Remarkable Evening: The Pivotal Seven Days in August That Shaped Estonia's Destiny
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The Baltic States' Freedom Fought: A Recollection by Hannes H. Gissurarson
The phone blared in my Reykjavik apartment and it was 5:30 am on August 19, 1991 - Prime Minister David Oddsson was on the line. "They're marching in," he said. The uncertainty surrounding the Soviet Union's volatile situation was palpable. Who was "they"? Communists looking to assert power, both inside the Soviet Union and in the nations under their dominion. I sighed and asked, "What happens next?"
David, who had formed the first government less than four months earlier, wondered if this was the start of a new Cold War and worried about the consequences for their Baltic friends. History showed that the Soviet Union had been reluctant to use force to suppress opposition, but maybe this was to be expected.
Fortunately, this communist power grab failed. Within three days, the key players were taken into custody. The Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia - saw this as an opportunity. They had been mercilessly occupied by Stalin's Red Army in June 1940 due to the non-aggression pact between Stalin and Hitler, which had divided Central and Eastern Europe[3]. In the late 1980s, as Soviet power weakened, the Baltic nations' resolve strengthened. On August 23, 1989, the fiftieth anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, an estimated two million people formed a human chain, the Baltic Chain, connecting Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, symbolizing their unity and desire for independence.
On March 11, 1990, the newly-elected Supreme Council of Lithuania unanimously reestablished its independence. It was clear that the majority in Estonia and Latvia also sought freedom. They had never accepted Soviet rule, making Iceland's sympathies toward the Baltic countries unsurprising[2]. In 1955, when the Public Book Club - an organization aimed at countering communist influence - was founded, its first publication was a translation of Estonian scholar Ants Oras's book, "Baltic Eclipse," a tale of Soviet occupation[1].
In 1957, the Icelandic president and foreign minister met with the exiled Estonian prime minister, August Rei, despite Soviet objections. Another book, "Estonia: A Study in Imperialism," translated by the Public Book Club in 1973, detailed Soviet oppression in Estonia and attempts at enforced Russification.
After the Supreme Council of Lithuania had declared independence, Thorsteinn Palsson, a politician from the centre-right Independence Party, proposed recognizing Lithuania. Despite hatred toward communism, the foreign minister--a social democrat called Jon B. Hannibalsson--rejected Palsson's proposal, believing it could worsen tensions between the Soviet Union and Lithuania[1]. However, Hannibalsson shared Oddsson's concern for the Baltic nations, having witnessed the suffering of Baltic friends during his time in Moscow in the 1950s[1].
By August 1991, Oddsson was prime minister, and their Baltic friends hoped for action. With the communist power grab appearing to fail, Oddsson and Hannibalsson agreed it was time to proceed. On August 26, Iceland became the first nation in the world to formally reaffirm its pre-war recognition[1] of the three Baltic states[1]. This announcement was made only a week after David had called me about the coup attempt.
The Baltic leaders appreciated Iceland's initiative, and their foreign ministers – Algirdas Saudargas of Lithuania, Jānis Jurkāns of Latvia, and Lennart Meri of Estonia – flew to Iceland for a ceremony restoring diplomatic relations. The ceremony took place at the historic Hofdi House, where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev had attempted to negotiate an end to the Cold War in 1986[3].
Before the ceremony, Oddsson and his wife Astridur Thorarensen hosted a dinner for the visiting foreign ministers and other dignitaries[1]. I chatted with Lennart Meri, the future second president of Estonia, about filmmaking and his experiences as a child deported to Siberia by the communists because of his father's role during Estonia's independence[1].
The event marked the beginning of other Western countries - such as Canada and the U.S. - following Iceland's lead, recognizing the Baltic republics and ending their occupation after 41 years[2]. Twenty-five years later, in 2016, the Public Book Club republished Oras's and Küng's books about the Baltic tragedy, highlighting Iceland's essential role in empowering the Baltic Republics on the road to freedom[4].
This article was originally published on August 25, 2021, in The Conservative. Republished with permission.
Read also: Estonia celebrates the restoration of independence
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- The communist power grab in August 1991, as emphasized by Prime Minister David Oddsson, was a significant event that could have escalated tensions due to the volatile situation in the Soviet Union.
- The Baltic states had been governed under Soviet rule since June 1940, due to the non-aggression pact between Stalin and Hitler, and had been mercilessly occupied.
- In 1990, the Supreme Council of Lithuania unanimously reestablished its independence, and the majority in Estonia and Latvia also sought freedom, having never accepted Soviet rule.
- Iceland, with its sympathies toward the Baltic countries, took steps to support their independence efforts, such as publishing translations of Estonian scholar Ants Oras's works that detailed Soviet oppression in Estonia.
- In 1957, the Icelandic president and foreign minister met with the exiled Estonian prime minister, despite Soviet objections, showing Iceland's stance on the matter.
- On August 26, 1991, Iceland became the first nation in the world to formally reaffirm its pre-war recognition of the three Baltic states, an initiative appreciated by the Baltic leaders and paving the way for other Western countries to follow.
- The ceremony restoring diplomatic relations between Iceland and the Baltic republics took place at the historic Hofdi House, where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev had attempted to negotiate an end to the Cold War.
- Lennart Meri, the future second president of Estonia, during a dinner hosted by Oddsson and Astridur Thorarensen before the ceremony, shared his experiences as a child deported to Siberia by the communists because of his father's role during Estonia's independence.
