The party had its roots in the campaign for the 1918 Constituent Assembly elections, which was contested by a group known as the "Independent Christians".
[3] The KDP went on to win seven seats in the 1920 elections, and joined Konstantin Päts' Farmers' Assemblies-led the government on 5 January 1921, being given the Education ministry post.
Although the proposal was rejected by the Riigikogu, the party forced a referendum on the issue in early 1923, which resulted in a "yes" vote.
As this was considered to be a vote of confidence on the rest of the government, the Riigikogu was subsequently dissolved and fresh elections called.
[1] In the 1923 elections the party won eight seats, and were part of a minority government headed by its leader Friedrich Akel between March and December 1924.