Konstantin Päts (; – 18 January 1956) was the most influential politician of
interwar Estonia, and served five times as the country's head of state. He was one of the first
Estonians to become active in politics and started an almost 40-year political rivalry with
Jaan Tõnisson, first through journalism with his newspaper
Teataja, later through politics. He was condemned to death during the
1905 Revolution, but managed to flee first to
Switzerland, then to
Finland, where he continued his literary work. He returned to Estonia, but had to spend time in prison in 1910–1911.