65.
Individual evidence
- ^ Mati Laur et al .: History of Estonia . Tallinn 2002, ISBN 9985-2-0606-1 , pp. 229 (English).
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from June 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated June 12, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Ühinenud Põllumeeste Erakond
