Coup of March 12, 1934
The coup on March 12, 1934, was a bloodless coup in Estonia .
On March 12, 1934, Lieutenant General Johan Laidoner and the then Estonian head of state Konstantin Päts undertook a coup with the aim of curbing the growing political influence of the right-wing Estonian Union of Freedom Fighters , popularly known as Vapsid . As a pretext, they spread the news that the freedom fighters themselves were planning a coup. With the help of the military, police and home guard, they occupied the government and parliament buildings and ministries in the capital Tallinn and arrested most of the leaders of the freedom fighters.
Päts banned the parties and restricted political rights. His authoritarian regime relied on the military under the command of Laidoner, whom Pats appointed in March 1934 as commander in chief of the armed forces . In 1935, a new presidential constitution tailored entirely to Päts was passed. From 1934 to 1938 Päts ruled Estonia as Riigihoidja (Reich Protector or Reich Administrator ), in 1938 Päts was elected President.
The right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press was effectively abolished until 1938, when this period was popularly known as “The Silent Age” ( vaikiv ajastu ). In 1938 there were halfway free elections. The new constitution of 1938 prepared a transition to a democracy. However, these plans could not be implemented due to the invasion of Soviet troops in June 1940.