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German occupation of Estonia during World War I

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German troops landing at Ösel

Occupation of Estonia by German Empire. On October 11 - 21 1917 the Imperial German Army occupied the Moonsund Archipelago, consisting of the islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hiiumaa (Dagö), and Muhu (Mühn). To put on the pressure against the new Bolshevik regime of Soviet Russia to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk the Germans landed on the mainland of Estonia on February 18, 1918 and marched in Haapsalu (Hapsal) on February 21, 1918. The Germans occupied Valga (Walk) on February 22, Pärnu (Pernau), Viljandi (Fellin), Tartu (Dorpat) on February 24. Tallinn (Revel), was occupied on February 25, 1918 and the rest of Estonia, last town taken being Narva, on March 4, 1918, putting an end to both the republican regime which had declared Estonia's independence on February 24, 1918 at Tallinn, and the rule of local Russian-Estonian Red Guards. The last Red Guards escaped over River Narva on March 5, 1918. Lieutenant General Adolf von Seckendorff arrived in Tallinn (Revel) on February 28, 1918. He had acted as Military Commander of Third Kommandotur at the head of the German military administration of the Moonsund Archipelago. In 1918 Estonia became part of the German Ober Ost military administration for Kurland, Livland, Estland, Riga and Ösel. Later the Baltic German minority tried to join the United Baltic Duchy. When signing the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk on March 3, 1918 Soviet Russia formally transferred Estonia to German military administration, its future status having to be determined later. On March 23, 1918 the Commander of German 68th Corps declared the just formed Estonian Army illegal. The arrests of the leaders of the national independence movement started in June 1918. The elected head of state Konstantin Päts was sent to Germany to be kept in prison. During this whole period the Estonian Salvation Committee continued its underground activities, entering into relation with the Western Allied powers. Great Britain recognized Estonian independence (de facto) on May 3, 1918, followed by France on May 18, and Italy on May 29, 1918, giving the committee as legal status of representative of the Estonian nation.

Meanwhile, on April 12, 1918 the German Balts assembled Landesversammlung at Riga asking the forming of United Duchy of Estland, Livland and Kurland to be incorporated to Imperial Germany in personal union with Hohenzollern family, a request presented by the Landesrat in Riga to the Emperor of Germany.

Tallinn, Tartu, and Narva were placed direct under the German military administration (Ober Ost), but the rest of the country were divided and administrated as Amtsbezirgs and smaller Ortsbezirgs. Usually one of local German origin land owners was appointed as local head of administration. All Estonian language newspapers, except the German minded Rewaler Tegesblatt / Tallinna Päevaleht were forbidden. This situation lasted to November 10, 1918. On November 13, 1918 the Soviet Supreme Council in Soviet Russia voted to ratifying the Brest Litowsk Peace Treaty with all its (then secret) additional protocols. The last German representative in Estonia W. Winnig signed the treaty with Eesti Ajatuse Valitsuse on November 19, 1918 giving all the administration power to Estonian Intermediate Government. But Soviet Russia recognized in turn on November 29, 1918, the just formed Eesti Töörahva Kommuun by Estonian War Revolutionary Committee, headed by Jaan Anvelt. The stage for struggle of Estonian independence was set up.

During the first German occupation of Estonia the Germans suffered total 368 dead and about 1400 wounded soldiers. They took 20.000 Russian POW's and captured several Russian warships. One older Russian warship, battleship Slava, was sunk during the Battle of Moon Sound just outside Muhu island. The Imperial German Army used its 60th Corps (19th Infantry Division, 77th Reserve Division, and 4th Cavalry Division) to attack Northern Livonia and Estonia. The 6th Corps (205th and 219th Infantry Divisions, and 1st Cavalry Division) attacked from Moonsund Archipelago to Lihula, Virtsu, and Haapsalu.

German military administrators

Two German military administrations (Etappenverwaltungen) - Ösel and Estonia - were set up as German advance progressed. The military administrators were at first subordinated to the Ober Ost 1917 - 1918 and then to the Head of the Military Administration of the Baltic Lands.

Ösel

(for the Moonsund Archipelago islands, Ösel being the German name for Saaremaa, the major island)

Head of the Military Administration Verwaltungschefs

Estonia

Head of the Administration Verwaltungschefs

  • 1918 Gen. Franz Adolf, Freiherr von Seckendorff
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