The Estonian Constitution embraced the ideals of justice and liberty and protected the rights of all Estonian citizens. Estonia became a spokesman for peace in the League of Nations. and a leader among the small democratic states. And then in 1939. brave Estonia disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. becoming part of the Soviet Unions socalled sphere of influence. The dream that one day Estonia will reassert her freedom and identity has moved farther and farther out of reach. In the postwar period. mass killings and deportations decimated the population. And the progress of cultural assimilation. or Russification. has been steady since then. Estonians. in their homeland and around the world. continue to defy Soviet totalitarianism. however.
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deportations