FOUR HELMETS OF STEEL

2. THE ESTONIAN ARMY

The Beginning

When Estonia declared her independence on 24 February 1918 the Estonian army was already in existence. The provisional government of Russia had granted Estonia a measure of internal autonomy in 1917 and it was this pre-independence government that began forming an army of their own by calling back home Estonian soldiers serving in the Russian army. This was done in agreement with the Russian government who, faced with the demoralization of its army, saw this as a means of acquiring reliable troops to defend Estonian territory against the Germans.

With the bolshevik revolution in Russia, however, the situation changed. Estonians and bolsheviks had little trust for each other and when the German attack in 1918 reached Estonia, Russian troops retreated without a fight. At this phase the Estonian government saw its chance and declared her independence with Konstantin Päts as the head of state. It was intended that, although Estonian forces were too weak to offer resistance to the German advance, it would be an independent state that the Germans would be occupying. Germans, as expected, were not onterested in Estonian aspirations and intended to create a German duchy out of the Baltic states. Estonians, on the other hand laid low and sent representatives to abroad and it was as soon as in March 1918 that they managed to get England and France to recognize Estonia as a de facto independent state.

After the war Germans retreated and Estonian government took over only to be faced by an invasion by the Russian bolshevik army. The re-established Estonian army led by General Johan Laidoner managed to stop the onslaught and drive the attackers back in the beginning of 1919. Although Estonians received some help from the British Royal Navy and foreign volunteers, it must be stressed that in the end it was Estonians themselves who liberated their country.

Bolsheviks were not the only threat facing the new republic. Remnants of the German occupation army were still in Latvia and in June 1919 a German force, the Baltic Landeswehr attacked Estonians with the purpose of regaining the feudal position the germans had enjoyed in the area for centuries, even during the two centuries of Russian rule. This attack was repulsed and a treaty signed with the Germans. The so-called Landeswehr-war caused much resentment in Estonia and together with the aid received from Western Europe was an important factor in establishing a strong pro-Allied feeling in the country.

It might be noted here to illustrate the confused situation in the area that the German armies had during the Great War fought Russia and then fought alongside White Russians and Baltic armies against bolshevik forces. After this they turned their arms against the Baltic countries and even after this continued the fight. This time it was against the bolsheviks again, but led by British officers.

The war against the Soviets continued with the frontline pushed east of Estonian borders. A peace treaty was signed in Tartu in February 1920. Politically, the most important aspect of the treaty was the fact that the Soviet Russia now recognized Estonia de jure. After this several other countries followed suite and when, in 1921, Estonia was accepted into the League of Nations, Estonia's position as a sovereign state was fully established internationally.

Years of Peace

When the war ended there had been three divisions of infantry, an armoured train division and some independent artillery units and formations. Naval and air forces were also established. Altogether there were nearly 90 000 men serving under the blue-black-white flag. The magnitude of this effort is obvious when the figure is compared to a total population of 1,1 million. Demobilization after the peace-treaty reduced the army into a force of about 27 000 men. In the following years this number was further reduced so that e.g. in the year 1929 there were about 14 500 men of whom ca 1300 were officers, ca 2000 non-commissioned officers and ca 10 000 conscripted men.

Estonia adopted a system of universal conscription which meant that all men of 20 years were called to arms for a period of 12 to 18 months depending on the training they would get during their service. This period of active service was meant for training and indeed the whole peace-time army could be said to have been primarily a training organization with the purpose of providing men and core units for war-time formations. The number of fully trained men at the end of independence was estimated to be ca 120 000.

Kaitseliit

In addition to the army, there was a volunteer organization called Kaitseliit (Defence League, Protection League) not unlike the volunteer organizations in neighbouring countries. The purpose of the Kaitseliit was to provide training for reservists and young people under the conscription age. Unlike e.g. the US National Guard the Kaitseliit was not intended to field units or formations for active service.