Otto Strandman

Otto Strandman
Otto Strandman c. 1929–1930
10th State Elder of Estonia
In office 9 July 1929 – 12 February 1931
Preceded by	August Rei
Succeeded by	Konstantin Päts
1st Prime Minister of Estonia
In office 9 May 1919 – 18 November 1919
Preceded by	Konstantin Päts as Prime Minister of the Provisional Government
Succeeded by	Jaan Tõnisson
Personal details
Born	Otto August Strandman (1875-11-30)30 November 1875 Vandu, Kreis Wierland, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died	5 February 1941(1941-02-05) (aged 65) Kadrina, Estonia
Political party	Estonian Radical Socialist Party (1917) Estonian Labour Party (1917–1932) National Centre Party (1932–1935) Independent (1935–1941)
Spouse	Lydia Strandman (née Hindrikson)
Alma mater	University of Tartu Saint Petersburg Imperial University
Profession	Lawyer, politician, diplomat

Otto August Strandman (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈoto ˈɑugust ˈstrɑnd.man]; 30 November [O.S. 18 November] 1875^[1] – 5 February 1941) was an Estonian politician, who served as Prime Minister (1919) and State Elder of Estonia (1929–1931).

Strandman was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections. Strandman was a key figure in composing the radical land reform law and the 1920 Constitution. He also served as Minister of Agriculture (1918–1919), Minister of Justice (acting 1918; 1920–1921), Minister of Finance (1924), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1918, 1920–1921 and 1924) and Minister of War (1919). During his tenure Minister of Finance, having been a critic of the previous government's policies,he pursued an anti-inflationary policy, seeing it as a method of avoiding hyperinflation and crisis. He was aiming at a 'Danish' model of a modern agricultural economy rather than indsutrialization, Strandman served as the speaker of the Estonian Provincial Assembly in 1917–1918, and as speaker of the newly independent country's parliament (Riigikogu) in 1921. He was also a diplomat, serving as the Estonian envoy in Warsaw, Poland (1927–1929), and in Paris, France (1933–1939).

After the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Estonia and the other Baltic states in June 1940, Strandman committed suicide in February 1941, after being called to appear at the local headquarters of the NKVD.