Jüri Uluots facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jüri Uluots
Jüri Uluots
Prime Minister in the duties of the President
In office 20 June 1940 – 9 January 1945
Prime Minister	Otto Tief
Preceded by	Konstantin Päts as President
Succeeded by	August Rei
8th Prime Minister of Estonia
In office 12 October 1939 – 20 June 1940
President	Konstantin Päts
Preceded by	Kaarel Eenpalu
Succeeded by	Himself (as Prime Minister in the duties of the President)
Personal details
Born	13 January 1890 Kirbla Parish, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died	9 January 1945 (1945-01-10) (aged 54) Stockholm, Sweden
Alma mater	St. Petersburg University

Jüri Uluots (born January 13, 1890 – died January 9, 1945) was an important Estonian leader. He was a prime minister, a journalist, a well-known lawyer, and a respected professor at the University of Tartu. He taught law there and was also the Dean of the Law Faculty.

Early Life and Education

Jüri Uluots was born in Kirbla Parish, Pärnu County, Estonia, in 1890. He went to St. Petersburg University from 1910 to 1918, where he studied law. After finishing his studies, he became a professor at the University of Tartu. He taught both Roman law and Estonian law until 1944.

Besides his work at the university, Uluots was also involved in journalism. He worked as an editor for the Kaja newspaper from 1919 to 1920. Later, he became the editor-in-chief of another important newspaper called Postimees from 1937 to 1938.

Political Journey

Jüri Uluots had a long and active political career. He was elected to the Riigikogu, which is the Estonian parliament, for several terms. He served there from 1920 to 1926, and again from 1929 to 1932.

From April 1938 to October 1939, he was the Speaker of the Riigivolikogu. This was the lower part of the Estonian parliament.

Prime Minister of Estonia

In 1939, Jüri Uluots became the Prime Minister of Estonia. He held this position until June 1940. At that time, Soviet troops entered Estonia. They set up a new government that was controlled by the Soviets. This new government was not recognized by countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. They saw it as illegal.

After the Estonian President, Konstantin Päts, was arrested by the Soviets in July 1940, Professor Uluots took on a new role. According to the Estonian constitution, he became the "prime minister in the duties of the president." This meant he was leading the country.

During World War II

When the Nazis invaded Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1941, the Soviet government was removed. The Germans offered Uluots a leadership role, but he refused. Instead, he joined the secret Estonian resistance movement. This group worked against the Nazi occupation.

In January 1944, the Soviet army was pushing closer to Estonia's borders. Jüri Uluots made a radio speech. He asked all healthy Estonian men born between 1904 and 1923 to join the German military. Before this, Uluots had been against Estonians fighting for Germany. However, he hoped that by fighting, Estonia could get support from Western countries to become independent from the Soviet Union. Many Estonians answered his call, and thousands joined the defense forces.

In March 1944, a group called the National Committee of the Republic of Estonia was formed by the underground resistance. This committee wanted to set up a temporary government as the Germans were leaving. They decided that the Soviet appointment of Johannes Vares as Prime Minister had been illegal. They confirmed that Uluots had been the rightful leader since June 1940. In June 1944, Uluots appointed Otto Tief as his deputy prime minister.

As the Germans retreated in September 1944, Uluots appointed a new government led by Otto Tief. On September 20, the Estonian national government was announced. Estonian forces took control of the government buildings in Toompea and told the German forces to leave.

However, Tief's government had to leave Tallinn before the Soviet army arrived. Most of its members were later arrested by the Soviets. The rest of the government fled to Stockholm, Sweden. They continued to work as the Estonian Government in Exile from 1944 until 1992.

Jüri Uluots died in Sweden in 1945, shortly after arriving there. He passed away from stomach cancer.

Awards and Recognition

• 1938 – Order of the White Star I

Images for kids

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  Jüri Uluots