Throughout the past fifty years, global attention in reference to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has focused on the former Soviet Union and its struggle for world dominance with the United States, the collapse of the communist regime and currently, its desperate struggle to regain political, economic and social stability in the aftermath.  However, the success stories of the satellite countries of the Soviet Union are often overlooked, and with this oversight, valuable lessons and concepts for successful transition are missed.  The country of Estonia in particular provides an excellent example of an overall successful triple transition: a relatively smooth exchange between communism and democracy, a textbook-perfect example of transition between a planned and market economy, and a stable social infrastructure throughout the process.  Although not without obstacles and conflicts along the way, Estonia provides a blueprint for other former Soviet-controlled countries and inspires hope that other less economically developed countries can change politically, economically and socially with the same successful results. 

                      Estonia and the other Baltic countries (Latvia and Lithuania) have a much different history from other Soviet satellite countries.  In particular, Estonia’s history is tinged with a previous experience with independence and continued Western contact and influence, even throughout the Soviet regime. Between World War I and World War II, Estonia fought the Russian Bolsheviks and Baltic Germans from 1918-1920 to gain its first period of sovereignty in the modern era. ^[1] Along with this newfound independence, Estonia gained international recognition from the Western powers and became a member of the League of Nations in 1921. ^[2]     However, the early Estonian government had much to learn about establishing a self-sufficient economy and a stable governing system.  Previous to independence, the Estonian economy depended heavily on the Russian market for trade; however, the economy turned to the West for trade, only to be hampered by the Great Depression of the 1930s. ^[3]   The Estonian government suffered frequent turnovers with fragmented political parties, and the Riiigikogu (State Assembly) could dismiss the government at anytime, resulting in a total of twenty-three different governments holding office over a span of fifteen years. ^[4]   This instability allowed for the strengthening of the communist party in Estonia, and foreshadowed the Soviet takeover in 1940.

                      The Soviet Era proved to be harsh on the Estonian population. From 1939 to 1945 Estonia lost over 20 percent of its population to Soviet and German expansionism, and fear tactics used by the Soviets and Germans caused the deportation of thousands to Siberia and concentration camps and exportation to other Western countries. ^[5]   However, after Stalin’s death, the repression eased, allowing for consumerism and economic reform throughout the 1960s. ^[6] Indeed, Estonia enjoyed a standard of living well above its Soviet neighbors, in part due to its strong relations with the West and the support of those living in exile.  Despite the efforts of the Iron Curtain, it could not shut out all Western influence on the Baltic countries, and this coupled with previous sovereignty allowed Estonia to reclaim its independence during the Soviet decline in the early 1990s.

^[1] “U.S. Library of Congress Country Study.” http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/eetoc.html
^[2] Ibid.
^[3] Ibid.
^[4] Ibid.
^[5] Ibid.
^[6] Ibid.