Estonian Liberation War
Encyclopedia
The Estonian War of Independence , also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the White Russian
Northwestern Army, Latvia
, and the United Kingdom
, against the Soviet Western Front offensive and the aggression of the Baltische Landeswehr
. It was fought in connection with the Russian Civil War
during 1918–1920. The campaign was the struggle of Estonia for its sovereignty in the aftermath of World War I
. It resulted in a victory for the newly established state and was concluded in the Treaty of Tartu
.
, a diet
of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia, the Estonian Provincial Assembly, which had been elected in the spring of that year, proclaimed itself the highest authority in Estonia. Soon thereafter, the Bolsheviks dissolved the Estonian Provincial Assembly and temporarily forced the pro-independence Estonians underground in the capital Tallinn
. A few months later, using a moment between the Red Army's retreat and the arrival of the Imperial German Army, the Salvation Committee
of the Estonian National Council Maapäev
issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence
in Tallinn on February 24, 1918 and formed the Estonian Provisional Government
. This first period of independence was extremely short-lived, as the German troops entered Tallinn on the following day. The German authorities recognized neither the provisional government, nor its claim for Estonia's independence, counting them as a self-styled group usurping sovereign rights of the Baltic nobility
.
with the capitulation of Imperial Germany, between the 11th and the 14th of November 1918, the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power to the Estonian Provisional Government. On November 16, the provisional government called for voluntary mobilization and began to organize the Estonian Army, with Konstantin Päts
as Minister of War, Major General
Andres Larka
as the chief of staff
, and Major General
Aleksander Tõnisson
as commander of the Estonian Army, initially consisting of one division.
On the northern wing of the Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919, on the 28th of November 1918, the 6th Red Rifle Division
attacked units of the Estonian Defence League
(consisting partly of secondary school students) and the German Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405
deployed in the defence of the border town of arva]. This marked the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence.
The red rifle division captured the city on the 28th of November, with their 7,000 infantry
, 22 field gun
s, 111 machine gun
s, an armored train, 2 armored vehicles, 2 airplanes, and the Bogatyr class cruiser
Oleg supported by 2 destroyers. The Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405 thereafter withdrew westwards.
The 2nd Novgorod Division opened a second front south of Lake Peipus
where the division had 7000 infantry, 12 field guns, 50 machine guns, 2 armored trains, and 3 armored vehicles. The Estonian military forces at the time consisted of 2000 men with light weapons and about 14,500 poorly-armed men in the Estonian Defence League
(Home Guard). The end of November 1918 saw the formation of the Baltic battalion; primarily a mounted machine-gun company plus infantry. Estonia's Baltic German
minority provided a sizable troop of volunteer militia.
Thus, the battalion belonged to the first fighting units of the Estonian Army, demonstrated and maintained staunch allegiance and loyalty to authority vested in the Republic. This contrasts with the Baltische Landeswehr
in Latvia
.
The 6th Red Rifle Division captured Narva on the 29th of November, and the Tapa
railway junction on Christmas Eve. Advancing to within 34 kilometers of the nation's capital Tallinn
. Estonian Bolsheviks declared the Estonian Workers' Commune in Narva. The 49th Red Latvian Rifle
Regiment took Valga railway junction on the 18th of December and the city of Tartu on Christmas Eve.
By the end of the year, the 7th Red Army controlled Estonia along the front line 34 kilometers east of Tallinn, west from Tartu and south of Ainaži
.
Colonel
Johan Laidoner
who was appointed Commander in chief of the Estonian armed forces recruited 600 officers and 11,000 volunteers by the 23rd of December 1918.
He reorganized the forces by setting up the 2nd Division
in Southern Estonia under the command of Colonel
Viktor Puskar
, along with commando type units, such as the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion and Kalevi Malev.
The national government obtained foreign assistance: on the 5th of December; Finland delivered 5000 rifles and 20 field guns along with ammunition.
The Royal Navy
squadron commanded by Rear Admiral
Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair
arrived off Tallinn on the 31st of December, delivering 6500 rifles, 200 machine guns and 2 field guns. The squadron captured two Russian destroyers, Spartak and Avtroil, and turned those over to Estonia, which renamed them Vambola and Lennuk.
On the 2nd of January, Finnish volunteer units with 2000 men arrived in Estonia. Three armored trains were built in Tallinn under the command of Captain Anton Irv
.
By the beginning of 1919, the Estonian Army had increased it's ranks to a total of 13,000 men, with 5,700 on the front facing 8,000 Soviets. The strengthened Estonian Army stopped the 7th Red Army's advance in it's tracks between the 2nd and the 5th of January 1919 and went on the counter-offensive on the 7th.
Tapa was liberated two days later in a campaign high-lighted by the implementation of the highly successful "soomus rongid" (armoured trains). This turn-of-events was swiftly followed by the liberaton of the sizable town of Rakvere on the 12th (of January).
In recapturing (liberating) Narva, landed at Utria
a 1,000-strong Finnish-Estonian force landed to the rear of the Soviet 6th Rifle Division. This, on the 17th of January. In so doing retreat eastward for the Soviet forces was precluded. The following day Narva was liberated.
Consequent to this the northeastern front stabilized along the Narva river. Within 11 days, the 1st Division
had advanced 200 km.
In the southern sphere-of-conflict Tartu was liberated through the rapid deployment of armored trains and the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion. The 2nd Division continued to advance southwards facing increasing Soviet resistance. In the Battle of Paju
, the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion and the Finnish volunteers drove the Latvian Riflemen
out of Valga on the 31st of January.
The 7th Red Army was routed outside the boundaries of contemporary Estonia (at that time) and the battle-front continued outwards into the ancient, historical Estonian settlement area. The second half of February saw the Estonian southward advance capture Salacgrīva
and Alūksne
. This advance was soon stopped by a Soviet buildup ostensibly for a new expansionist offensive into Estonia. On the first Independence Day
of the 24th of February 1919, the pro-independence Estonian forces on the front consisted of 19,000 men, 70 field guns, and 230 machine guns. Estonia had become the first country to repel the Soviet westward offensive.
In the second half of February, the red armies started the new Soviet offensive to capture Estonia. To this end the Soviets established what was referred to as the new Estonian Red Army
. This sizable force consisted upwards of 80,000 conscripts.
In positions along the Narva River the Estonian 1st Division and their allied White Russian
Northern Corps repelled the 7th Red Army's attacks. The red army heavily bombarded Narva, leaving about 2,000 people homeless yet ultimately failed to capture the city. The majority of Soviet forces were concentrated at and along the southern front. The so-called "Estonian" Red Army captured Alūksne
, Setomaa
, Vastseliina
, and Räpina parishes by the 15th of March.
Having received reinforcements, the Estonian 2nd Division counterattacked and regained Petseri by the 29th of March. Subsequently, the "Estonian" Red Army was pushed behind the Optjok River.
On the 27th of March, the Estonian 3rd Division
was deployed along the western flank of the southern front under the command of Major-General Ernst Põdder
. At Võru, the situation became critical on the 22nd of April when the Estonian Red Army approached to within 1.5 km of the town. Heavy fighting continued at the southeastern front upto the first half of May.
On the 25th of April, the Latvian Riflemen captured Rūjiena
, but were soon pushed back by the 3rd Division to Salacgrīva-Seda
-Gauja line.
On 5–7 April 1919 Estonian Constituent Assembly
was elected. The elections were won by Left and Central parties. The 120 members of the Constituent Assembly met at the opening session on 23 April, and elected the chairman, Social Democrat August Rei
. The provisional government retired, and new government headed by Otto Strandman
was formed. On 4 June the assembly adopted a temporary Constitution of Estonia. On 10 October The Land Reform
Act was passed, which confiscated and redistributed the large Baltic German
estates, covering more than half of the territory of Estonia.
Estonia actively helped to organize White Russian, Latvian and Ingrian forces on the territory of the Republic. The White Russian Northern Corps had been organizing in Estonia since December 1918. On 18 February, an agreement was signed between Estonia and Latvia, which allowed formation of the Latvian forces under Estonian command, but using them only on the southern front. The North Latvian Brigade under the command of Jorģis Zemitāns
was formed from the citizens of Latvia who had fled to Estonia. In March 1919, an agreement was signed with the Ingrian National People’s Committee for the formation of an Ingrian battalion. By May 1919, there were 6,000 Russians, 4,000 Latvians and 700 Ingrians in their respective national units.
's coast by Estonian navy and marines. With the front approaching, garrison of the Krasnaya Gorka fort
mutinied. But the 7th Red Army received reinforcements and counterattacked, pushing the White Russians back, until the front was stabilised with the support from the Estonian 1st Division on Luga
and Saba rivers.
The offensive of the Estonian Petseri Battle Group began also on 13 May. It destroyed the Estonian Red Army, captured Pskov
on 25 May and cleared the territory between Estonia and the Velikaya River
of Soviet forces. A few days later White Russian forces arrived to Pskov, but as they were unable to defend the town on their own, some Estonian forces remained in Pskov, while the rest were pulled back to the state border. The Northern Corps mobilised members of the local population in the Pskov region
. On 19 June 1919, the Estonian Commander-in-Chief General Johan Laidoner
rescinded his command over the White Russians, and they were renamed the Northwestern Army. Shortly afterwards, General Nikolai N. Yudenich took command of the troops.
had declared independence like in Estonia, but had been soon pushed by Soviet forces to Liepāja
where the German
VI Reserve Corps finally stopped their advance. The German force led by general Rüdiger von der Goltz
consisted of the Baltische Landeswehr
formed from Baltic Germans, the Guards Reserve Division of former Imperial German Army soldiers who had stayed in Latvia, and the Iron Division
of volunteers motivated by prospects of acquiring properties in the Baltics. This was possible because under the terms of their armistice with the Western Allies, the Germans had been obliged to maintain their armies in the East to counter the Bolshevist threat. The VI Reserve Corps also included the 1st Independent Latvian Battalion led by Oskars Kalpaks
, which consisted of ethnic Latvians loyal to the Provisional Government of Latvia.
The Germans disrupted organization of Latvian national forces, and on 16 April 1919, the Provisional Government was toppled and replaced with the pro-German puppet Provisional Government of Latvia led by Andrievs Niedra
. Ulmanis took refuge aboard steamship "Saratow" under Entente
protection. The VI Reserve Corps pushed the Soviets back capturing Riga on 23 May, and continued advance to northwards and demanded that the Estonian Army end the occupation of parts of northern Latvia
. The real intent of the VI Reserve Corps was to annex Estonia into a German-dominated puppet state.
On 3 June, General Laidoner issued an ultimatum which demanded that the German forces must pull back southwards, leaving the broad gauge
railway between Ieriķu and Gulbene
under Estonian control. When Estonian armoured trains moved out on 5 June to check compliance with the Estonian demand, the Baltische Landeswehr unsuccessfully attacked them. On the next day, the Baltische Landeswehr captured Cēsis
, the Estonian counterattack on 8 June was repelled. First clashes demonstrated that the VI Reserve Corps was stronger and better equipped than the Soviets. On 10 June, ceasefire was made with Entente meditation. Despite the Entente demand for the German force to pull behind the line demanded by the Estonians, von der Goltz refused and demanded Estonian withdrawal from Latvia, threatening to continue fighting. On 19 June, fighting resumed with Iron Division assault on positions of the Estonian 3rd Division near Limbaži
and Straupe
, starting the Battle of Cēsis. Intensive German attacks on Estonian positions continued up to 22 June without achieving breakthrough. On 23 June, the Estonian 3rd Division counterattacked recapturing Cēsis. The anniversary of the Battle of Cēsis (Võnnu lahing in Estonian) is celebrated in Estonia as the Victory Day.
The Estonian 3rd Division continued their advance towards Riga. On 3 July, when the Estonian forces were at the outskirts of Riga, a ceasefire was made on the demand of the Entente and the Ulmanis government was restored in Riga. The German forces were ordered to leave Latvia, the Baltische Landeswehr was put under the command of the Latvian Provisional Government and sent to fight against the Red Army. However, to circumvent Entente's orders, the troops of the disbanded VI Reserve Corps, instead of leaving, were incorporated into the West Russian Volunteer Army
, officially hired by the German puppet Government of Latvia and led by Pavel Bermondt-Avalov. In October, fighting restarted when the West Russian Volunteer Army attacked Riga. Following the Latvian request to help, Estonia sent two armoured trains to aid repelling the German attack. Estonian army also remained to support the defence of Latvia against Soviets by defending the front north of Lake Lubāns.
Soviet Russia had been attempting to conclude a peace since the spring of 1919. On April 25, 1919, Hungarian Communists offered to mediate a settlement between the Bolsheviks and the Estonians, but Admiral Cowan
threatened withdrawal of support to the Estonians unless they rejected the Hungarian offer. The Russians then publicly broached the subject of peace talks in a radio broadcast on the 27th and 28 April. On 5 June the Estonian Commune was abolished. A subsequent broadcast by the Russians on July 21 led to the British journalist Arthur Ransome
sounding out the Commissar for Foreign Relations Georgy Chicherin
on the subject of peace talks. As a result the Soviet government made a formal offer for negotiations on August 31, 1919. The Estonians accepted on September 4, and delegations started talks on 16 September. Estonia then proposed to stop the negotiations until Latvia, Lithuania and Finland have agreed to participate in joint negotiations.
On 12 October 1919, the Northwestern Army launched a major effort to capture Petrograd. With the arms provided by Britain and France, and the operational support by the Estonian Army, Estonian Navy
, and Royal Navy, the Northwestern Army began operation White Sword on 28 September 1919. Estonia supported Northwestern Army due to the demands of the Entente. The Estonian forces made joint naval and land attack against the Krasnaya Gorka fort, while the Estonian 2nd Division attempted to destroy bridges over the Velikaya River
and the Estonian 3rd Division attacked towards Pytalovo
. The Northwestern Army approached to ten miles (16 km) from Petrograd, but the Red Army repulsed the White Russian troops back to the Narva river. Distrustful of the White Russians, the Estonian High Command disarmed and interned the remains of Northwestern Army that retreated behind the state border.
The 7th and 15th Soviet Armies advancing behind collapsing White Russian forces continued to attack
the fortified positions at the state border near Narva. First clashes took place on Luga River on 16 November, starting the conclusive battles with 120,000 Soviets facing 40,000 Estonians. After repeated attacks, the 7th Red Army managed to achieve some limited success. At the end of November situation on front calmed as the Soviets needed to replenish their forces. In order to pressurise Estonia in the peace talks, intensive Soviet attacks restarted on 7 December. On 16 December, the situation became critical as forward units of the 15th Red Army crossed the Narva River. On the next day, an Estonian counterattack pushed the Soviets back. The Estonian high command actively reinforced the 1st Division at Narva during the battles, sending in the headquarters of the 3rd Division. General Tõnisson became commander of the Viru
Front. After suffering 35,000 casualties in heavy battles, the Red Army was completely exhausted by the end of December.
On 19 November new government of Jaan Tõnisson
had decided to restart talks with Soviet Russia even without participation of other Baltic States. Negotiations started on 5 December, with main point of dispute being territorial issues. Talks continued through December with both sides pressing their territorial demands while heavy fighting continued at Narva. The peace treaty was finally concluded on 31 December 1919. A ceasefire came into effect on January 3, 1920.
Substantial British involvement in the struggle in the Baltic region in 1918–1919 as part of the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
took several forms:
While the British navy provided considerable support, the historian William Fletcher concludes that "the British naval force would have had little effect on the outcome of Baltic affairs had not the Estonians and Latvians provided a vibrant and disciplined land and sea force".
On February 2, 1920, the Peace Treaty of Tartu
was signed by the Republic of Estonia and RSFSR. At this point, the Bolshevist regime had not been recognized by any Western power. The terms of the treaty stated that Russia renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia. The agreed frontier corresponded roughly with the position of the front line at the cessation of hostilities. In particular, Estonia retained a strategic strip to the east of the Narva river (Narvataguse) and Setumaa in the southeast, areas which were lost in early 1945 - shortly after Soviet troops had taken control of Estonia, when Moscow transferred the land East of the Narva River and most of Petseri County
to the RSFSR.
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
Northwestern Army, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, against the Soviet Western Front offensive and the aggression of the Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr was the name of the unified armed forces of the Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.- Command structure :...
. It was fought in connection with the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
during 1918–1920. The campaign was the struggle of Estonia for its sovereignty in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It resulted in a victory for the newly established state and was concluded in the Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)
Tartu Peace Treaty or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed on February 2, 1920 ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognises" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in...
.
Preface
In November 1917, upon the disintegration of the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, a diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia, the Estonian Provincial Assembly, which had been elected in the spring of that year, proclaimed itself the highest authority in Estonia. Soon thereafter, the Bolsheviks dissolved the Estonian Provincial Assembly and temporarily forced the pro-independence Estonians underground in the capital Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. A few months later, using a moment between the Red Army's retreat and the arrival of the Imperial German Army, the Salvation Committee
Salvation Committee
The Estonian Salvation Committee was the executive body of the Estonian Provincial Assembly that issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence....
of the Estonian National Council Maapäev
Maapäev
The Estonian Provincial Assembly was elected after the February Revolution in 1917 as the national diet of the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia in Russian Empire....
issued the Estonian Declaration of Independence
Estonian Declaration of Independence
The Estonian Declaration of Independence, also known as the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia , is the founding act of the Republic of Estonia from 1918. It is celebrated on 24 February, the National Day or Estonian Independence Day....
in Tallinn on February 24, 1918 and formed the Estonian Provisional Government
Estonian Provisional Government
The Estonian Provisional Government was formed on February 24, 1918 by the Salvation Committee appointed by Maapäev the Estonian Province Assembly. The Provisional Government was led by Konstantin Päts...
. This first period of independence was extremely short-lived, as the German troops entered Tallinn on the following day. The German authorities recognized neither the provisional government, nor its claim for Estonia's independence, counting them as a self-styled group usurping sovereign rights of the Baltic nobility
Baltic nobility
The Baltic nobility was the privileged social class in the territories of today's Estonia and Latvia. It existed continuously since the medieval foundation of Terra Mariana...
.
Course of the war
After the German RevolutionGerman Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
with the capitulation of Imperial Germany, between the 11th and the 14th of November 1918, the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power to the Estonian Provisional Government. On November 16, the provisional government called for voluntary mobilization and began to organize the Estonian Army, with Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts
Konstantin Päts VR I/1 and III/1 was the most influential politician of interwar Estonia. 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...
as Minister of War, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Andres Larka
Andres Larka
Andres Larka VR I/1 was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence and a politician....
as the chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, and Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Aleksander Tõnisson
Aleksander Tõnisson
Aleksander Tõnisson VR I/1 was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence....
as commander of the Estonian Army, initially consisting of one division.
Soviet westward offensive
6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
The 6th Rifle Division was a Soviet military unit. They participated in several battles, most notably the Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919 and Estonian War of Independence. From their inception the unit saw combat and had three periods of active service...
attacked units of the Estonian Defence League
Estonian Defence League
The Estonian Defence League is the name of the unified paramilitary armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Defence League is a paramilitary defence organization which aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its...
(consisting partly of secondary school students) and the German Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405
Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405 was a war-time formation in the German Imperial Army during the First World War. It was created late 1916 and was attached to the 405. Infanterie-Brigade of the 203. Infanterie-Division. It defended the Narva town against the Gdov and Yamburg Detachments of the 7th Red...
deployed in the defence of the border town of arva]. This marked the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence.
The red rifle division captured the city on the 28th of November, with their 7,000 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, 22 field gun
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
s, 111 machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, an armored train, 2 armored vehicles, 2 airplanes, and the Bogatyr class cruiser
Bogatyr class cruiser
The Bogatyr-class were a group of protected cruisers built for the Imperial Russian Navy. Unusually for the Russian navy, two ships of the class were built for the Baltic Fleet and two ships for the Black Sea Fleet.- Ships :...
Oleg supported by 2 destroyers. The Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 405 thereafter withdrew westwards.
The 2nd Novgorod Division opened a second front south of Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus, ) is the biggest transboundary lake in Europe on the border between Estonia and Russia.The lake is the fifth largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in Russia north of St...
where the division had 7000 infantry, 12 field guns, 50 machine guns, 2 armored trains, and 3 armored vehicles. The Estonian military forces at the time consisted of 2000 men with light weapons and about 14,500 poorly-armed men in the Estonian Defence League
Estonian Defence League
The Estonian Defence League is the name of the unified paramilitary armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Defence League is a paramilitary defence organization which aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its...
(Home Guard). The end of November 1918 saw the formation of the Baltic battalion; primarily a mounted machine-gun company plus infantry. Estonia's Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
minority provided a sizable troop of volunteer militia.
Thus, the battalion belonged to the first fighting units of the Estonian Army, demonstrated and maintained staunch allegiance and loyalty to authority vested in the Republic. This contrasts with the Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr was the name of the unified armed forces of the Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.- Command structure :...
in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
The 6th Red Rifle Division captured Narva on the 29th of November, and the Tapa
Tapa, Estonia
Tapa is a town in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. Located at the junction of the country's Tallinn-Narva and Tallinn-Tartu-Valga railway lines, it is an important centre of transit for freight as well as rail passengers...
railway junction on Christmas Eve. Advancing to within 34 kilometers of the nation's capital Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. Estonian Bolsheviks declared the Estonian Workers' Commune in Narva. The 49th Red Latvian Rifle
Latvian Riflemen
This article is about Latvian military formations in World War I and Russian Civil War. For Red Army military formations in World War II see Latvian Riflemen Soviet Divisions....
Regiment took Valga railway junction on the 18th of December and the city of Tartu on Christmas Eve.
By the end of the year, the 7th Red Army controlled Estonia along the front line 34 kilometers east of Tallinn, west from Tartu and south of Ainaži
Ainaži
Ainaži is a harbour town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. The town is located near the Estonian border on the site of an ancient Liv fishing village. Before 1917, it was known by its German name Haynasch ....
.
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner was a seminal figure of Estonian history between the world wars. His highest position was Commander-in-chief of the Estonian Army in 1918–1920, 1924–1925, and 1934–1940.-Education:Laidoner was born in Viiratsi , Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire...
who was appointed Commander in chief of the Estonian armed forces recruited 600 officers and 11,000 volunteers by the 23rd of December 1918.
He reorganized the forces by setting up the 2nd Division
2nd Division (Estonia)
The 2nd Division, was one of the four Estonian divisions created during the Estonian War of Independence, which was active till the Soviet occupation of Estonia. Since the restoration of independence in 1991 there are no divisions currently among the Estonian Defence Forces.-History:The 2nd...
in Southern Estonia under the command of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Viktor Puskar
Viktor Puskar
Viktor Puskar VR I/1 was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence....
, along with commando type units, such as the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion and Kalevi Malev.
The national government obtained foreign assistance: on the 5th of December; Finland delivered 5000 rifles and 20 field guns along with ammunition.
The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
squadron commanded by Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair
Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair
Admiral Sir Edwyn Sinclair Alexander-Sinclair, GCB, MVO was a British Royal Navy officer, notable for firing the first shots of the Battle of Jutland, and for leading a squadron of light cruisers in the Baltic to support independence of Estonia and Latvia in 1918-19.-Naval career:Born in Malta and...
arrived off Tallinn on the 31st of December, delivering 6500 rifles, 200 machine guns and 2 field guns. The squadron captured two Russian destroyers, Spartak and Avtroil, and turned those over to Estonia, which renamed them Vambola and Lennuk.
On the 2nd of January, Finnish volunteer units with 2000 men arrived in Estonia. Three armored trains were built in Tallinn under the command of Captain Anton Irv
Anton Irv
Anton Irv was an Estonian military officer during the World War I and Estonian War of Independence. Along with Karl Parts, he was the leader of Estonian armored trains. Anton Irv died in a Battle of Egle in Latvia....
.
Liberation of the Estonian territory
Tapa was liberated two days later in a campaign high-lighted by the implementation of the highly successful "soomus rongid" (armoured trains). This turn-of-events was swiftly followed by the liberaton of the sizable town of Rakvere on the 12th (of January).
In recapturing (liberating) Narva, landed at Utria
Battle of Utria
Battle of Utria took place during the Estonian War of Independence on January 17–20, 1919 at Utria beach. It was amphibious landing of Estonian forces consisting mainly of Finnish volunteers. The leader of the landing was Estonian admiral Johan Pitka helped by Finnish officer Martin Ekström and...
a 1,000-strong Finnish-Estonian force landed to the rear of the Soviet 6th Rifle Division. This, on the 17th of January. In so doing retreat eastward for the Soviet forces was precluded. The following day Narva was liberated.
Consequent to this the northeastern front stabilized along the Narva river. Within 11 days, the 1st Division
1st Division (Estonia)
The 1st Division was one of the four Estonian divisions created during the Estonian War of Independence, which was active till the Soviet occupation of Estonia...
had advanced 200 km.
In the southern sphere-of-conflict Tartu was liberated through the rapid deployment of armored trains and the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion. The 2nd Division continued to advance southwards facing increasing Soviet resistance. In the Battle of Paju
Battle of Paju
The Battle of Paju was fought in Paju, near Valga, Estonia, on 31 January 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence. After heavy fighting, the Tartu–Valga group of the Estonian Army pushed the Red Latvian Riflemen out of the Paju Manor. It was the fiercest battle in the early period of war...
, the Tartumaa Partisan Battalion and the Finnish volunteers drove the Latvian Riflemen
Latvian Riflemen
This article is about Latvian military formations in World War I and Russian Civil War. For Red Army military formations in World War II see Latvian Riflemen Soviet Divisions....
out of Valga on the 31st of January.
The 7th Red Army was routed outside the boundaries of contemporary Estonia (at that time) and the battle-front continued outwards into the ancient, historical Estonian settlement area. The second half of February saw the Estonian southward advance capture Salacgrīva
Salacgriva
Salacgrīva is a town in Limbaži County, in the Vidzeme region of northern Latvia. The town has a port, situated on the mouth of the Salaca river and the Gulf of Riga...
and Alūksne
Aluksne
Alūksne is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality.- History :...
. This advance was soon stopped by a Soviet buildup ostensibly for a new expansionist offensive into Estonia. On the first Independence Day
Independence Day
An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...
of the 24th of February 1919, the pro-independence Estonian forces on the front consisted of 19,000 men, 70 field guns, and 230 machine guns. Estonia had become the first country to repel the Soviet westward offensive.
In the second half of February, the red armies started the new Soviet offensive to capture Estonia. To this end the Soviets established what was referred to as the new Estonian Red Army
Estonian Red Riflemen
Estonian Riflemen, Estonian Red Riflemen, Estonian Red Army, Estonian Red Guards were military formations assembled starting 1917 in the Soviet Russia.- Formation :...
. This sizable force consisted upwards of 80,000 conscripts.
In positions along the Narva River the Estonian 1st Division and their allied White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
Northern Corps repelled the 7th Red Army's attacks. The red army heavily bombarded Narva, leaving about 2,000 people homeless yet ultimately failed to capture the city. The majority of Soviet forces were concentrated at and along the southern front. The so-called "Estonian" Red Army captured Alūksne
Aluksne
Alūksne is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality.- History :...
, Setomaa
Setomaa
Setomaa is a region south of Lake Peipus and inhabited by the Seto speaking Setos. Seto language belongs to south Estonian dialect of Estonian language. The historic range of Setomaa is located on territories of present day Estonia and Russia...
, Vastseliina
Vastseliina
Vastseliina is a small borough in Vastseliina Parish, Võru County in southeastern Estonia.Vastseliina is the birthplace of wrestler and 1924 Olympic Gold Medalist Eduard Pütsep....
, and Räpina parishes by the 15th of March.
Having received reinforcements, the Estonian 2nd Division counterattacked and regained Petseri by the 29th of March. Subsequently, the "Estonian" Red Army was pushed behind the Optjok River.
On the 27th of March, the Estonian 3rd Division
3rd Division (Estonia)
The 3rd Division of the Estonian Army, was one of the four Estonian divisions created during the Estonian War of Independence, which was active till the Soviet occupation of Estonia. Since the restoration of independence in 1991 there are no divisions currently among the Estonian Defence...
was deployed along the western flank of the southern front under the command of Major-General Ernst Põdder
Ernst Põdder
Ernst Põdder VR I/1 was a famous Estonian military commander in the Estonian War of Independence....
. At Võru, the situation became critical on the 22nd of April when the Estonian Red Army approached to within 1.5 km of the town. Heavy fighting continued at the southeastern front upto the first half of May.
On the 25th of April, the Latvian Riflemen captured Rūjiena
Rujiena
-Notable people:Arturs Alberings, Prime Minister of Latvia from 7 May 1926 to 18 December, 1926.Gustav Klutsis Constructivist Photographer and Graphic DesignerMoses Wolf Goldberg, chemist, was born here in 1905.-External links:*...
, but were soon pushed back by the 3rd Division to Salacgrīva-Seda
Seda, Latvia
Seda is a town in Latvia founded in 1952. The major local industry is extraction of peat. The town is remarkable for its 1950s style Stalinist architecture, dating from the glory days of Seda, when workers from all over the USSR came to work for the peat extraction enterprise.Joint stock company...
-Gauja line.
Formation of foreign units
Estonian Constituent Assembly
The Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected on 5-7 April 1919, called by the Estonian Provisional Government during the Estonian War of Independence. The Assembly was elected by proportional representation. Eligible voters included soldiers at the front...
was elected. The elections were won by Left and Central parties. The 120 members of the Constituent Assembly met at the opening session on 23 April, and elected the chairman, Social Democrat August Rei
August Rei
August Rei VR III/1 was an Estonian Social Democratic politician. He was born in Pilistvere, Kõo Parish, Viljandi County.- Education :...
. The provisional government retired, and new government headed by Otto Strandman
Otto Strandman
Otto August Strandman VR III/1 was an Estonian politician, who served as Prime Minister and State Elder of Estonia . He was one of the leaders of the centre-left Estonian Labour Party, that saw its biggest support after the 1919 and 1920 elections...
was formed. On 4 June the assembly adopted a temporary Constitution of Estonia. On 10 October The Land Reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
Act was passed, which confiscated and redistributed the large Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
estates, covering more than half of the territory of Estonia.
Estonia actively helped to organize White Russian, Latvian and Ingrian forces on the territory of the Republic. The White Russian Northern Corps had been organizing in Estonia since December 1918. On 18 February, an agreement was signed between Estonia and Latvia, which allowed formation of the Latvian forces under Estonian command, but using them only on the southern front. The North Latvian Brigade under the command of Jorģis Zemitāns
Jorgis Zemitans
Jorģis Zemitāns was an army officer and commander of the Latvian Northern Brigade during the Latvian War of Independence....
was formed from the citizens of Latvia who had fled to Estonia. In March 1919, an agreement was signed with the Ingrian National People’s Committee for the formation of an Ingrian battalion. By May 1919, there were 6,000 Russians, 4,000 Latvians and 700 Ingrians in their respective national units.
White Russian offensives
Although the Estonian Army had attained control over the country, their opposite red armies were still active. The Estonian High Command decided to push their defense lines across the border into Russia in support of the White Russian Northern Corps. On 13 May, the Northern Corps went on offensive at Narva, catching the Soviets by surprise and destroying their 6th Division. The offensive was supported along the Gulf of FinlandGulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
's coast by Estonian navy and marines. With the front approaching, garrison of the Krasnaya Gorka fort
Krasnaya Gorka fort
Krasnaya Gorka is a coastal artillery fortress west of Lomonosov, Russia on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, opposite Kotlin Island and the Baltic Fleet's base at Kronshtadt...
mutinied. But the 7th Red Army received reinforcements and counterattacked, pushing the White Russians back, until the front was stabilised with the support from the Estonian 1st Division on Luga
Luga River
The Luga River -See also:* Shum Gora, an archaeological site near the banks of the river...
and Saba rivers.
The offensive of the Estonian Petseri Battle Group began also on 13 May. It destroyed the Estonian Red Army, captured Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
on 25 May and cleared the territory between Estonia and the Velikaya River
Velikaya River
For the Velikaya river in Far East Siberia, see Velikaya River .Velikaya River is located in western Russia . It starts in highlands in the south of Pskov Oblast, flows north through the cities of Opochka, Ostrov, and Pskov into Lake Peipus, which is drained by the Narva River....
of Soviet forces. A few days later White Russian forces arrived to Pskov, but as they were unable to defend the town on their own, some Estonian forces remained in Pskov, while the rest were pulled back to the state border. The Northern Corps mobilised members of the local population in the Pskov region
Pskov Oblast
Pskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²...
. On 19 June 1919, the Estonian Commander-in-Chief General Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner
Johan Laidoner was a seminal figure of Estonian history between the world wars. His highest position was Commander-in-chief of the Estonian Army in 1918–1920, 1924–1925, and 1934–1940.-Education:Laidoner was born in Viiratsi , Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire...
rescinded his command over the White Russians, and they were renamed the Northwestern Army. Shortly afterwards, General Nikolai N. Yudenich took command of the troops.
Landeswehr war
The Landeswehr War broke out on the southern front in Latvia on June 5, 1919. The Latvian democrats led by Kārlis UlmanisKarlis Ulmanis
Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis was a prominent Latvian politician in pre-World War II Latvia during the Latvian period of independence from 1918 to 1940.- Education and early career :Ulmanis studied agriculture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and...
had declared independence like in Estonia, but had been soon pushed by Soviet forces to Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
where the German
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
VI Reserve Corps finally stopped their advance. The German force led by general Rüdiger von der Goltz
Rüdiger von der Goltz
Gustav Adolf Joachim Rüdiger, Graf von der Goltz was German Army general during World War I. After World War I he was the commander of the army of the Baltic German-established Government of Latvia, which played an instrumental role in the defeat of Russian Bolsheviks and their local allies in...
consisted of the Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr was the name of the unified armed forces of the Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.- Command structure :...
formed from Baltic Germans, the Guards Reserve Division of former Imperial German Army soldiers who had stayed in Latvia, and the Iron Division
Freikorps in the Baltic
After 1918, the term Freikorps was used for the paramilitary organizations that sprang up around the German Empire, including in the Baltic states as soldiers returned in defeat from World War I...
of volunteers motivated by prospects of acquiring properties in the Baltics. This was possible because under the terms of their armistice with the Western Allies, the Germans had been obliged to maintain their armies in the East to counter the Bolshevist threat. The VI Reserve Corps also included the 1st Independent Latvian Battalion led by Oskars Kalpaks
Oskars Kalpaks
Oskars Kalpaks was the commander of 1st Latvian Independent Battalion, also known as "Kalpaks Battalion"....
, which consisted of ethnic Latvians loyal to the Provisional Government of Latvia.
The Germans disrupted organization of Latvian national forces, and on 16 April 1919, the Provisional Government was toppled and replaced with the pro-German puppet Provisional Government of Latvia led by Andrievs Niedra
Andrievs Niedra
Andrievs Niedra was a Latvian writer, Lutheran pastor and the Prime Minister of the German puppet government in Latvia between April and June 1919, during the Latvian War of Independence.Niedra's first collection of poems was published...
. Ulmanis took refuge aboard steamship "Saratow" under Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
protection. The VI Reserve Corps pushed the Soviets back capturing Riga on 23 May, and continued advance to northwards and demanded that the Estonian Army end the occupation of parts of northern Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. The real intent of the VI Reserve Corps was to annex Estonia into a German-dominated puppet state.
On 3 June, General Laidoner issued an ultimatum which demanded that the German forces must pull back southwards, leaving the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
railway between Ieriķu and Gulbene
Gulbene
Gulbene and the surrounding Gulbene municipality are located in North-eastern Latvia and adjoin the Alūksne, Balvi, Madona, Cēsis and Valka regions....
under Estonian control. When Estonian armoured trains moved out on 5 June to check compliance with the Estonian demand, the Baltische Landeswehr unsuccessfully attacked them. On the next day, the Baltische Landeswehr captured Cēsis
Cesis
Cēsis , is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below...
, the Estonian counterattack on 8 June was repelled. First clashes demonstrated that the VI Reserve Corps was stronger and better equipped than the Soviets. On 10 June, ceasefire was made with Entente meditation. Despite the Entente demand for the German force to pull behind the line demanded by the Estonians, von der Goltz refused and demanded Estonian withdrawal from Latvia, threatening to continue fighting. On 19 June, fighting resumed with Iron Division assault on positions of the Estonian 3rd Division near Limbaži
Limbaži
Limbaži is a town in the Vidzeme region of northern Latvia. Limbaži is located 90 km northeast of the capital Riga. The population is 8705 people. During the Middle Ages, as part of Livonia, Limbazi was a fortified town with stone walls, second in importance only to Riga.-Etymology:The name...
and Straupe
Straupe
Straupe is a village in the Pārgauja municipality of Latvia. Until the thirteenth century it was a part of the ancient Idumea country, later became the trade center known in German as Roop, and received its town privileges in 1374. During the fourteenth century, Straupe flourished as part of the...
, starting the Battle of Cēsis. Intensive German attacks on Estonian positions continued up to 22 June without achieving breakthrough. On 23 June, the Estonian 3rd Division counterattacked recapturing Cēsis. The anniversary of the Battle of Cēsis (Võnnu lahing in Estonian) is celebrated in Estonia as the Victory Day.
The Estonian 3rd Division continued their advance towards Riga. On 3 July, when the Estonian forces were at the outskirts of Riga, a ceasefire was made on the demand of the Entente and the Ulmanis government was restored in Riga. The German forces were ordered to leave Latvia, the Baltische Landeswehr was put under the command of the Latvian Provisional Government and sent to fight against the Red Army. However, to circumvent Entente's orders, the troops of the disbanded VI Reserve Corps, instead of leaving, were incorporated into the West Russian Volunteer Army
West Russian Volunteer Army
The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was an army in the Baltic provinces of the former Russian Empire during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1920....
, officially hired by the German puppet Government of Latvia and led by Pavel Bermondt-Avalov. In October, fighting restarted when the West Russian Volunteer Army attacked Riga. Following the Latvian request to help, Estonia sent two armoured trains to aid repelling the German attack. Estonian army also remained to support the defence of Latvia against Soviets by defending the front north of Lake Lubāns.
Final battles and peace negotiations
Soviet Russia had been attempting to conclude a peace since the spring of 1919. On April 25, 1919, Hungarian Communists offered to mediate a settlement between the Bolsheviks and the Estonians, but Admiral Cowan
Walter Cowan
Admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan, 1st Baronet, KCB, MVO, DSO & & Bar , known as Tich Cowan, was a British Royal Navy admiral who saw service in both World War I and World War II; in the latter he was one of the oldest British servicemen on active duty.-Early days:Cowan was born in Crickhowell,...
threatened withdrawal of support to the Estonians unless they rejected the Hungarian offer. The Russians then publicly broached the subject of peace talks in a radio broadcast on the 27th and 28 April. On 5 June the Estonian Commune was abolished. A subsequent broadcast by the Russians on July 21 led to the British journalist Arthur Ransome
Arthur Ransome
Arthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
sounding out the Commissar for Foreign Relations Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Chicherin
Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin was a Marxist revolutionary and a Soviet politician. He served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs in the Soviet government from March 1918 to 1930.-Childhood and early career:...
on the subject of peace talks. As a result the Soviet government made a formal offer for negotiations on August 31, 1919. The Estonians accepted on September 4, and delegations started talks on 16 September. Estonia then proposed to stop the negotiations until Latvia, Lithuania and Finland have agreed to participate in joint negotiations.
On 12 October 1919, the Northwestern Army launched a major effort to capture Petrograd. With the arms provided by Britain and France, and the operational support by the Estonian Army, Estonian Navy
Estonian Navy
The Merevägi is the navy of Republic of Estonia and is part of the unified Kaitsevägi .In total, there are about four commissioned ships in the Estonian Navy, including three auxiliary ships; the displacement of the navy is under 10,000 tonnes making it one of the smallest navies in the world...
, and Royal Navy, the Northwestern Army began operation White Sword on 28 September 1919. Estonia supported Northwestern Army due to the demands of the Entente. The Estonian forces made joint naval and land attack against the Krasnaya Gorka fort, while the Estonian 2nd Division attempted to destroy bridges over the Velikaya River
Velikaya River
For the Velikaya river in Far East Siberia, see Velikaya River .Velikaya River is located in western Russia . It starts in highlands in the south of Pskov Oblast, flows north through the cities of Opochka, Ostrov, and Pskov into Lake Peipus, which is drained by the Narva River....
and the Estonian 3rd Division attacked towards Pytalovo
Pytalovo
Pytalovo is a town and the administrative center of Pytalovsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. Population: Pytalovo was part of independent Latvia as Abrene until Latvia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union...
. The Northwestern Army approached to ten miles (16 km) from Petrograd, but the Red Army repulsed the White Russian troops back to the Narva river. Distrustful of the White Russians, the Estonian High Command disarmed and interned the remains of Northwestern Army that retreated behind the state border.
The 7th and 15th Soviet Armies advancing behind collapsing White Russian forces continued to attack
Battle of Krivasoo (1919)
Battle of Krivasoo took place in the Kriivasoo swamp, Estonia during the Estonian War of Independence between Estonian Army and the Red Army....
the fortified positions at the state border near Narva. First clashes took place on Luga River on 16 November, starting the conclusive battles with 120,000 Soviets facing 40,000 Estonians. After repeated attacks, the 7th Red Army managed to achieve some limited success. At the end of November situation on front calmed as the Soviets needed to replenish their forces. In order to pressurise Estonia in the peace talks, intensive Soviet attacks restarted on 7 December. On 16 December, the situation became critical as forward units of the 15th Red Army crossed the Narva River. On the next day, an Estonian counterattack pushed the Soviets back. The Estonian high command actively reinforced the 1st Division at Narva during the battles, sending in the headquarters of the 3rd Division. General Tõnisson became commander of the Viru
Virumaa
Virumaa is a former independent county in Ancient Estonia. Now it is divided into Ida-Viru County or Eastern Vironia and Lääne-Viru County or Western Vironia...
Front. After suffering 35,000 casualties in heavy battles, the Red Army was completely exhausted by the end of December.
On 19 November new government of Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson
Jaan Tõnisson VR I/3, II/3 and III/1 was an Estonian statesman, serving as the Prime Minister of Estonia twice during 1919 to 1920 and as the Foreign Minister of Estonia from 1931 to 1932.-Early life:...
had decided to restart talks with Soviet Russia even without participation of other Baltic States. Negotiations started on 5 December, with main point of dispute being territorial issues. Talks continued through December with both sides pressing their territorial demands while heavy fighting continued at Narva. The peace treaty was finally concluded on 31 December 1919. A ceasefire came into effect on January 3, 1920.
Foreign assistance
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
took several forms:
- British naval and air forces in December 1918, after lobbying in London by Estonian politicians, brought needed military equipment, training and also artillery support from Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships; - British protection of the Estonian left flank by naval action in the Gulf of FinlandGulf of FinlandThe Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. Among other operations, British motor torpedo boatMotor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s in conjunction with RAFRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
aircraft conducted the first combined air/sea assault in history on the Bolshevik fleet in KronstadtKronstadtKronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
torpedoing several Bolshevik warships at the cost of 3 boats. British officer Augustus AgarAugustus AgarCaptain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, VC, DSO, RN was a noted Royal Navy officer in both World War I and World War II and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.In...
won a Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for sinking a Soviet cruiser and then a DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for leading a second attack that sank two major warships; - Equipment supplied by the British to the White Russian Northwestern Army included six tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s together with their volunteer crews, who were the only British troops to fight alongside the Northwestern Army. British tank crews pushed to within 12 miles of downtown Petrograd (formerly Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
) in the autumn of 1919. All six tanks survived the battle, despite having developed some mechanical problems. - 2,000 Finnish volunteers participated as part of the Kinship WarsHeimosodatThe term in Finnish historiography heimosodat in English literally "Kindred Nations Wars", "Wars for kindred peoples" or "Kinship Wars" for Finnic kinship. It is often erroneously translated as "Tribal Wars"...
units Pohjan Pojat and I Suomalainen Vapaajoukko. - The Swedish volunteer unit to support the Republic of Estonia in the Estonian War of Independence under the command of Carl Mothander was formed in Sweden in early 1919. In March 1919, 178 volunteers took part in scout missions in Virumaa. In April, the company was sent to the Southern front and took part of the battles near PechoryPechoryPechory : Petseri; ) is a town and the administrative center of Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. Population: The population includes a few hundred ethnic Estonians.The town is famous for the Russian Orthodox Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery....
. - A Danish volunteer unit of 200 men was formed under the command of Captain Richard Gustav BorgelinRichard Gustav BorgelinCaptain Richard Gustav Borgelin was a Danish officer and company commander of the Danish-Baltic Auxiliary Corps in 1919 during the Estonian and Latvian War of Independence....
. The regiment took part of battles against Bolsheviks in Latvia and near Pskov. R. G. Borgelin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded a manor for his services.
While the British navy provided considerable support, the historian William Fletcher concludes that "the British naval force would have had little effect on the outcome of Baltic affairs had not the Estonians and Latvians provided a vibrant and disciplined land and sea force".
Tartu Peace Treaty
On February 2, 1920, the Peace Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Estonian)
Tartu Peace Treaty or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian SFSR signed on February 2, 1920 ending the Estonian War of Independence. The terms of the treaty stated that "Russia unreservedly recognises" the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in...
was signed by the Republic of Estonia and RSFSR. At this point, the Bolshevist regime had not been recognized by any Western power. The terms of the treaty stated that Russia renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia. The agreed frontier corresponded roughly with the position of the front line at the cessation of hostilities. In particular, Estonia retained a strategic strip to the east of the Narva river (Narvataguse) and Setumaa in the southeast, areas which were lost in early 1945 - shortly after Soviet troops had taken control of Estonia, when Moscow transferred the land East of the Narva River and most of Petseri County
Petseri County
Petseri County was a county of Estonia established in 1920. Since 1944, however, most of the county had been administered as Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, first by the Russian SFSR and then, from 1991, by Russia.-History:...
to the RSFSR.
See also
- History of EstoniaHistory of EstoniaEstonia was settled near the end of the last glacial era, beginning from around 8500 BC. Before the German invasions in the 13th century proto-Estonians of the Ancient Estonia worshipped the spirits of nature...
- Latvian War of Independence
- Lithuanian Wars of Independence
- Cross of Liberty
- War of Independence Victory Column
- Vaps Movement
- Names in MarbleNames in MarbleNames in Marble is a war novel written by the Estonian writer Albert Kivikas. It was published in 1936, and its subject is the Estonian War of Independence. Kivikas was awarded for Names in Marble by the Estonian Literature Society. It is one the best-known works of Estonian literature...
External links
- Estonica: Emergence of Estonian independence
- Estonian War of Independence - in Baltic Defence Review No.8 Volume 2/2002