The Baltic Sea

Estonia

Human habitation in the area dates back to at least 7500 BC, but the first forebears of the present inhabitants were Finno-Ugric hunters who probably arrived between 3000 and 2000 BC. The Finno-Ugrian language closely relates to Finnish, and distantly to Hungarian. The language has no relation to Russian, German, English or any Indo-European language family. Estonia borders the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia. The country has numerous forests lakes and rivers, most draining northward into the Gulf of Finland.

Estonia was first settled in 2,000 B.C. when it was assaulted by Vikings and Swedes; in 1193 the Pope called for a crusade against the Baltics.

Before 1200 the Estonians lived largely as free peasants loosely organized into parishes (kihelkonnad ), which in turn were grouped into counties (maakonnad ). In the early 1200s, the Estonians and the Latvians came under assault from German crusaders seeking to impose Christianity on them.

By 1220, Estonia was overrun by Danish and German knights.

Although the Estonians' resistance to the Teutonic Knights lasted some twenty years, the lack of a centralized political organization as well as inferior weaponry eventually brought down the Estonians in 1227. The Germans, moving from the south, were abetted by Danish forces that invaded from the north and captured Tallinn. Together with present-day Latvia, the region became known as Livonia; the Germans and Danes settled down as nobility, and the Estonians were progressively subordinated as serfs.

In 1346, the Danes, who possessed northern Estonia, sold the land to the Teutonic Knights of Germany, who already possessed Livonia (southern Estoniaand Latvia). The Teutonic Knights reduced the Estonians to serfdom. In 1526, the Swedes took over, and the power of the German (Balt) landowning class was reduced. The Drang nach Osten (urge to the east) of Germanic princes, colonists and traders in the 13th century, started a dark period in Estonia's history, which was to span seven centuries.

The situation oscillated many times until the Swedish kingdom took control of the majority of the country in 1561. Their rule lasted until 1710 when Estoniawas given over to the Russian empire who ruled until 1918 when Estonian independence was asserted.

December 18, 1841, Gardeners Gazette, London, Middlesex, United Kingdom.

"The act of enfranchisement in Estonia has not been accompanied by the advantages which those who abstractedly rate the state of independence too highly, and that of serfage too low, might expect. To this it may be urged, that the blessing of freedom was bestowed on the Estonian peasant before he was in a condition to understand its import; though truly such a privilege is better given to a people too early, than wrested by them too late. It redounds to the credit of those provinces of Estonia, Livonia and Courland, that they were the first in the empire to coalesce with the late Emperor Alexander by enfranchising their peasantry an act which took place in 1828; and it is quite a pity that our admiration for so noble a deed should be in any way interrupted by the troublesome collateral circumstance of their being pecuniarily the gainers thereby. When the peasants were serfs, their owners were interested in preserving them from absolute want, and in bad harvests the peasantry became, what they are to this day in Russia Proper, a real burthen to their lord.

Also, whenever the serf was not able to pay his own poll-tax, the seigneur had to make up the deficiency; but now that the Estonian peasant is a free man, all these responsibilities, which he little understood, and as little desired to undertake, fell upon his own shoulders; for though many a humane seigneur still supplies the same help as formerly, yet these are but worthy exceptions. Consequently, a failure in crops, added to the national improvidence, exposes the peasant to hardship and starvation, which he never knew in his serf condition.

German land barons held enormous economic and political sway in Estonia even after it became part of the Russian Empire.

A sense of nationhood only emerged in the late 19th century, just as increasingly strict policies of Russification made Russians increasingly unpopular.

March 23, 1883, Fort Wayne Daily Gazette,, Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.A.

New York Tribune .

CROWNING THE CZAR
The Coronation Services at the Cathedral
The Autocrat of all the Russias is Given Crown, Sceptre, and Half a Hundred Titles.

Arriving at the church, the czar and his wife are shown to ordinary thrones near those of the bishops, and the special service immediately begins. After the first lesson is read the metropolitans conduct the emperor and empress to a canopy of scarlet velvet, richly embroidered in gold, the principal figure being a double headed Russian eagle. Under this canopy is an elevated platform upon which are the historical throne of the Czar Vladimir Monomague and an ordinary arm-chair for the empress, also a table upon which are the sceptre and crown of Constantinus Monomachus, a sword and a mantle of ermine.

The nobles now advance from the south cathedral and surrounding the platform draw their words and place them at the feet of the czar. The bishop of Kazan then asks the emperor in loud voice if he is a true believer, to which he replies by reading the Lord's prayer and the apostles' creed of the Greek church.

The bishop next says: "If there be any of you here present knowing any impediment for which Alexander, son of Alexander (or other name) should not be crowned by the grace of God, emperor and autocrat of all the Russias, of Moscow, of Astrakhan, of Poland, of Siberia, of Mherson-Tawride, of Grousi; Peskov, grand duke of Smolensk, of Lithuania, of Volhynia, of Podolia and of Finland; prince of Estonia Livonis, of Courand, of Semigalia, of the Samoledes, of Bieostok, of Corelia, of Foer, of Ingor, of Viatka, of Bulgaria and other countries; master and grand duke of the lower countries in Sovgood, of Tchernigoff, of Kiasan, of Polotsk, of Bostoff, of Jarostaff, of Bieloserak, of Oudork, of Oldorsk, of Kindisk, of Vitelsk, of Mtskheti, and of all the countries of the north; master absolute of Iversk, of Kastoluisk, of Kalarinsk, and of the territory of Armenia; sovereign of mountain princes of Tcherkask; maser of Turkestan; heir presumptive of Norway, and duke of Schleswig-Hoistein, of Storaarae, of Dithmarre, and of Oldembourg, let him come forward now, in the name of the Holy Trinity, and show what the impediment is, or let him remain dumb forever!"

This is repeated three times, and upon no objection being raised, he lays his hands upon the head of the czar, who immediately kneels. The czar and czarina remain in prayer for several minutes amid a deathly silence, and the instant they rise to their feet bishops, nobles, deputations, clergy and all present kneel to him, shouting, "Long live the czar.

According to an old custom, the czar's carriage, instead of being guarded by troops, is surrounded by one hundred maidens belonging to the best Russian families, all dressed in white and holiday garlands of flowers. Court balls and receptions begin in the evening and last for a fortnight, after which the court returns to St. Petersburg.

Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe.

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1899. World's Fleet. Boston Daily Globe

Lloyds Register of Shipping gives the entire fleet of the world as 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,628, of which 39 perent are British.

Great Britain	10,990 vessels, total tonnage of 10,792,714
United States	3,010 vessels, total tonnage of 2,405,887
Norway	2,528 vessels, tonnage of 1,604,230
Germany	1,676 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,453,334, in which are included her particularly large ships.
Sweden	1,408 vessels with a tonnage of 643, 527
Italy	1,150 vessels
France	1,182 vessels

For Historical Comparison
Top 10 Maritime Nations Ranked by Value (2017)

	Country	# of Vessels	Gross Tonnage (m)	Total Value (USDbn)
1	Greece	4,453	206.47	$88.0
2	Japan	4,317	150.26	$79.8
3	China	4,938	159.71	$71.7
4	USA	2,399	55.92	$46.5
5	Singapore	2,662	64.03	$41.7
6	Norway	1,668	39.68	$41.1
7	Germany	2,923	81.17	$30.3
8	UK	883	28.78	$24.3
9	Denmark	1,040	36.17	$23.4
10	South Korea	1,484	49.88	$20.1
Total		26,767	87.21	$466.9