mart kuldkepp activist regionalism in the baltic area in 1916

7/30/2019 mart kuldkepp activist regionalism in the baltic area in 1916

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Aj Aj, 0, / (/0),

Grundbesiter aus Estland:

activist regionalism in teBaltic Sea area in 1916

M K

T y f F W W- - h B S . O , fwhat political resources were used by an opportunistic private diplomat inh f 1916, wh h f -ing his nation from Russian and Baltic German repression and re-subject- h Swh w. M y, w fhx f h -f f A K h F W W, h wh h E,h h J P.

I w h h f

Kesklas and Ploompuus meeting in Stockholm in the spring of 1916and to conduct a contextual analysis of the series of documents signedGrundbesitzer aus Estland that were born out of their collaboration. Onh f , I w y h h hh audience, and subsequently draw some conclusions about how Ploompuusvisit and the texts might have tted into Kesklas aims. Finally, I will con- wh f xz f K wh f h h h

E hy.

Activist regionalism

For the time being, I will leave aside any theoretical analysis of the (notori-y ) f . I, I w whad hoc denition of regionalism in an attempt to unite presently politicallyh hy y,politically, and/or economically unied whole (a region), with close coop- x w , y w. T y y wh f j, f h.


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Ajalooline Ajakiri, 2012, 1/2 (139/140)

Regionalism can, but does not have to, entail imperialism/colonialism. Tej f w y y

h wh w y f h f h status quo.T , hw, fh , I

going to use it in a particular historical sense. In Finnish and Swedishhhy, h y wh -y . I h Fh x, h hattempted to organize active resistance to Russication and secure Fin- f R wh h h f Sw Gy. ISw, h f h w - Swh f y, h hf y h hSweden of theseventeenth century, when it had been a regional great power why y R. A w , h w wxy .

In Sweden, similar ideas were to some extent present in most right-wing, h h h f h y Sw y h w y f Gy. I, f h h Sw w

h y f Gy, h f h .Aided by victorious Germany, Sweden would re-conquer Finland, humili-ate Russia, and eventually re-claim its naturally given leading position inNorden. A , h q f h - B -inces possible reunication with the former motherland popped up in , y wh h F .

See: Lauri Hyvmki, Kommunismi ja jlkiaktivismi, Suomalainen Suomi, 5 (1958),277278. A M, S , Det Nya Sverige, 1 (1915), 17. L. j N, Rh-w S h R , Contactor isolation? Soviet-Western relations in the interwar period, ed. by John Hiden andAleksander Loit, Studia Baltica Stockholmiensia, 8 (Stockholm: University of Stockholm,1991), 338.4 See: Sverker Oredsson, Stormaktsdrmmar och stridsiver: ett tema i svensk h 1911942, Scandia, 59:2 (1993), 257296.5 Especially Rudolf Kjelln. See: Otto Jrte, Rudolf Kjelln, Yngve Larsson, Adrian

Molin, Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning(Stockholm: Nordiska Bokhandeln,1915), 1314. J et al., Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning, 2123. See: Sverige och stern, Svensk Lsen (April 12, 1918), 7879; Estland, Svensk Lsen(S 13, 1918), 17172.


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T Swh , h -R -Finnish sentiments, naturally cooperated with the Finnish activists, repre-

Sh y x y, hh hwere major dierences in their outlook on the nature of the eventual Finn-ish independence. Activists also shared common interests with Germany,whh 1915 y Sw j h Alliance, and many representatives of Germany in Sweden (though noth L) wh h Swh w.

Tere was also at least one Estonian Aleksander Keskla who couldbe regarded as belonging to the same movement, although he brought withhimself a uniquely Estonian perspective. He, too, tried to make Sweden jointhe German cause, carry out its historical mission of liberating Finland andEstonia, and ultimately bring about some sort of a union between Sweden,F, E. K h w practical sense, having personal ties to like-minded Finns, Swedes, andG Sh. Wh h h Swh Finnish counterparts, though, was that Keskla was wary of Germany andy B G, h y h . Ah , h w fy w G wh

h f h h h wh Gy.Wh f w h

w y Swh j. T f h fR h w f h Sw h h Sw, F,Estonians, and in a sense also Germans. Te First World War, furthermore,seemed like a great opportunity for a united action to make it happen. Tey y w h w- y f h

h f E. h, y w, wh h f Gy h - f h E, wh R h A -, f h w wh h .

Mats Kihlberg, Aktivismens huvudorgan Svensk Lsen, Mats Kihlberg, DonaldSderlind, Tv studier i svensk konservatism, 19161922 (Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell,1961), 2122; N, Right-wing Scandinavianism and the Russian menace, 33934. A h Swh Gy, : I Shh, Schweden unddas Deutsche Reich im Ersten Weltkrieg. Die Aktivistenbewegung 19141918 (Bonn:Rhh, 1981). I h f 1914, K G h w . S:K J, E A K j B: , una, 1 (24), 1315.


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0 Ajalooline Ajakiri, 2012, 1/2 (139/140)

Aleksander Keskla and Sweden

S f A K h w -y w w, h h y f G-man money to Russian bolsheviks. Less is known about his contacts withF Sw, hh Mh F hK Swh h w f h. I h h Sw y K fh . I S 1914, h h G in Bern, Gisbert von Romberg, and oered his help in drawing Sweden h w h G , h h Gy w

y E. K w h h w h - f E wh Sw, h x wh j G-Swh y h f R.

Shortly aer the German Foreign Oce had accepted his proposal, Kes- Sw. H y Sh f h of time: from October 1914 until the beginning of 1915, from May 1915 untilJune 1916 and from the end of 1916 until the autumn of 1918. Tere, his main h f h x R h -

, h h wy wh h f w R, h G h wh f.

On his own volition, Keskla began work on a second major task: mak-ing contacts with potentially useful circles in Sweden in order to spread hish f h hy f E h . I y h K hh

For an in-depth bibliography on Kesklas contacts with the bolsheviks, see: JonathanD. S, Te Russian Revolution and Civil War 19171921: an annotated bibliography

(L/Nw Y: C, 26), 38384. Mh F, Northern underground: episodes o Russian revolutionary transportand communications through Scandinavia and Finland, 18631917(London: Faber &F L, 1963), 147. Ph Ah Aw A, W, 11, . B. 1, . 113. S OArens, Aleksander Keskla, Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised: hiskonnateadused,40:1 (1991), 30; Jaanson, Eestlane Aleksander Keskla ja Berliin, 14; Seppo Zetterberg, DieLiga der Fremdvlker Russlands 19161918: ein Beitrag zu Deutschlands antirussischemPropagandakrieg unter den Fremdvlkern Russlands im Ersten Weltkrieg(Helsinki:Fh Hh Gh, 1978), 54. A y w f Kworld view and political aims is found in Kaido Jaanson, Aleksander Keskla

,Acta Historica allinensia, 6 (22). A,Aleksander Keskla, 21. Kaido Jaanson, Aleksander Keskla and Sweden 19141918, Scandia, 69:2 (2003), 158161. Te thinking characteristic of Keskla is best captured in the memorandum hepresented to the III Conference of the Union des Nationalits in 1916: [Aleksander


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h h h w wh h h.I h, hw, h w h B G z-

. S f h w wh I Gy , G, f h Sw. B Keskla, they were proceeding from a perspective that le no room for the f E.

Jakob Ploompuus travels and the contact with Aleksander Keskla

I h f 1916, K h x w h hEstonian was visiting Stockholm with aims very similar to his own. oday,J P f h f hand booksellers ofearly twentieth-century Estonia. About his activities as , hw, w. T x h h h L V, qyh. J y f h h, hthis short piece of memoir should be approached with caution. However, f , f h hy f E-y.

Sy, P h y fhh E 1913. A h -gerous path, he claims to have during the Russo-Japanese war reached the h wh Gy, R w as the loser. But as German rule would have become as nationally destruc- f E h R , h wy h f. Th h wh w h h h hG h B S .

K], La Question Esthonienne et la Question Septentrionale: Mmoire prsent aunom des Esthoniens de la III conerence des Nationalits, par M. Keskla (Lausanne:L N, 1918).7 his judgment is shared by Kaido Jaanson: Jaanson, Aleksander Kesklamaailmangemus , 113. About Baltic German activism, see: Aleksander Loit, Baltisaksa rtelkondadeh j E 1918192, una, 4 (26), 574. S J, B, h w h hf f h19h y h 2h y E, Knygotyra, 52 (29), 239. J P, K , ulimuld, 1 (1951), 4245. F x, P h h f h E f (P, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 45). T corroborated by recent research. See: Ago Pajur, Iseseisvusmanifesti snd, una, 1(23), 3941.


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In 1913, Ploompuu visited the British Foreign Oce in London to warnh f h h Gy h f h

f h f h R E. Nx y, h fw wh h Bh S. P y, fon the same issue. Although it is doubtful whether either of these actionsled to any results, they nevertheless give evidence of the rather unexpected wh whh h .

I y 1915, y h h h Sw h the war, Ploompuu traveled to Stockholm with the help of the passportof his Finnish brother-in-law, Emil Vesterinen. Tere, he passed to theSwh G S , w h h Sw-h y w h h w w, w E h h Sw h Gy.

T y A K h Beilageto the 1916 text, An die Patrioten Schwedens.24 Without referring toP y , K w h h 1915 jy h f-ure because he had lacked all necessary contacts in Sweden. As he knew noSwedish and but a little German, even his memorandum had been written

wh h h f (!). A f h f h x,Keskla adds that it had stressed the Estonian peasants strong convictionh Swh f w R w merely a question of time. Once the Estonian territory had been occupied,hw, h Swh w h f h Sw h h w wh h f h- Gy, w f f h f w y f whh Swh w y

wh h f h h B S.

A year later, Ploompuu was again on the way to Stockholm. As thepolitical situation had changed, he this time had to resort to the secret pas-sages of the FinnishJgervolunteers who were being smuggled out of Fin- y Gy. I h ,

P, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 4344. Ibid., 44. K B [hfh KB], O J E P, L78:5: A

P Shw. Ibid.2 For information about the Jgermovement, see the references in Zetterberg, DieLiga der Fremdvlker Russlands 19161918, 39. As Ploompuus stay in Stockholm was, h h f h f h


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hw, h h . P Fh qhad provided him with the address of Herman Gummerus, a well-con-

nected Finnish activist residing in Stockholm. Once he arrived, Ploompuuw G .

T, h w f y G h h f Ewere mainly represented in Stockholm by Mr. Keskla (in Ploompuusaccount Keskkla). As Gummerus relates in his memoirs, the Estonian y f z h h K , h w E f h h f Oh. O G h h w Eh, hw, hy w .

Wh K hf hh f h x , to meeting him, is disclosed in his letter to Hans Steinwachs, dated 3 March1916. In the letter, Keskla reports that he was expected at Gummerus byan unknown Finnish-speaking Estonian claiming to represent some circlesin Estonia. What is interesting about Kesklas account is that he repeatedlyx h f wh h f h h f Eh h Sh wh h h (K) h -. T h f h h f h w S-

- , h - h y f Sw, wh h h f h y F-ish activists as witnesses that the Estonian svecophilia was not merely his fy. K h f h , w f h Herr Kompatriot q y f h. I h f h Oh ,h h w h f.

Swh f h f f (Polisbyrn r vervakandetav utlnningar) (K J, E R Ej j, una, 1 (23), 23). Ploompuu, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 44. Ploompuus contacts with Finnish activists y K: Ph Ah Aw A, S 11,V III, 1, . 218718. P, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 44. H G,Jgare och aktivister. Hgkomster rn krigsren i Stockholmoch Berlin (Helsingfors: Sderstrm & Co Frlags Aktiebolag), 193. Gummerus and

Ploompuus accounts of this meeting have been compared by Kaido Jaanson: KaidoJ, S , Looming, 7 (199), 965966. Politisches Archiv des Auswrtiges Amtes, Secret 11, Varia III, 1, l. 218719. Steinwachsw K h f h f h G GS Sh.


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I h f K, y Swh f -ing his tiny homeland, compatriots and himself, Ploompuus arrival rep-

resented a long-awaited chance of escaping the legitimation crisis inherent h h f E Sh.How Keskla attempted to make use of this lucky chance is best witnessedy h f x h w y w h .

Te writings o Grundbesitzer aus Estland

C f h x h w qy yz f hRy Ly f Sh h f Swh OJrte and Adrian Molin. Additional copies of one of the texts are also locatedin the political archive ofAuswrtiges Amtin Berlin. Even though the textsare anonymous, there is in light of the information presented above almost h P K.

T f h h A F-fz Sh ( h N P Cf S-h) hy h h yw h, - wh hw A. K. T x h

w B, f h Fh. T B h y fmainly the same content as the handwritten note added to Otto Jrtesy Sw.

T x A P Shw ( h Sw-h P) hf yw . I includes a page-length Beilage signed Der Uebersetzer (the translator). Teh x h h h Ewf -

tischen Programmes fr den Fall eines Einmarsches der deutschen Armeen L Eh (T P f P P h C

A,Aleksander Keskla, 36. KB, O J E P, L78:5: A Ffz. Politisches Archiv des Auswrtiges Amtes, Secret 11, Varia III, 1, l. 24900716. As thesetexts were found by Kaido Jaanson, copies of them have been preserved in his archive inEstonian Historical Archives [Ajalooarhiiv, henceforth EAA], f. 5377, n. 1, s. 73, l. 157166.4 Au congrs neutre de la paix Stockholm: Politisches Archiv des AuswrtigesA, S 11, V III, 1, . 2491725. Ph Ah Aw A, S 11, V III, 1, . 24882224. KB, Otto Jrtes Eerlmnade Papper, L78:5 An die Patrioten Schwedens; KB, AdrianM E P, L46:25A. I J h, h x wdierent copies, one of which includes a section about the 1915 memorandum containingh f K Beilage.


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f h I f h G Ay h L f E). Tis also a fourth text, the three-and-a-half pages long Ueber die Unter-

R h Eh (O h R f Ry E).

All texts are dated March 1916 and signed Grundbesitzer aus Ehstland( ... Eh), i.e. E Lw, wh h x f hcopy of the rst text in Jrtes archive, signed by Kesklas hand as Unter-zeichnet ein estnischer Grundbesitzer und Mittelstndler (Signed by anE Lw M C R). A x to have been written roughly at the same time and on the same typewriter,resembling Kesklas other typewritten papers of the period (e.g. in the usef J f I).

T x h f E. T Pof a Political Program... and one of Jrtes copies of o the Swedish Patri-ots conclude with the comment Uebersetzung aus dem Esthnischen( f E). T Beilage f h fh x w y hf D U-setzer(Te translator). It seems very likely that this translator wasA K, wh, j y h h hw

the signature A. K., was also the author of the undated but probably

KB, Otto Jrtes Eerlmnade Papper, L78:5 Entwurf eines politischen Programmes...;KB, A M E P, L46:25C. KB, Otto Jrtes Eerlmnade Papper, L78:5 Ueber die Unterdrckung..., KB, AdrianM E P, L46:25D. T x, whh w h length, is a partial translation of an article published in the Estonian newspaper Tallinna

eataja (nr 88, May 3 1916) titled Lonkav loogika (Faulty Logic). Tis article, inturn, is a response to an editorial that had appeared in the Russian-language newspaperRevelskiya Isvestiya. In the editorial, Estonians were accused of having excessive , x h w R h yto treat speakers of Russian unfairly. In their response, Tallinna Teataja writes that onew y f h w y E f hh h y , h w w f h f , f B h B R S. T Gz xis a compilation of translated examples of alleged cases of excessive Estonian pride with (y ! Ry Iy chauvinist allegations). Te copy preserved in Jrtes archive includes a large note written

in Kesklas hand concluding the text: Te Scandinavian (=Great-Swedish) interests ofE q f w, f ! I J 1916, K Sh h x y: KJ, E A K j h III L1916. ,Akadeemia, 9 (2), 185.


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roughly contemporary handwritten note to the peace conference text pre- h h f O J, w f h yw Beilage

h x B.

C h h x w Sh. I h h , P h h papers with himself, having to learn all names and directions by heart. Ifone is to trust Ploompuu on this point, then, keeping in mind that Kesklaw h h f h f h Swh - f E, a priori y h h K, P, w f h h f h x. Fh, P hf y w x whh 1916 , h w w f h x.

T q f whh wh Gz E-land was simply Kesklas mystication should be reconsidered aer ax y f h x h . B h ,h h h f h P w,y h y h f h h K h Grundbesitzery.

Ploompuus presentation at the Neutral Peace Conerence

T f P w h f h - f T N Cf f C M. T - f, y h f A Henry Ford, was held in Stockholms Grand Hotel in March 1916. Approxi-mately 40 delegates, many of them internationally well-known peace activ-, w y wh w f -

w, h whh w built. At the same time, the conference received appeals and petitions from f .

Of h , h f y L P. Lhh h Hy F - h f . T w h x f h f f Eh , wh, Lh-ner, had crossed the Finnish border at the risk of his life and traveled on skis

A Uz: Ph Ah Aw A, S11, V III, 1, . 24882224. P, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 44.42 See: Barbara S. Kra, Te Peace Ship: Henry Fords pacifst adventure in the FirstWorld War(Nw Y: M, 1978), 27229.


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y f h h N . T h h h f y h

had had time to safely return. Lochner writes that the Estonians plea in thename of his people tragically suering under the sarist regime, deliveredwith the help of an interpreter, deeply stirred the emotions of the conference wh y. T f h -sent in a shorter account of this event by another delegate, Jane Addams.

P w f h h f. Fy M. K, h w, E w z hA Ey, wh P h h w - ( h ) Eh. I h h, h h h f ,such as the fact that Estonians were suering heavy economical losses due f R h. D h , P- w h q f whh E w R- G--fy, whh h h w h h f h E w y f E-fy. Shy h, P Sh wh f h hE q wh h Fh f h

h h.Keskla gives some additional details about the presentation in his

hw h f x. C h hdocument in question had been personally handed to him in March at theAmerican peace conference in Stockholm, he adds that the author had held h h , h R h f Swh B S . Wh q h E h x f B, h h h

h f h f E h, w w L P Lh,Americas Don Quixote: Henry Fords attempt to save Europe ,wh f y Mx G (L: I Ph, 1925), 146. Jane Addams, Peace and bread in times of war(New York: Te Macmillan Company,1922), 43. A Lh y , h Lh w y y A , h hy h w h . A h , Lh x A. T hhy y, h f h jyh h f h y. T hz h f

h U S Sw h , I N. M: I N M,Minnen frn min ministertid i Stockholm 19141923 (Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & SnersF, 1923), 52. P, Kiri vabariigi eelaegadest, 45. KB, O J E P, L78:5: A Ffz.


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to share the fate of Belgium. When asked, however, which belligerent w y h h f h f Swh B

S , h h h, K, w h h h R Gy; h y f wthat has our sympathy is Sweden, which has done so much to improve our, . A K, h f h f h of the Estonian situation. For this purpose, the text of the speech was trans- Eh h U S.

Concerning the author of the speech, Keskla wrote that he is the fatherf x h w f , w h h h ycrossed the Russian-Swedish border but already returned the same wayhome, which is why his writings could be made public. In the Beilage to thetext found in Berlin, Keskla adds that the author is somewhat less than 50y y hhy h y, h h - . K h h w h x f h jy f h E ;y wh h h h wh h f them to the peace conference. About the occasion, Keskla adds that it was

at an ad hoc extraordinary meeting of the conference where his speech had wh h yhy.

T x h w h w N P Cftext and Ploompuus speech is dicult to establish. Calculations abouth f h f f R y h w , h y x f w P . T f h y, y h h x

h hhy f w wh P- w.Te discrepancy between Kesklas and Ploompuus accounts of the

w h q E w yh y -lematic. Did he reply that Estonians were only Estonian-friendly, or thath yhy y Sw? Wh h w x h E f y, h wh f -j h Swh . P h hchanged his answer later, wanting to disassociate himself from his previous,ultimately fruitless hopes for Swedish intervention. Te second answer, on

Ph Ah Aw A, S 11, V III, 1, . 24882223.


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h h h, y wh h hh f K hSwh , h y K .

Te memorandum to the Neutral Peace Conerence

E hh w wh y h f P- h, y h y wh h wmemorandum titled o the Neutral Peace Conference in Stockholm.T f h x z fw:

I y h h w h y h h, h h h w w -sated due to the enormity of the expenses incurred. Tere exists a precedentf h C W h h q hproperty of the winning state but are instead handed over to the local peo-. T y h y E Gy h h h h h h . I hwy, h y f h h (Homerule f Vh).

Ey h h y h

h f h wh h z . T x f h h h y . I h -alities are not ready for autonomy; they merely need a chance to proveh f . U w, h j nationalities have only suered cultural repression, above all in Russia.Terefore, it is understandable that they have begun entertaining their ownh f wh h f h w w.

F h, w h R, h f , w h h w, f h y w f w. If Gy w h hrepressed nations to achieve liberation from Russia, it would earn their G y . A h ,a wide belt of neutral territories would appear between the Central Powersand the aggressive Great Russian imperialism and militarism the latter ofwhich might become a danger to international security in the near future.

Such expectations, as well as the hope for German help, were indeed rather widespread h f R h F W W. S: A P,ormine aasta: levaade Eesti vlispoliitika esiajast 1917.1918. aastal dokumentides jamlestusis (Sh: Kj V E, 1966 [1934]), 4; Z, Die Liga derFremdvlker Russlands 19161918, 415.


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Both liberal Britain and republican France should be content with the exer- f h h f f- h - -

. I h wy, h q f P, F, h f Swh BSea provinces (Estland, Livland, Ingria), and Alsace-Lorraine would be solved, w h f h B q.

T w f h y , G- y . T h y h Gy, Af. B G- f w f B, P -h free state, and the Baltic Sea countries handed over to their native popula-tions (Estonians and Lithuanians). Even the part of the population that had R w, h , hy h h. I w y x h y fGermany at the expense of others, as long as other German interests in for- w f. Q h y, Gy h w h h y f wh h.

Because all belligerents have suered such great losses, that it is impos-sible to expect them to be compensated for, the peace terms have to include

h h f w, h f y fh , h f f .

In the last part of the text, the aforementioned peace terms are repeated h f f . T x y h - f h f; h hy f h whf h E , wh f 2 y h h h- y f, w.

Te peace terms o Grundbesitzer aus Estland and the sevenprinciples o the Neutral Conerence, and the question o authorship

Te argumentation of Grundbesitzers Neutral Peace Conference text pro- f h h h f f-- . N - y y f h f R, hauthor nevertheless sees their autonomy as an international issue, the posi- f whh w h f h w whh x f R. A h , w h h f h w y, h h w, hy f w w x.


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T f h h h h f P, h f h x y h f h N-

tral Peace Conferencethat even this seems rather unlikely. In fact, remark-able commonalities can be found between the Grundbesitzers text and the h y h N Cf A 1916. I to the international community is sometimes regarded as a predecessor toWw W f F P.

Te appeal of the Neutral Conference consists of a list of proposalsf hw h h (h - ), x f hw h h . I w h h f h f their universal recognition would ensure a peace that would not onlysatisfy the legitimate needs of the warring nations themselves, but also h wf f h hy .

Te rst principle of the Neutral Peace Conference (A.) establishes thatno transfer of territory should take place without the consent of the popu-lation involved, and that nations should have the right to decide their ownfate. Tis meant that Belgiums, Serbias, and Montenegros independencewould have to be restored, the occupied French territories (Alsace-Lorraine)

returned to France, and Poland reunited. Te second principle (B.) demandsh h y f h on equal terms, meaning that the German colonies would be returned Gy N E . T h (C.) f h f f h ; h fh (D.) f y f f y h y w h f h . T h (E.) f h hf z h w f

conicts between states. Te sixth principle (F.) insists on disarmament byinternational agreement and the seventh principle (G.) demands a WorldC h, f h - , h f w fthe future, not least by guaranteeing political and spiritual freedom to wh h .

S: Lh,Americas Don Quixote, 14715 K, Te Peace Ship, 221222.5 As noted by Barbara S. Kra: [w]ith the exception of the suggestions regardingGermany, every provision suggested was included in Wilsons Fourteen Points Addressf w y , K, Te Peace Ship, 222. Lh,Americas Don Quixote, 148. Ibid., 14815.


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It is a remarkable fact that Grundbesitzers memorandum concludeslikewise with a list of seven peace terms that correspond rather well to

those listed in the Neutral Peace Conferences appeal. Te rst of those f f- ( h f f Home rule) (1. A.), h f Gy, w f f h (2. B. C.), h h Af- f Gy (3. B.), h fh h f f B, S, M (4. A.). T w fw y f f A-L P h q f whh hy (5.), h h (6.), f -eral disarmament and the establishment of a higher international court of (7. E. F.).

T wy whh Gz x f h fh N P Cf h y w f- (y h h f h f Sw-h B S ) f R. I O J y f

h x, h , y fK h. F x, x 1., h Z 9% R h (By 9% R) x 6., , G R h! (D R-sia!). Tis certainly seems like a fair judgment. Similarly, the demandf f 5. ( f h f h N Cf ) change intended to eliminate the possibility that the pre-war situation

might be reinstated during peace talks, or Estonian territories given toGy. T f hy wh K h-R -B G .

I w w hw h P w hNeutral Peace Conference; whether addressing it had been one of the aimsf h y Sh f h , wh xy K w f h P . Hw,f h f w, y w K h-f wh w h f w h f h f y h x. I h h w h author, perhaps of the speech, but certainly of the memorandum. Further-, h f h y h


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f P , whh y h h xin its present form is the work of Keskla, composed some weeks aer

Ploompuu had le Sweden. But even if it was in fact written earlier, it seemsh y h P, w h Swh G, h w f wh K h. T y x h Gz x, whh - .

Of , f h f K w h f hh, h h f f- h -prising. Olavi Arens, in his judgment of Kesklas aims, has emphasized thex : h f f h fRealpolitik -gard for the idea of national self-determination. But Keskla was nothingf . A P y Sh h wh x f x -f-h hh, y why h w . A y, h h G-z x h w x h y f h E f- wh Sw whh w, y, K .

Te appeal to Swedish patriots

Whereas some background information has been preserved about the Neu- P Cf x, h x-x fwh h h h f h f Gzx. A , hw, y h f h h wh h,h x h f Swh , OJ A M.

Te fortunes of Swedish activists seemed to uctuate with German vic-tories and defeats. A high point of their propaganda for Sweden becoming G y h f w, w h f h S y(Sw F Py h Lh f h W W) h f 1915, wh Gy w j h E F.A h , h h yhz Sw-h hh y ( h q f Sw), h for bold involvement on the side of Germany (modig uppslutning vidysklands sida) w , f f Swh

A,Aleksander Keskla, 3. J et al., Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning, F.


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. T f My 1916, wh h f fGf S h q h

h w y h h.

In March and April of 1916, however, hopes were still running high.Tf, h f O A h K y fSw h w R w why must be taken with some caution. Te evidence also contradicts AleksanderL h h w w K hSwedish activists. At least according to Gummerus, Keskla had close h . A M qwith Keskla in his unpublished memoirs. It also seems that Keskla had f wh J.

All in all, there is nothing particularly surprising about the writings ofGrundbesitzer aus Estland ending up among Molins and Jrtes papers.Ay h f h , y yh w, f, h Swh wh w h fGz .

T f h x z fw:Ay f h f h w, h h f Swh

B S h w Sw y h w whh f h R hAtlantic ocean. More than ever, they have started taking seriously old tales h f h Swh y (h h y f w h Ch XII E wh h wO w w , h Swh y h Land which did, indeed, grow into a large tree by the road between Viljandi ). Sh h f h f y f

h .Iy Swh h y h fthe peasants, they were forced again into hard slavery during Russian rule.B h y f h Swh h f h

Kh,Aktivismens huvudorgan Svensk Lsen, 13. A,Aleksander Keskla, 31. Loit, Baltisaksa rtelkondade seisukohad ja tegevus Eesti iseseisvumisel 19181920, 64. G,Jgare och aktivister, 192. KB, Adrian Molins Eerlmnade Papper, L0046:16A Aktivismens historia 19141917,

5. Among Kesklas papers in the archive of Auswrtiges Amt, there is an empty envelope 28 Jy 1916 O J w K h h whthe note Einschreiben! (o be registered!): Politisches Archiv des Auswrtiges Amtes,S 11, V III, 1, . 248785; EAA, f. 5377, . 1, . 74, . 12.


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y, w h w h Swh h h f f h f E w

laid, whereas the Russian administration did nothing but try to hinder E , , y wy .Te news of Russian war losses are not received with displeasure by

Estonians, but neither is the advancing German army regarded as a libera-. Rh, , w hwGermans have treated nations subjected to them in Lotring, Schleswig, andPosen. Te Baltic German nobility has also given much ground for hostileattitudes towards Germans. It was, aer all, they who let the former Swed-h B S R , xf . T jy f E hf fh wh G , h w .

U w, E h h h G ,Sw w h w f, w, h f G y, j hterritories. But now people have begun to understand that Sweden has wh h w, h h f h h f h. T why E

Sw h h Sw w h f f h , wh f h, hh Swh w h E. I , hy h f h G G-eral Sta about the situation, so that all misunderstandings with Germans .

In case Sweden does not want to give up its neutrality before the end ofh w, h f h f h

Entente for having remained neutral. In order to stop the Russian advancetowards the Atlantic ocean, Sweden should demand that full autonomy h h f Sw.I h f G y w, w f h Swhgovernment did everything possible during the peace talks so that Estoni-ans would be conferred as large a degree of self-determination as possible.Fy, w Sw w , f z f wh h q f f f- w x w Sw h w.


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Grundbesitzer aus Estland and Swedish activism

Te hypothesis that the second of Grundbesitzers texts was targeted at

Swedish activists can be checked by comparing its ideas to those expressedin the bookSveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning (commonlyknown as the war book or the activist book). In the Grundbesitzer text,h f h w R, h y Estonian attitude towards Sweden (and the corresponding call for a Swed-h noblesse oblige), f Gy. I h h w h, Gz whSwh .

I h f f h w , w y Rf Kj, w - R: w C- h w . I h w, whRussia and Britain have become united in common hate against Germany,Sweden, as it is caught between the great powers, has to do something . Swh , hw, y h B S, f h f f Sw w h E h h f h

h f Sw h w hf R-. B R y w h A, Sweden is a hindrance on its way, two political correlations can be derivedf h f: wh Sw , h x w h , y, wh Sw w, f h .

w hy h y M A h hy Sw h w. Nw, h fSw h B S , f y h f f G F. Fh, Sw h y ( f h ) (h f fh B S) wh Gy. Tf, h x f Swh-G , fh y h f h f G Af. T R h Swh fcan be avoided only in one way: through a bold involvement on the side ofGy, whh w Sw f h

J, et al., Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning, 3. Ibid., 67. Ibid., 1214. Ibid., F.


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h f G w h yh f h .

In a similar fashion, Grundbesitzers text presents the entry of Swe-den into the war, in order to protect its interests and hinder the Rus-sian scramble for the Atlantic, as a geopolitical necessity long counted y h f h f Swh B S . Lw,h x h h f h y f hh y. A j , h x, h w Gy. Ahh Sw , y , y f Gy, h h f h Gz x h h w why . Rh, Sw supposed to exert a controlling inuence over Germans, remembering theh h f h B G y. B f Sw-den would decline to enter the war, the author regards it to be morally,y, y y wEstonians, at the very least guaranteeing their post-war autonomy. Tis h h h N P Cf x.

Te most remarkable rhetorical commonality between the texts, besides

hw R , h h common historical memories and cultural roots from which the historicalmission of Sweden is derived. In a Beilage added to one of the copies of thex, D Uz w h h h f h x h h h h f h f of Sweden. At the same time, it is supposedly indicative of a wider political f Nh E, h f whh know or want to know anything about its historical mission the political

consolidation of the Northern European economical and cultural region.Adrian Molin clearly means something similar when he writes thatSw h y Norden f Nh G fy h F h S- h h w . N yy f Sw f f h , f Sw- w hy. Sw h whF. F w, Swh , w M, f Swh , w . I F, wh 4, f

Kh,Aktivismens huvudorgan Svensk Lsen, 15. J, et al., Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning, 2223. Ibid., 29.


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Swedish origin are still living, that Sweden has its own irredenta. Tere-f, Sw h F w ,

w f w w Sw R.

Sh y h Gz x whh y f E, h h -nection to Sweden and a possible buer zone between Sweden and Russia.

Achieving some sort of an Estonian-Swedish union was perhaps Kesk-las main aim during the war. A statement to that eect is found already inhis earliest letter to Germans from September 1914. Te idiosyncratic for-mulation former Swedish Baltic Sea provinces also has its origins there.T hh f h - h fh Nh E z f f h fcommon defense and cultural development, is found in the memorandumthat Keskla presented in Lausanne later in 1916. Te fact that he had beenf f h f f h Swh hrelationship with the Swedish activists was already noted by Gummerus.

In conclusion, Grundbesitzers appeal to the Swedish patriots, if notw wh h w y x h yw, h y h, -

ing from it only by a certain wariness of Germany. In addition to that, there f K h w.

Te proposal o a political program in case o a German invasion

Te third of Grundbesitzers writings, Te proposal of a political programin the case of the invasion of the German army into the land of Estonians, P 1915 h Swh G S,

insofar as it also contains a proposal for a post-invasion manifesto. Unlikeh x, h h Sw h G,

J, et al., Sveriges utrikespolitik i vrldskrigets belysning, 18. Ibid., 2. Politisches Archiv des Auswrtiges Amtes, Wk, 11c, secr. Bd. 1, l. 113. See also Jaanson,Eestlane Aleksander Keskla ja Berliin: avang, 14, Z, Die Liga der FremdvlkerRusslands 19161918, 54. [D]ie frheren schwedischen Ostseeprovinzen: Ehstland, Livland & Ingermanland(z. G S. P), Ph Ah Aw A, W,

11, . B. 1, . 113. [K], La Question Esthonienne et la Question Septentrionale, 2. G,Jgare och aktivister, 192. KB, O J E P, L78:5 Ewf h P..., KB, A M E P, L46:25C.


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whh w x h - .

I y, h f h x fw:T why G - y h f R, h wh f E exaltedly welcomed the troops of Napoleon, is that a banner of liberty wasput out for the whole world to see at the beginning of the Napoleonic wars.T G y, h y, h - y Gy y . F h , h hhy f R, hh y y h -, G , f w hw hyGy h h j : D P.

E why G, wh hw h yh f h w , w hR wh f f h f , hy w h yhy.

I h w f x f hy,the German troops, once they have invaded the Estonian territory, have to f h y h hh

. I h f, h h h G w h wh h E-nians, that the German language would enjoy no special rights, that all tax-y w h h f- f h, h E w f y h of the former Swedish Baltic Sea provinces of Estland, Livland, and Ingria.Sf- w h h h h h h Fh D h h . Sh

the Estonian and Finnish peoples want to attach themselves to Swedeny jy , Gy w w h y wy.As soon as these promises were made public, all reasonable people would

use all their personal inuence to avoid any kind of expressions of hostility.In that way, order would be ensured in the country and the army would nothave to needlessly waste its resources. Furthermore, there would certainly w h h G y.

Te oppressed nations o Russia and German war aims h x f h h f Gz x, f wh h hw h y f h x


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f O J h. T N - y h f. h fw Rh h. A h f h

x, h : S h G f Bh- Hw Rh h h f Gy.T Reichstagh f y h Bh H-wegs famous speech from 6 April 1916. Replying to the criticism of British Aqh, Bh Hw f h f h E Gwar aims. As argued by Fritz Fischer: by making Germany the protector ofthe long-suering Flemish people and thus of the nationalities principleitself, Bethmann Hollweg turned a whole new page in the Belgian question.

B G w B. BhHw h h Gy w h w h B S h Vy Mh, by Germany and her allies, being re-unied to reactionary Russia, whetherhy P, Lh, B L. I f h h fthe marginal notes in the text (probably Keskla himself) wanted to under- h h f h y Gz, h hy h h h G -

y w hy .Tere is, however, another possibility: namely that the author of the

third Grundbesitzer text was aware of the German interest in the oppressed f R f y w h Bh- Hw h. T w y , hh , w R y -tage of the national tensions inside it. By supporting separatist movements,Gy h w h f -R G B-

h U S.

At the time of Ploompuus stay in Stockholm, on 10 March 1916, theG B, G R, w y Lh- x Jz Gy. I 1912, Gy h f h

7 Bethmann Hollwegs Kriegsreden, ed. by Friedrich Timme (Stuttgart und Berlin:Dh V-A, 1919), 912. Asquith had demanded the full restoration of Polish independence, security guarantees F, f h h f h E h f

P : Fz Fh, Grif nach der Weltmacht: die Kriegszielpolitik deskaiserlichen Deutschlands 1914/18, 3. . (Df: D V, 1964), 297. Fh, Grif nach der Weltmacht, 297. T, Bethmann Hollwegs Kriegsreden, 97. Fh, Grif nach der Weltmacht, 296.


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founders ofUnion des Nationalits, an organization representing the inter-ests of otherwise unrepresented nations. Tis time, he proposed something

along the same lines: a pro-German League of the Small Nations of Russia.

O xy h y Gy R, - B, z y h B G, Fh R. H z w Losvon Russland h h f R . Aw A h Gy R h, in the German-nanced organization Die Liga der Fremdvlker Russlands fy h 25 A 1916.

K h f Gy R y h y, R y Fy 1915. O hLiga w h, K j -BG h, h - h III Cf f h Union des Nationalits L, y h Liga.

In any case, it seems clear that for such a statement as in the thirdGrundbesitzer text to be made supercially critical of Germany as itseems to be the timing was precisely right in March 1916. Whether it

could have played some role in the nal formation of the new German lib-erator-mission, thus lending some credibility to Kesklas marginal notes, f. B y h K hf, y inside information about the German nationalities policy, must have con-y h x wh h .

T whh h f Bh H-w h -B G , h f K.A wy f E f Gy, q

f , wh h -bility of a union with Sweden. Tus, even if accepting the possibility ofG whh h h q Aw

Z, Die Liga der Fremdvlker Russlands 19161918, 6768; J, EestlaneAleksander Keskla ja rahvuste uniooni III konverents Lausanneis 1916. aastal, 1833. Jaanson, Eestlane Aleksander Keskla ja rahvuste uniooni III konverents Lausanneis1916. aastal, 1838. Ibid., 1846. Ibid., 1834. Ibid., 1849. Z, Die Liga der Fremdvlker Russlands 19161918, 116117. Jaanson, Eestlane Aleksander Keskla ja rahvuste uniooni III konverents Lausanneis1916. aastal, 18521853.


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A y S 1914 K h f G-z x f .

Conclusions

It seems very likely that Aleksander Kesklas role in producing the Grund-besitzer texts was rather that of the author, not merely of the translatorand commentator. As Keskla himself wrote to Steinwachs already beforemeeting Ploompuu, the arrival of the latter was a good chance of underpin-ning his own propaganda a chance he apparently attempted to exploit tothe fullest. His main aims of weakening Russia, bringing Estonia closer tobenevolent Sweden, and averting the danger of Baltic German dominanceare all being furthered in the writings signed Grundbesitzer aus Estland.By h y y P, f with his own name Keskla could target American pacists, Swedish activ-, h G wh , y hbaggage of his reputation. Te Grundbesitzer texts are skillfully adapted to f h f , h -ing attention paid to the idea of the self-determination of nationalities, the

Swh w , h G f- fthe national minorities of Russia. By writing in the name of an envoy sup-posedly representing a patriotic organization in Estonia (and the Estonian ) Sw h w , K show that attitudes similar to his own had broad support among Estonians.

Of , h y f h hy h j, ycase it seems justied to regard Grundbesitzer aus Estland more as Kes- y, h h P.

It is a similarly dicult to judge whether Jakob Ploompuu was simply asmall cog in Kesklas propaganda machine, or whether the Grundbesitzerx hw h w h f h y E h . B y - y f h x h h wby a skillful and informed politician, knowing much about the current Sw, Gy, h w . I hf h y h P h y j y h f 1915 h h , f K f .

Ph Ah Aw A W, 11, . B. 1, . 113.


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A h , h wh Gz E -h hw h E h w -

y h f A K, Khimself was pleased to admit industrious private politicians could bef E f f h w order to draw Swedish attention to the Estonian question, however naivelyhy w . I wy, h f h h w E f f h f h h y f h B S, K h.

F E hhy wh h y, h w f K P y h f-. B , hactivities illegitimate, utopian, and isolated might be somewhat anach-. I wh f organized, nobody had more right than others to speak in the name of thewh f E. T y f h y j hh, h h hy y 1916 wh wh hh h y f h w h f f h R Gy, y h. E h f h -

. Py E h w y w- K, P h f wh Fh ( y h E w), h f x , -f wy y . E hh h f y ,they nevertheless were a sign of the bold dreams and ambitions that could h h f f, y h h z.

Mart Kuldkepp (. 1983), Ph.D. , A L h Df S S, Uy f .

About Ploompuus speech, Kaido Jaanson remarks that it is a case of raisingthe Estonian question on an international arena that has not been registered by anygeneration or school of Estonian historians (Jaanson, See kummaline eestlane, 966). S wh A P E L h y K: P, ormineaasta, 45; E L, Eesti iseseisvuse snd(Sh: V E, 1964), 489.


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Kokkuvte:Grundbesitzer aus Estland: aktivistlik regionalismLnemereruumis 1916. aastal

Artikkel vaatleb hte seni vheuuritud Esimese maailmasja aegset katsetE hh , -

hh h . Aregionalismi all pean silmas peamiselt Rootsi ja Soome patriootide tegevusth E j j, h R S , V, Soome ning anda Rootsile tagasi regionaalse suurvimu staatus. Soome ja

Rootsi aktivistid, kelle eesmrgid phiosas htisid, tegid omavahel tihedat. K h h , A K,vib pidada aktivistiks, kuna temagi poliitilised eesmrgid olid samalaad- , S RLnemereprovintside tagasivallutamist Rootsi poolt. Lisaks oli ta isiklike h R j S .

E, , J P -j Sh 1916. j Sh A K h. S -dega kontakte omanud Ploompuu eesmrk oli uurida Rootsi stta astumise

j j . j N Rh.

Peatselt prast Ploompuu lahkumist loodi mned memorandumilaad-sed, videtavalt eesti keelest saksa keelde tlgitud tekstid allkirjaga Grund-besitzer aus Estland, mille autorlus on omistatud anonmsele, hiljutiStockholmis Eesti patriootlikke ringkondi esindamas kinud eestlasele (stP). N N Rh-

, . R , -mandaks tekst pealkirjaga Ettepanek poliitiliseks programmiks Saksamaasissemarsi puhuks Eestisse ja neljandaks tlge allinna eatajas ilmunudartiklist eestlaste vastu tstatatud sdistustest lemrases rahvustundes.

Artiklis on nn Grundbesitzeri tekste analsitud eesmrgiga selgi- j j h. N , AK j P

Rh- h. S ,et tekstid annavad tunnistust vga heast poliitilisest informeeritusest, kui , K j. Ktekstides ra toodud ettepanekud vastavad Keskla isiklikele eesmrkidele.


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P f j , hkursis oma sihtgruppide Neutraalse Rahukonverentsi, Rootsi aktivistide

j S 1916. .Viimaste seas oli rahutingimusi sisaldava rahvusvahelisele ldusele mel-dud apelli koostamine, milles oli pratud suurt thelepanu rahvuste ene-semramise printsiibile; Rootsi taaskehtestamine Lnemereregiooni V h , V .

N h h K j, P - j jh, , tema Skandinaavia-suunalistel pdlustel on Eestis ka laiemat klapinda.Ilmselt seetttu kirjutas Keskla nimetatud memorandumid just sel viisil, ( ) P , j . L j j , hj ( h h - ).

S j Gz-jh , E K , E , E jh E

R j hh h. Vh K-klale nii sdamelhedane mte Lnemereregiooni ajaloolisest htsu- .

mart kuldkepp activist regionalism in the baltic area in 1916

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