Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson (22 December [O.S. 10 December] 1868, – 1941?) was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920, as State Elder (head of state and government) from 1927 to 1928 and in 1933, and as Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.
Jaan Tõnisson | |
|---|---|
Tõnisson in 1928 | |
| 2nd and 4th Prime Minister of Estonia | |
| In office 18 November 1919 – 28 July 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Otto August Strandman |
| Succeeded by | Ado Birk |
| In office 30 July 1920 – 26 October 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Ado Birk |
| Succeeded by | Ants Piip |
| 8th and 15th State Elder of Estonia | |
| In office 9 December 1927 – 4 December 1928 | |
| Preceded by | Jaan Teemant |
| Succeeded by | August Rei |
| In office 18 May 1933 – 21 October 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Konstantin Päts |
| Succeeded by | Konstantin Päts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 December 1868 Viiratsi Parish, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire |
| Died | presumably 1941 (aged 72-73) |
| Nationality | Estonian |
| Political party | Progressive People's Party (1905–1917) Democratic Party (1917–1919) Estonian People's Party (1919–1932) National Centre Party (1932–1935) later none |
| Alma mater | University of Tartu |
| Profession | lawyer, newspaper editor, politician |
After the Soviet invasion and occupation Estonia in June 1940, Tõnisson was arrested by the Stalinist terror regime and, like most senior Estonian politicians at the time, was either executed or died in Soviet captivity soon afterwards. Tõnisson was still alive in June 1941, when he is known to have been imprisoned, and interrogated, in Tallinn. The exact date and location of his death and place of burial remain unknown. According to circumstantial evidence, Tõnisson was most probably executed by the Soviet NKVD in the beginning of July 1941.