Estonia Fears Russia Dictatorship

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves

"Russia could be sliding into dictatorship as Germany did soon after World War I, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has warned.

"There is a mentality of being stabbed in the back that reminds me of the Weimar Republic," Mr Ilves told Russia's Moscow Times newspaper.

The Weimar Republic is the name given to the German state in 1919-1933 - before Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

Estonia-Russia ties have been tense since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Last year, Tallinn and Moscow had an all-out row over the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in the Estonian capital. "

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This shows yet another tense international relationship involving Russia. Since the Estonian President is comparing Russia’s actions to those of the Weimar Republic, the people of both Russia and Estonia must feel uneasy about their borders with each other.

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The Russians Revolt

The Russian Revolution of 1917 is also called the Bolshevik Revolution or the October Revolution. In 1917 there were actually two revolutions in Russia. One was the February Revolution in which the Tsar abdicated his throne and the Provisional Government took power. The other was the October Revolution in which the Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolsheviks.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 played a very important role in world history and also a major role in the history of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Baltic peoples also played a major role in the 1917 Revolution, particularly the Latvian Bolsheviks who comprised a key portion of the Red Guards that defended the Bolsheviks at a crucial time in its early existence.

Earlier, during the 1905 Revolution in Russia, the peasants in the Baltic took this as their cue to revolt against their rulers. At different times in history, the Estonian and Latvian peasants had been ruled by Tsarist Russia, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Baltic German nobility; Lithuanian peasants were governed by Russia and before it, by the Kingdom of Poland (1569 to 1791). They saw this time period as an opportunity to finally take control over their destiny and to rule them selves. Though it didn't lead to independence at this time, it independence did emerge from 1918 till 1940 for the people of the Baltic States.

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This is an article outlining the important events in the Russian Revolution. The Revolution is a major part of Russia's history. History is just one of the many ways we can compare government. We can also learn about the changing of regimes.

The New Generation

Nashi describe themselves as a "democratic, anti-fascist, youth movement".

The name is the Russian word for "ours". It has the ring of "our lads", or "our team".

This week, they have been using their own tactics to show their support for Russia in its row with Estonia.

They have picketed the Estonian embassy in Moscow.

They broke into a hall in the centre of Moscow where the Estonian ambassador was about to give a news conference, and clashed with the ambassador's guards.

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Putin has a new generation of supporters and they are a very active bunch. The Nashi are not your every day teenagers. They are taking to the streets protesting and declaring their loyalty to Russia. From this article we can learn how Russia youth are becoming politically active.