German occupation of Estonia during World War I

The occupation of Estonia by the German Empire occurred during the later stages of the First World War. On October 11–21, 1917, when the Imperial German Army occupied the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), consisting of the islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hiiumaa (Dagö), and Muhu (Mühn).

Fighting ceased whilst negotiations over the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk took place. These broke down in February and to put on the pressure against the new Bolshevik regime of Soviet Russia to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk the Germans landed on the mainland of Estonia on February 18, 1918 and marched in Haapsalu (Hapsal) on February 21, 1918. The Germans occupied Valga (Walk) on February 22, Pärnu (Pernau), Viljandi (Fellin), Tartu (Dorpat) on February 24. Tallinn (Revel), was occupied on February 25, 1918 and the rest of Estonia, last town taken being Narva, on March 4, 1918, putting an end to both the republican regime which had declared Estonia's independence on February 24, 1918 at Tallinn, and the rule of local Russian-Estonian Red Guards. The last Red Guards escaped over River Narva on March 5, 1918.

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