380 Chapter 3
MID#3341
Started in October 1914. See the narrative in the 255 Germany/360 Romania dyad
dispute list.
365 Russia/366 Estonia
MID#2605
Dispute Number: 2605
Date(s): November 22, 1918 to January 3, 1920
Participants: 365 Russia/200 United Kingdom, 366 Estonia
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Imposed)
Fatalities: >999 deaths
Narrative: This dispute is the Estonian War for Independence. Estonia declared
independence on November 28, 1917, in the midst of Russia’s civil war. The Sovi-
ets attempted to reassert control in Estonia, but the Germans moved in to occupy.
Under German protection, Estonia reasserted its claim to independence on February
24, 1918. Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to exit World War I on March
3 and began focusing on its civil war. Estonia repeated its claim to independence on
November 19th following the defeat of Germany in World War I, but the Soviets
invaded Estonia on November 22 and within months controlled most of the country.
However, Estonia continued to fight, and the British Royal Navy joined the Estonian
effort, driving the Soviets out of Estonia.
Peace talks began in December 1919. The two sides agreed to an armistice on Janu-
ary 3, 1920. The Soviet Union and Estonia signed the Tartu Peace Treaty recognizing
Estonian independence on February 2.
Coding changes: End Date changed from February 24, 1919. Settlement changed
from Negotiated.
MID#1234
Dispute Number: 1234
Date(s): December 24, 1920 to June 12, 1921
Participants: 365 Russia/366 Estonia, 367 Latvia
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On January 3, 1921, reports suggested that Russia revealed a plan to drive
the Red Army into Latvia and Estonia, likely on January 12, and that Russia had
roughly 65,000 men concentrated on Latvia’s eastern border. The report also high-
lighted an incident on December 24, 1920, in which forces crossed the frontier into
Latvia and raided bordering towns and villages. By January 13, the threat had lifted
without resorting to attack. A report from June 12 stated that Russia had threatened
action against Estonia and Latvia unless they stopped prosecuting Communist agita-
tors, many of whom were Russian citizens. These threats occurred in two waves, the
second on June 8 and the first some weeks prior. A June 24 report declared that a state