Estonian Rescue Committee

The Estonian Rescue Committee ( Estonian Eestimaa Päästekomitee or Päästekomitee ) was the executive body of the Estonian Land Council , which issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence . ^[one]

The Rescue Committee was established on February 19, 1918 by the Zemstvo Council in a situation when Soviet troops retreated, and the troops of the German Empire invaded Estonia during the Civil War . The meeting place of the Committee was the Tallinn Intellectuals Club, located on the top floor of the Estonia Theater . The committee was given full authority in decision making. Initially, its members were Jüri Wilms , Konstantin Päts and Juhan Kukk , with the latter two being included in the committee in absentia. February 20, Kukk recused himself and was replaced by Konstantin Konik . The created Committee continued the development of the Declaration of Independence, which was supported by the elders of the Zemsky Council. Since many revisions were made, another commission was created for final editing, which also consisted of three people: Kukka (head of the financial department of the Zemsky governing body ), Jaakson (vice chairman of the Zemsky council) and Ferdinand Peterson (or Petersen - head of the technical department of Zemskoe) goverment). The Rescue Committee publicly proclaimed Estonia an independent and democratic republic on February 23 in Pärnu and on February 24 in Tallinn .

On February 24, 1918, ECS formed the Provisional Government of Estonia .