trucks arrived and we loaded them for transport to our new home, which was a French schoolhouse. There we piled up our belongings and went back for more. We cleaned out everything, down to the light bulbs. We even transported the mounted skeleton of a horse that had been used for demonstration purposes in our horseback riding class. When we left the Academy grounds with our last load we could see the new occupants, the Red Army units, arriving at their new quarters.
After we completed the move to our new facility, we had time to think and talk about what had happened. Most were hoping that the worst was over and that life would eventually get back to normal. After all, we had complied with all the wishes of our giant neighbor to the east. Others believed that the worst was yet to come.
Cadets were ordered by the Red Army to move out of their facilities.
A few days were then dedicated to getting everything situated in our new surroundings, after which we reverted back to our old class schedule. The first scheduled activity was the final horseback riding skill demonstration, which was required in order to receive the final grade. The problem was that we had neither horses nor a place where we could ride. The instructor requested we set up a table and chairs in the school yard for the issuance of the final grades. Since our riding instructor had often stressed that a horse needs to be guided via his reins same as a car via its steering wheel, one cadet came up with a brilliant idea. Someone had found a dilapidated car from which the steering wheel and floor mounted stick shift were removed. These items were mounted through the bones of the instructional horse skeleton in locations where a rider could conveniently access them, as in a car. The modified skeleton was then placed next to the instructor’s table in the courtyard. When the instructor came to this final class session, either he did not notice or he wasn’t in the mood for pranks. He went about his business without commenting about the student-provided teaching aid.
A decree was issued on June 18 that all weapons in the hands of civilians and the National Guard were to be turned in to the new order. This process took place without any incidents.
Weapons collection center in Tallinn.
On the twentieth of June 1940 the Workers’ Union leaders invited all workers to a demonstration to be held the next day to welcome the arrival of the Red Army. Going to work that day was forbidden. The group they assembled consisted of Soviet agents, Estonian Communists, local criminal elements, and Estonian agitators who had been brought across our borders. Emboldened local Communists cried out for the release of all political prisoners. Some demonstrators went to the bakeries and demanded free bread. Fearful for their lives, the bakers threw loaves of bread at the demonstrators and ran from their stores. With the city in chaos, the police were afraid that any interference from them might provoke more demonstrations, demands, and possibly bloodshed. In the evening, the downtown streets were full of roaming trucks and cars filled with boisterous Soviet soldiers singing Russian songs. They wanted the Estonian inhabitants to know who was in charge. The streets became a very dangerous place to be as there were many reports of robbing, killing, and raping of innocent citizens. The cadets were prohibited from going outside their facility wearing their uniforms but many ventured out in civilian clothes to witness this madness.
One of our tasks during this turbulence was to guard the armory of the Estonian National Guard. This facility housed the Guard’s cars, artillery, weapons, ammunition, and all the weapons recently confiscated from the Estonian population by decree of the Red Army.
The workers’ demonstration winding through Tallinn.
On the day of the workers’ demonstration we observed a large group of young men walking toward the main square. They were in civilian clothing but were walking in step and with the discipline of soldiers. Their presence there was obviously to help choreograph the event.
We were put on alert status, meaning that each cadet was armed and all doors to our building were locked and guarded. The Department of the Interior had received a notice from the Soviet delegation that if the police attempted to interfere with the demonstration there would be bloodshed.
The Soviet agitators continued to try to motivate workers to attend the rally, sometimes with the threat of arms. When they had gathered a sufficient number of participants, with the Russian armored cars in the lead, the column of workers was paraded into Freedom Square (Vabaduse Väjak) at the city center. Most in the parade participants were Russians, Red Army soldiers in civilian clothes, or workers from the Russian military bases. Soviet armored cars were at all the street intersections with Russian troops patrolling the sidewalks. By ten o’clock about 2,000 demonstrators were at the square carrying banners that carried slogans such as “Down with the war mongrel administration” and “We demand honest fulfillment of the pact with Russia.” There were about 1,000 spectators.
The workers and soldiers demonstrate for the support of the new order.
After a few speeches, the procession headed for the seat of the Estonian government at Toompea. When they found the gates to the building closed, they brought up some Soviet tanks that pointed their turrets at the gate. The tanks remained in this position for a few minutes but nothing happened. No one appeared to open the gates and no one came to listen to their demands. So the Russian soldiers started singing some Soviet songs. This prompted the Estonian spectators to start singing the Estonian national anthem which soon drowned out the singing Russians. This showed the true feelings of the Estonian people.
Disappointed, the leaders of the procession now guided it to the President’s palace in the park at Kadriorg. The procession now consisted of about 1,000 demonstrators who arrived about noon and found the gates open. When the President appeared on a balcony with his arms raised, all became very still and quiet. President Pats tried to speak but was soon drowned out by heckling and jeering. Leaving the balcony he boomed the message, “I am ready to talk with Estonians any time but I will not talk with hoodlums.”
The leaders of the procession demanded and got an audience with the President. They demanded the release of all political prisoners and the formation of a socialist government that would be friendly with the Soviet Union. The President replied that Estonia had no political prisoners. He stated he was not empowered to form a new type of government because that would violate the existing constitution. He said that changes to the government are in the works.
The procession then headed for the Central Prison in Tallinn where they arrived about three in the afternoon. Soviet armored cars parked at the front of the prison and all exits were put under guard. The demand was made to free all political prisoners. There were no political prisoners of course, so convicted spies and other criminals were ordered to be released by the Estonian Department of Justice.
After this the procession turned toward the Estonian air defense artillery group’s nearby barracks. These troops were on full alert with additional guards at the guard posts. Some Soviet officers entered the barracks to query as to why this unit was armed and threatening the “defenseless public.” Red Army tanks were positioned around the facility and machine guns were set up. The Soviets demanded the surrender of all arms. After coordination with the leadership it was determined that bloodshed must be avoided. Thus the Estonian unit agreed to disarm. The “defenseless public” then entered the facility and left with their new weapons. Afterwards, the Estonian soldiers were allowed to re-enter but were ordered to remain inside the facility. Red Army tanks and guards were positioned outside.
The armed mob now again turned its attention to the government building in Toompea. The guards were fully armed but were issued a command not to resist. They opened the gates and were promptly disarmed. The mob pillaged through the whole building. The
