| Conventional Long Name: | Estonian Workers' Commune |
| Native Name: | Eesti Töörahva Kommuuna |
| Common Name: | Estonia |
| Status: | State of Russian SFSR (until December 7th, 1918)[1] |
| Flag: | List of Estonian flags#Historical flags |
| Flag Caption: | Flag [2] [3] |
| Image Map Caption: | Location of Estonia in northern Europe. |
| Capital: | Narva |
| Common Languages: | Estonian Russian |
| Government Type: | Soviet republic |
| Title Leader: | Chairmana |
| Leader1: | Jaan Anvelt |
| Year Leader1: | 1918–1919 |
| Legislature: | Soviet council |
| Date Start: | 29 November |
| Year Start: | 1918 |
| Date End: | 5 June |
| Year End: | 1919 |
| Footnote A: | Chairman (Esimees) of the Soviet of the Commune of the Working People of Estonia (Eesti Töörahva Kommuuni Nõukogu). |
The Estonian Workers' Commune[1] (Estonian: Eesti Töörahva Kommuun, initially Estonian: Eesti Töörahwa Kommuuna; Russian: Эстляндская трудовая коммуна, Russian: ЭТК or ETK, also Estonian Labour Commune[4] and Commune of the Working People of Estonia[5]) was a government claiming the Bolshevik-occupied parts of Republic of Estonia as its territories during the Estonian War of Independence and the Russian Civil War.[6] It was recognised as an independent state only by Russian SFSR on December 7th, 1918.[1]
The Commune was established in Narva on 29 November 1918 with the support of the Red Army. It was chaired by Jaan Anvelt for the duration of its existence.Within areas of their control, the Commune closed churches, nationalised industry and the banks[7] and outlawed representatives of the Provisional Government.[8]
The Communist offensive was initially successful and eventually reached as far as 34 kilometres from Tallinn. However, a counter-offensive begun on 7 January 1919 by the Estonian People's Force (Rahvavägi) under Commander-in-Chief Johan Laidoner eventually drove the Red Army out of Estonia, with international military aid primarily from the British Empire. The Commune was thus rendered defunct, claiming a government in exile in Pskov, then Luga and finally, from 17 May 1919, in Staraya Russa.
The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR) formally recognised the ETK on 7 December 1918 and remained the only government to do so.[9] At that time, Soviet Russia was itself not internationally recognised. One of the first international treaties recognising Russia's Soviet government as legitimate was the Treaty of Tartu concluding the Estonian War of Independence in 1920.
See also: Red terror.
The regime instituted a reign of terror[10] from November 1918 to January 1919.[11] A considerable number of people were arrested in Tartu in December 1918 and a number of German estate owners were executed on the frozen river on 9 January 1919.[11] A concentration camp was also set up near Luga, in January 1919.[12] Just before Tartu was seized, the Bolsheviks carried out the Tartu Credit Center Massacre executing clergymen and other prisoners in the basement of the town's bank,[11] among the victims were Bishop Platon, the priest and the pastor .[11] Around 500 people were killed in total.[13]
Soviet authorities executed most of the members during the Great Purge.[14]
