The Estonian Independent Socialist Workers' Party (, EISTP) was a political party in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

History

The party was formed in 1919 as a split from the Estonian Socialist Revolutionary Party, and was joined by defectors from the

Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party The Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party () was a political party in Estonia between 1917 and 1925. The leaders of the party, founded on platforms of patriotism, Estonian independence, and social justice, made a major contribution to the d ...

.Vincent E McHale (1983) ''Political parties of Europe'', Greenwood Press, p382 It contested the Constituent Assembly elections in 1919 as Socialists-Revolutionaries, winning seven seats. Later in the year they became the EISTP.

Dieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An ex ...

& Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p579 The 1920 elections saw the EISTP win 11 of the 100 seats in the

Riigikogu The Riigikogu (, from Estonian ''riigi-'', "of the state", and ''kogu'', "assembly") is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the prime minister and chi ...

. In 1922 the party was infiltrated by members of the Communist Party, resulting in a power struggle that the Communists won by mid-1923. The right-wing opposition left the party in 1922 and formed the Independent Socialist Workers' Party (ISTP). The May 1923 elections saw the radicalised party reduced to five seats.Nohlen & Stöver, p586 The EISTP was renamed the "Working People's Party" (''Eestimaa töörahva partei'') and became a front for the banned Communists. In May 1924 the party was banned, and in 1925 the right-wing splinter party ISTP merged with the

to form the

Estonian Socialist Workers' Party The Estonian Socialist Workers' Party (, ''ESTP'') was a political party in Estonia. History The party was established in 1925 as a merger of the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party and former members of the Independent Socialist Workers ...

References

{{Authority control Socialist parties in Estonia Defunct political parties in Estonia Political parties disestablished in 1924 Political parties established in 1919 Political parties of the Russian Revolution