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Konstantin Päts

Konstantin Päts (February 23 1874 - January 18 1956) was an Estonian president and dictator. He established an authoritarian rule after a coup d'état in 1934. In 1938 he became president. He lost power when Estonia was incorporated in the Soviet Union in 1940. He was deported by the Soviets. Päts died in a Psychiatric hospital in Kalinin (current Tver') in 1956.

In 1898, he graduated from the faculty of Law of Tartu university. Served in the Russian army. Worked as an editor of the "Teataja" newspaper in Tallinn, then worked in Tallinn municipality. Participated in the 1905 Revolution, was convicted in absense having fled to Switzerland. Returned to the Russian empire in 1909 and served his sentence in a St.Petersburg prison. In 1918 he was arrested by German authorities and spent from July to November in a concentration camp in Poland. After getting back to Estonia he became the prime minister and the defense minister of the Provisionary Government.

Last updated: 08-18-2005 12:58:07