The Duchy of Estonia (1561-1917)
After centuries of successive rule by Germans, Danes Swedes, Poles and Russians, a distinct Estonian national identity began to emerge in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1561 Sweden established the Duchy of Estonia in the northern parts of current Estonia. After the Russian Empire conquered the Duchy in 1719 they established the Governorate of Estonia on the same territory.
 | Governorate of Estonia |  |
The Republic of Estonia (1917-1940)
 | Republic of Estonia |  |
After the 1917 February Revolution in Russia, the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia was created out of the Governorate of Estonia and the northern parts of the Governorate of Livonia. After the 1917 November Revolution in Russia, Russian Bolsheviks took power of Estonia. The Russians were driven out of Estonia by German forces in February 1918 and Estonia declared itself independent. Estonia was occupied by Germany until November 1918, when Germany capitulated to the French-British Entente. Soviet Russian forces tried to capture Estonia in 1919, but were driven back by Estonian forces. In 1920 the Republic of Estonia was established and it’s independence was recognised by Soviet Russia.
Estonia under Soviet occupation (1940-1991)
Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, Soviet forces occupied Estonia in 1940 and established the so called Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. It was then occupied by Nazi German forces in 1941 and became part of the Reichskommisariat Ostland until 1944 when Soviet forces re-took Estonia and re-established the Estonian SSR. The Estonian SSR was not recognised by most Western countries.
The restoration of the Republic of Estonia (1991-)
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was renamed as the Republic of Estonia in 1990. The independence of the Republic of Estonia was re-established on 20 August during the 1991 Soviet coup d’état attempt and the Soviet Union itself recognised the independence of Estonia on 6 September 1991.