1917-1920 - the Russian Empire's Fall [Russia, Finland, Estonia and to some extent Germany]

///Plans for independency existed, at least in Finland, before the first world war. In 1914, before the war started, thousands of young men were sent to Germany for military education in case of a war for independence. They ended up fighting against Russia on the German side in the first world war and did not get home in time for what they were meant for.///

1917
The world was changed that year. We kick off in the middle of the first world war. The Russian people had enough of the war and their Tsar. A certain Karl Marx's texts have spread through Europe. The tsar loses his throne and is killed. Alexander Kerensky and his Provisional Russian Government took over.

The autonomic Grand Duchy of Finland found itself in a completely new position, having been tied only by an oath to the Tsar. The unified Estonia was granted national autonomy according to the old Danish Estonia in April. In Finland a sudden independence movement by the socialists started. Finland's laws about independence were not accepted by Kerensky.

It was a year of chaos. In neither Russia, Finland or Estonia any form of police existed. Thievery and plunderings everywhere, and a massive streak covered the whole area.
Different organizations, both so-called democratic and socialistic, were created to preserve peace and in Russia the people weren't content with the new government.
Councils, so called Soviets, were born and a man named Lenin became wellknown.
By October things were so "crazy" Lenin and his blosheviks could walk straight in and throw Kerensky out. The revolution was complete.

In Estonia the Maapäev refuses to recognize the Bolsheviks and proclaims themselves the only legal authority in Estonia.

In Finland the camps switch and the "porvarit", so called democratic commoners, want out while socialists suddenly want to stay. A Declaration of Independency is quickly written and voted for on the 6th of December, winning, but not by much. However, no other country recognized Finland before Russia.
Lenin signed the paper on the 31st of December 1917 and the official message reached Finland the 4th of January. It is said that lenin thought this would make the socialists popular, give them power and that Finland so would rejoin their home later. Sweden immidiately recognized Finland and Germany two days later, the 6th of January.

1918
Peace talks between Russia and Germany withers in to nothing and Germany occupies Estonia. One day before the Germans reach Tallinn the Maapäev, the 23rd of February, declare the Independence of Estonia.
Estonia is occupied by Germany for 9 months.

The previous year has divided Finland so much the two sides lose all contact and a severe civil war breaks out in January 1918 between "whites" and "reds", Germany helping the whites and Russian troops the reds. The previously mentioned Finnish troups in Germany return home and fight on the white side and after a long, bloody, war the white walk into Helsinki in May and win. All russian troups are forced out of the country and the reds put in camps.
Finland is first planned to have a German king, Friedrich Karl from Hessen, but as Germany's loss becomes apparent that is changed and Finland becomes a republic.

As the German troops leave Estonia the Estonian War of Independency start in November. At first the Russians got far in to Estonia, almost all the way to Tallinn, but as more Estonian troops mobilized and with some volountered help from Finland the Russians were forced out of Estonia and the war was fought along the Narva Frontline until summer 1919 when Russia agreed to armstice.

Russia managed to get itself out of the world war in March 1918, but the Russian civil war was fought between 1918-1922, where the red armies fought against a white one, consisting of troups from some of Russia's former allies.

The Estonian peace treaty of Tartu was signed the 2nd of February 1920, giving the independent Estonia it's official borders. The war situation between Finland and Russia that had been going on ever since the civil war was stopped with a corresponding peace treaty signed in the same place on the 14th of October 1920.

The Red armies managed in prtecting their revolution in Russia and the Soviet Union was created on the 30th of December 1922.


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SOURCES:
I'm putting only English ones here as all of us should read about all things I think. Look for things in Swedish and Estonian by yourselves, girls.

RUSSIA:
http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/russ/rusrev.html
http://www.st-petersburg-life.com/st-petersburg/1917-russian-revolutionhttp://www.st-petersburg-life.com/st-petersburg/1917-russian-revolution
http://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/events/revolution/index.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/russian_civil_war1.htm
(Russia, I would also recommend the first chapter in the book "Finlands historia" by Henrik Meinander. It talks very much and with lots of details first about the revolution and then about both Finland and Estonia.)

FINLAND:
http://countrystudies.us/finland/14.htm
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Finland%27s_declaration_of_independence
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Finnish_Civil_War
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/After+90+years+the+Finnish+Civil+War+remains+a+sensitive+subject/1135233649230

Spoiler:

ESTONIA:
http://www.president.ee/en/estonia/
http://www.estonica.org/eng/lugu.html?kateg=43&menyy_id=97&alam=61&leht=5
http://www.eam.ee/index.php?id=312
http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Estonian_War_of_Independence

Spoiler:

PEACE TREATIES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tartu_%28Russian%E2%80%93Estonian%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tartu_%28Russian%E2%80%93Finnish%29

If we happen to get a Latvia/Lithuania soon, we'll add them to the soup.

This is going to become a very chaotic thread, so it needs lots of planning, how we do it. I think sticking to chronology is probably definitely the best, and everyone will have to keep track of their own strings all the time.

Opinions? (And thanks for my hard work)

Like we talked about before, the civil wars and riots might be pretty hard to rp...but maybe we'll get through somehow.

Chronology all the way, otherwise everything will turn into cabbage soup. (and that's BAD!)

And of course, I appreciate your hard work.^^ It'll save me a lot of time...

Yes, cabbage soup is very very very very bad.

Aaaan we'll do our best! But yeah, we're gonna have to have a lot of things going on at the same time since we do it chronologically, so i have a feeling we might end up with pretty long posts. But either way we'll have to keep track of what the others do very well and everyone share the responsibility to tie it all together~ or something. XD

Won't know until we try, right?^^

Mmhmm, one thing I think though, is you would have to be the one to start the thread and make the first post. Germany could be needed in the beginning a little, so we can get a little first world war maybe?

Oh dear... suppose you're right. I'll try.

You'll be awesome B]