estonia

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The Nation includes all the forms of the country.

The cluster includes the following incarnations of the same nation:

Establishment

January 1220: Harjumaa was conquered by the Danish in 1219 during the Estonian Crusade.
January 1220: Revala was conquered by the Danish in 1219 during the Estonian Crusade.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. Northern Wars

A series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe from the 16th to the 18th century.

Was a war fought over the control of Old Livonia. The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Union (later Commonwealth) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland. Old Livonia was finally partitioned between Sweden, Poland-Lithuania and Denmark-Norway.

1.1.1. Russian invasion of Livonia

Was a Russian invasion of Livonia by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible).

January 1574: The war in Livonia was a great financial burden for Sweden, and by the end of 1573, Sweden's German mercenaries were owed 200,000 daler. John III of Sweden gave them the castles of Hapsal, Leal and Lode as security, but when he failed to pay they were sold to Denmark.
January 1578: Advancement of Russian forces by 1577.
June 1578: Advancement of Russian forces by mid 1578.

1.1.2. Partition of Livonia

Was the partition of Old Livonia between Denmark, Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

June 1561: In 1561 a Swedish army landed in Reval and gained control over the northern part of Old Livonia.
July 1562: Swdish king Erik XIV's forces seized Pernau (Pärnu) in June 1562.

1.1.3. Polish and Swedish counterattack (Livonian War)

Were the military operations of Sweden and Poland-Lithuania against the Russian invasion.

March 1578: Swedish forces launched an offensive targeting key cities such as Pernau (Pärnu), Dorpat (Tartu), and Novgorod.
April 1578: The Swedish forces left the are of Pernau, Dorpat and Novgorod.

1.1.3.1. Truce of Plussa

Was a Truce concluded between Sweden and Russia that ended the Livonian War.

August 1583: The war of Sweden with Russia ended when the Tsar concluded the Truce of Plussa (Plyussa, Pljussa, Plusa) with Sweden on 10 August 1583. Russia relinquished most of Ingria, leaving Narva and Ivangorod under Swedish control. Russia kept a narrow passage to the Baltic Sea at the estuary of the Neva River, between the Strelka and Sestra Rivers.

1.2. Second Northern War

Was a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden (along with their respective allies) over the hegemony in the Baltic Sea.

December 1658: The Treaty of Valiesar was a treaty between Russia and Sweden, which concluded the Russo-Swedish theater of the Second Northern War. It was signed in the estate of Valiesar near Narva on 20 December 1658. Russia was allowed to keep the conquered Livonian territories for three years (Kokenhusen, Dorpat, Marienborg, Syrensk, Yama, Dinaburg, Rēzekne and a few others).

1.2.1. Russo-Swedish War (1656-1658)

Was fought by Russia and Sweden as a theater of the Second Northern War.

August 1656: In July 1656, during the Second Northern War, a reserve force of the Russian army led by Tsar Alexei I struck across Swedish Ingria and overran the key Baltic fortresses of Nöteborg and Nyen.
December 1658: On 20 December Ordin-Nashchokin negotiated with Sweden the Treaty of Valiesar, whereby Russia was allowed to keep the conquered territories in present-day Latvia and Estonia — Koknese, Aluksne, Dorpat, Nyslott — for three years.
January 1662: As the Russian tsar could not allow himself to be involved into a new conflict against powerful Sweden, he had to sign Treaty of Kardis, which obliged Russia to yield its Livonian and Ingrian conquests to Sweden, confirming the provisions of the Treaty of Stolbovo.

1.3. Great Northern War

Was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.

1.3.1. Phase 1: Swedish Dominance

Was the first phase of the Great Northern War, characterized by Swedish victories.

1.3.1.1. Livonian-Estonian Frontier of the Great Northern War

Was the Livonian-Estonian theatre of war in the first phase of the Great Northern War.

June 1704: Battle of Wesenberg.
June 1704: Siege of Narva (1704).
August 1704: Russian forces captured Narva.

1.3.2. Phase 2: Sweden Defending itself

Was the second phase of the Great Northern War. It consisted in the counterattack of all the countries that Sweden had invaded during the first phase of the war.

1.3.2.1. Russian Offensive in the East

Was a Russian military campaign against the territories occupied by Sweden in eastern Europe and the Baltic during the Great Northern War.

August 1710: Reval (today Tallinn) is besieged and taken by the Tsardom of Russia, along with Livonia and Estonia as all the Swedish forts had been conquered.
October 1710: Reval (today Tallinn) is besieged and taken by the Tsardom of Russia, along with Livonia and Estonia as all the Swedish forts had been conquered.
January 1711: Conquest of the island of Ösel by the Russians.
January 1711: Capitulation of Arensburg (now Kuressaare) in present-day Estonia to the Tsardom of Russia.

1.3.3. Peace Treaties of the Great Northern War

Were the peace treaties that ended the Great Northern War.

1.3.3.1. Peace of Nystad

Was a treaty that ended the Great Northern War between the Tsardom of Russia and the Swedish Empire.

September 1721: In the Nystad Peace Treaty (1721), Sweden ceded the areas of Ingria, Livonia, Estonia, the islands of Ösel and Dagö, and South Karelia to Russia.

2. War against Sigismund

Was a war between Duke Charles, later known as King Charles IX of Sweden, and Sigismund, who was at the time the king of both Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The war led to the dissolution of the Polish-Swedish Union.

November 1592: When King John III of Sweden died in 1592, his son Sigismund, already king of Poland since 1587, assumed the Swedish throne.
May 1600: In 1600, King Charles IX of Sweden occupied the Swedish part of Estonia, which was under the control of the Duchy of Estonia.

3. Polish-Swedish War (1600-11)

Was a war between Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth mainly over the control of Livonia and Estonia.

3.1. Polish Counterattack (Polish-Swedish War of 1600-1611)

Was the Polish counterattack against the Swedish invasion in the Polish-Swedish War (1600-1611).

May 1602: Siege of Weissenstein.
June 1602: Battle of Reval.
September 1602: Siege of Weissenstein.
March 1603: In 1603, during the Polish-Swedish War, Jan Chodkiewicz, a Polish-Lithuanian military commander, led 1,000 men to defeat a Swedish relief force of 2,000 at Rakvere, which was under Polish-Lithuanian military occupation at the time.
January 1612: After Charles IX of Sweden's death in 1611, a truce was signed with Poland. The truce established the status quo ante bellum, returning the territory to its pre-war condition.

4. European wars of religion

Were a series of wars in Europe (and the overseas possessions of European countries) the 16th, 17th and early 18th that started after the Protestant Reformation. Although the immediate causes of the wars were religious, the motives were complex and also included territorial ambitions.

4.1. Thirty Years' War

Was a war that took place mainly in central Europe between 1618 and 1648. The war began as a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestant in the Holy Roman Empire but then escalated into a conflict for the hegemony in Europe between Habsburg Spain and Austria, Sweden and France.

4.1.1. Thirty Years' War Minor Scenarios

A series of conflicts related to the Thirty Years' War.

4.1.1.1. Torstenson War

Was a brief war between Sweden and Denmark-Norway.

August 1645: Second Treaty of Brömsebro.

5. World War I

Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.

5.1. Aftermath of World War I

Were a series of treaties and military events that can be considered a direct consequence of World War I.

5.1.1. Creation of Estonia after the retreat of the German Army

After their defeat in World War I, the Germans handed over the power in Estonia to a Provisional Government.

November 1918: After their defeat in World War I, the Germans were forced to hand over power in Estonia to the Provisional Government.

5.1.2. Estonian War of Independence

Was the Estonian War of independence from Bolshevik Russia and German troops.

February 1920: Pskow is under Russian control.

5.1.2.1. Soviet Offensive (Estonian War of Independence)

Was the Bolshevik invasion of Estonia, a former region of the Russian Empire that had declared independence.

5.1.2.2. Liberation of Estonian territories (Estonian War of Independence)

Estonian counteroffensive against the Bolshevik invasion.

5.1.2.3. Estonian offensives into Russia and Latvia

Offensive of the Estonian army in Russian and Latvian territories.

5.1.2.4. Battles between Estonia and Latvia

Were battles between Latvia and Estonia during the Independence wars of these two countries.

5.1.2.4.1. Battle of Cēsis

The Battle of Cēsis (alos Battle of Wenden) was a decisive battle in the Estonian War of Independence and the Latvian War of Independence were the Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Baltic German forces.

5.1.2.4.2. Return of latvian government

Withdraw of remaining German troops from Latvia.

5.1.2.5. Final battles and peace (Estonian War of Independence)

Were the final phases of the Estonian War of Independence.

5.1.3. Latvian War of Independence

Was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaimed Republic of Latvia was invaded by Soviet Russia.

5.1.3.1. Soviet offensive (Latvian War of Independence)

Soviet offensive in Latvia, a territory of the Russian Empire that had been occupied by Germany and had then declared independency.

5.1.3.2. Latvian and German counteroffensive

German and Latvian counterattack against Bolshevik forces during the Latvian War of Independence.

6. World War II

Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.

6.1. World War II (Eastern Theatre)

Was the Eastern European theatre of World War II.

6.1.1. Soviet occupation of the Baltic states

Was the Soviet invasion of the Baltic states in the early phase of World War II as agreed by Germany and the USSR in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

June 1939: The USSR invaded Estonia and Latvia.
June 1939: Only the Estonian Independent Signal Battalion stationed in Tallinn at Raua Street showed resistance to the Red Army and "People's Self-Defence" Communist militia, fighting the invading troops on 21 June 1940. As the Red Army brought in additional reinforcements supported by six armoured fighting vehicles, the battle lasted several hours until sundown. Finally the military resistance was ended with negotiations and the Independent Signal Battalion surrendered and was disarmed.
August 1940: Estonia conquered by USSR.

7. Dissolution of the Soviet Union

Was the process of internal disintegration within the Soviet Union (USSR) which resulted in the end of the country as a sovereign state, thereby resulting in its constituent republics gaining full independence.

August 1991: In Estonoa, the peaceful Singing Revolution resulted in the restoration of de facto independence.

8. Further events (Unrelated to Any War)

January 1228: In 1227 the Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquered all Danish territories in Northern Estonia.
June 1238: After their defeat in the Battle of Saule, the surviving members of the Livonian order merged into the Teutonic Order of Prussia in 1237. On June 7, 1238, the Teutonic Order concluded the Treaty of Stensby at a royal fortress in the south of Zealand with the Danish king, Valdemar II. Under the treaty, Jerwia stayed part of the Ordenstaat, while Harria and Vironia were ceded back to King of Denmark as his direct dominion.
January 1267: The Curonian resistance in Southern Courland was led by the Semigallian chief, Dabrelis. In 1266, the Teutonic Order successfully subdued the resistance, leading to the partition of Courland between the Livonian Order and the Archbishop of Riga.
January 1347: The Duchy of Estonia was sold to the Teutonic Order and became part of the Ordensstaat.

Selected Sources

Bradford, J.C. (2004): International Encyclopedia of Military History, Routledge, p. 554
Rambaud, A. (1890): Recueil des instructions données aux ambassadeurs et ministres de France depuis les traités de Westphalie jusqu'à la Révolution française, Ancienne Librairie Germer Baillière et Cie., p. 232.