Johan Laidoner
Encyclopedia
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.
(Wieratz), Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. As a boy he worked as a herder during summers and attended parish school during the rest of year. In 1901, he volunteered for the army. He was first stationed in Kowno
, Lithuania
as a member of an infantry regiment. In 1902 he entered the military academy in Wilna
, where he also met his future Polish
wife, Maria. Laidoner continued his military education in 1909 at the Nikolai Military Academy in St. Petersburg.
, Laidoner achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel
in the Russian Army. He received seven medals before the Russian Empire dissolved.
Laidoner later returned to Estonia
and took command of the First Estonian Division, part of the national independence army in the Estonian War of Independence. In 1918 he was promoted to the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces, and subsequently to the rank of major general
. As such, he established an Estonian military academy in 1919.
In 1920, he was promoted to lieutenant general
in the new official national army. After relinquishing his position as commander in chief, Laidoner went on to chair several government committees, including the Estonian Olympic Committee. He also represented Estonia in the League of Nations
, in which he was known as an isolationist
, even in the matters of German
or Soviet
expansion. Laidoner also took part, when he resumed his duties as Commander in Chief for the second time, in crushing the attempt by Estonian communists, supported by the Soviet Union, to overthrow the government on 1 December 1924.
In 1926, Laidoner contributed to the settlement of the border disputes between Turkey and Iraq.
In 1934, during the international Great Depression
, the League of Liberators
(Vaps), consisting mainly of veterans from the War of Independence (1918–1920), threatened Estonian political order with the imminent election of a radical right wing, quasi-fascist regime. To fend off the efforts of the league, Laidoner reclaimed his position as Commander in Chief at the request of President Konstantin Päts
who assumed emergency powers under the new, Vaps constitution which had been approved by a large popular majority, and together they froze all political party activity.
Included in the proposals of Päts’ and Laidoner’s reforms were military training in universities, as well as restrictions on free speech and freedom of the press
. Though neither Päts nor Laidoner desired such freedoms, they recognized the need to establish a stable government before returning the peoples’ rights. Päts attempted to reform the government into a stable entity by broadening the representation of many of the segments of society. Parliamentary elections resumed in 1938. Laidoner became an ex officio member of the National Council.
On February 24, 1939, Laidoner was promoted to the rank of general.
In 1939, Laidoner put forward a plan to the government to modernize and upgrade the Estonian Army’s equipment in the face of rapid foreign expansion and upgrades, and to draft more soldiers. When the Soviet Union occupied Estonia on June 17, 1940, Laidoner was one of the few top political leaders of the country not executed by the Soviet regime. Instead, he was deported to Russia
. Laidoner died on March 14, 1953 in Vladimir prison.
as well as from Great Britain
, Russia
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Finland
, France
, Poland
, Sweden
, and Germany
. Many of these medals were preserved by the U.S. Army after being smuggled out from under communist control. They were formally returned to Estonia in 2004. There is a monument to Laidoner in the borough of Viiratsi
, Estonia, close to his birthplace.
.
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Estonian Army in 1918–1920, 1924–1925, and 1934–1940.
Education
Laidoner was born in ViiratsiViiratsi
Viiratsi is a small borough in Viljandi County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Viiratsi Parish. Viiratsi has a population of 1273 .-External links:*...
(Wieratz), Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. As a boy he worked as a herder during summers and attended parish school during the rest of year. In 1901, he volunteered for the army. He was first stationed in Kowno
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
as a member of an infantry regiment. In 1902 he entered the military academy in Wilna
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, where he also met his future Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
wife, Maria. Laidoner continued his military education in 1909 at the Nikolai Military Academy in St. Petersburg.
Military career
Following his graduation from the Imperial Nicholas Military AcademyGeneral Staff Academy (Imperial Russia)
The General Staff Academy was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy , then in 1855 it was renamed Nicholas General Staff Academy and in 1909 - Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy was a...
, Laidoner achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Russian Army. He received seven medals before the Russian Empire dissolved.
Laidoner later returned to Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and took command of the First Estonian Division, part of the national independence army in the Estonian War of Independence. In 1918 he was promoted to the Commander in Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces, and subsequently to the rank of 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...
. As such, he established an Estonian military academy in 1919.
In 1920, he was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in the new official national army. After relinquishing his position as commander in chief, Laidoner went on to chair several government committees, including the Estonian Olympic Committee. He also represented Estonia in the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, in which he was known as an isolationist
Isolationism
Isolationism is the policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, international agreements, etc., seeking to devote the entire efforts of one's country to its own advancement and remain at peace by...
, even in the matters of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
or Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
expansion. Laidoner also took part, when he resumed his duties as Commander in Chief for the second time, in crushing the attempt by Estonian communists, supported by the Soviet Union, to overthrow the government on 1 December 1924.
In 1926, Laidoner contributed to the settlement of the border disputes between Turkey and Iraq.
In 1934, during the international Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the League of Liberators
League of Liberators
Vaps Movement, the Union of Participants in the Estonian War of Independence was originally an Estonian association of veterans of the Estonian War of Independence , later also non-veterans were accepted as its members. The organisation was founded in 1929, emerged as a mass anti-socialist and...
(Vaps), consisting mainly of veterans from the War of Independence (1918–1920), threatened Estonian political order with the imminent election of a radical right wing, quasi-fascist regime. To fend off the efforts of the league, Laidoner reclaimed his position as Commander in Chief at the request of President 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...
who assumed emergency powers under the new, Vaps constitution which had been approved by a large popular majority, and together they froze all political party activity.
Political career
In 1935, Laidoner and President Konstantin Päts pushed constitutional reform through the government to remodel Estonia according to a strong-president model, citing national defense as the main reason (New York Times Archives). Many of the League of Liberators’ leaders were imprisoned. Päts ruled by decree, and elections were suspended without any plan for resumption. Though all of the League of Veterans’ leaders, sentenced to imprisonment in the two trials, were later freed, Päts and Laidoner had secured the future of their administration.Included in the proposals of Päts’ and Laidoner’s reforms were military training in universities, as well as restrictions on free speech and freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
. Though neither Päts nor Laidoner desired such freedoms, they recognized the need to establish a stable government before returning the peoples’ rights. Päts attempted to reform the government into a stable entity by broadening the representation of many of the segments of society. Parliamentary elections resumed in 1938. Laidoner became an ex officio member of the National Council.
On February 24, 1939, Laidoner was promoted to the rank of general.
In 1939, Laidoner put forward a plan to the government to modernize and upgrade the Estonian Army’s equipment in the face of rapid foreign expansion and upgrades, and to draft more soldiers. When the Soviet Union occupied Estonia on June 17, 1940, Laidoner was one of the few top political leaders of the country not executed by the Soviet regime. Instead, he was deported to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Laidoner died on March 14, 1953 in Vladimir prison.
Recognition
During his lifetime, Laidoner earned medals of recognition for service and valor from EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
as well as from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, 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...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Many of these medals were preserved by the U.S. Army after being smuggled out from under communist control. They were formally returned to Estonia in 2004. There is a monument to Laidoner in the borough of Viiratsi
Viiratsi
Viiratsi is a small borough in Viljandi County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Viiratsi Parish. Viiratsi has a population of 1273 .-External links:*...
, Estonia, close to his birthplace.
Stamp issue
In 2009, in recognition of the role played by Johan Laidoner in the decisive battles of the Estonian War of Independence, a commemorative stamp was issued by Eesti PostEesti Post
AS Eesti Post is the company responsible for postal service in Estonia. Eesti Post is 100% state owned .-External links:...
.
See also
- Aftermath of World War IAftermath of World War IThe fighting in World War I ended in western Europe when the Armistice took effect at 11:00 am GMT on November 11, 1918, and in eastern Europe by the early 1920s. During and in the aftermath of the war the political, cultural, and social order was drastically changed in Europe, Asia and Africa,...
- Estonian Liberation WarEstonian Liberation WarThe 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...
- Freikorps in the BalticFreikorps in the BalticAfter 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...