, Tallinn) Jaan Poska was the mayor of Tallinn from 1913 to 1917. In that position he supported reforms such as reforming healthcare and founding two schools. In April 1917, he became the governor of the
Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. On 1917 the
Maapäev refused to recognize the new
Bolshevik rule and proclaimed itself the supreme legal authority of Estonia. The
Republic of Estonia declared independence on 24 February 1918, only to be occupied by the
German Empire until the end of
World War I in November 1918. The following
Estonian War of Independence against the Soviet Russian invasion lasted until February 1920. On 24 February 1918, Poska was appointed the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. He worked in Western Europe for gaining diplomatic recognition to Estonia and participated in
Paris Peace Conference. He led the peace talks with
Soviet Russia and achieved
Treaty of Tartu which was signed on 2 February 1920. He also helped to write the first Estonian constitution. Poska died unexpectedly on 7 March 1920 at the age of 54. He was the first Estonian ever to be given a state funeral and over 20,000 people attended it. ==Personal life==