Gustav Jonson (born Gustav Joonson; 7 January 1880 – 15 November 1942) was an Estonian military soldier of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

, and the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

.Eesti Entsüklopeedia 14: Eesti elulood.

Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers () was an Estonian publisher which published reference literature (like encyclopedias, atlases) and popular science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intende ...

, 2000. Page 112

Biography

Gustav Jonson was born Gustav Joonson to Jüri and Mari Joonson (née Adamson) at Kudu farm, Päri Parish (now in present-day

Viljandi Parish Viljandi Parish () is a rural Municipalities of Estonia, municipality of Viljandi County, Estonia. It is located around the town of Viljandi, but does not include it. Viljandi Parish was established by merging four municipalities: Paistu Parish, ...

). In 1914 he graduated from

Riga Polytechnical Institute Riga Technical University (RTU) () is the oldest technical university in the Baltic countries established on October 14, 1862. It is located in Riga, Latvia and was previously known as Riga Polytechnical Institute and Riga Polytechnicum. In 19 ...

. He participated in World War I. In 1917 he returned to Estonia, and he formed the 1st Cavalry Regiment. The regiment participated in the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence, also known as the War of Freedom in Estonia, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Russian westward offensive of 1918–1919 and the ...

. From 1918 to 1924 he was the commander of the 1st Cavalry Regiment. From 1927 to 1928 he was the head of

Estonian Military Academy The Estonian Military Academy () is an institution of applied higher education for national defence in Tartu, Estonia. The institutions mission is to train and educate regular officers for the Estonian Defence Forces and Estonian Defence Leag ...

. From 1934 to 1939 he was the assistant officer () of the state elder

Konstantin Päts Konstantin Päts ( – 18 January 1956) was an Estonian statesman and the country's president from 1938 to 1940. Päts was one of the most influential politicians of the independent democratic Republic of Estonia, and during the two decades p ...

. In 1939, the then 59-year-old Jonson resigned from active service with the rank of Major General due to exceeding the age limit. After the

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

ist Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia on 16-17 June 1940, a few days later Jonson was reinstated to service and appointed Commander of the Estonian Army to replace the previous Commander-in-Chief

Johan Laidoner Johan Laidoner ( – 13 March 1953) was an Estonian general and statesman. He served as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces during the 1918–1920 Estonian War of Independence and was among the most influential people in the Eston ...

who had been forced to resign by the Soviet authorities. Jonson formally remained commander of the armed formation after it was renamed the "Soviet Estonian People's Army", and then also after it became part of the Soviet

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

' (as the " 22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps"). In that capacity he was promoted in February 1941 to Lieutenant General of the

. At the beginning of June 1941, the Stalinist regime released all Estonian generals from the command of the "Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps". On 13 June 1941, Jonson was sent to the General Staff Academy in Moscow, where the Soviet authorities arrested him on 19 July 1941. On 15 May 1942, Jonson was sentenced to death. Jonson was executed in

Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk; , is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, seventh-largest city in Russia, with a population ...

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

on 15 November 1942.

Awards

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

RUS Order of Saint George 4th class ribbon 2000

Recipient of the Saint George Sword, ''1917.'' * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Knight 3rd Class

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...

, *

Knight 2nd Class

, * Knight of the Order of St. Stanislaus, * Knight Commander of the Order of St. Stanislaus,

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

Knight of the Cross of Liberty I Grade, 3rd Class, ''1920.'' * EST Cross of Liberty II division ribbon

Knight of the Cross of Liberty II Grade, 2nd Class, ''1920.'' * EST Order of the Cross of the Eagle 1st Class BAR

Knight 1st Class

Order of the Cross of the Eagle The Order of the Cross of the Eagle (; ) was instituted in 1928 by the Estonian Defence League to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Estonian independence. It was adopted as a state order in 1936. The Order of the Cross of the Eagle is bestowe ...

, ''1933''. * EST Estonian Red Cross Order 1Class BAR

Knight 1st Class

Order of the Estonian Red Cross The Order of the Estonian Red Cross (; ) was instituted in 1920 by the Estonian Red Cross Society. The Order of the Estonian Red Cross is bestowed in order to give recognition for humanitarian services rendered in the interests of the Estonians, ...

, ''1934''.

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Recipient of the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

Foreign

Knight 3rd Class of the Latvian Order of Lāčplēsis, ''1924.'' * Grand Officer of the Latvian Order of the Three Stars, * POL Polonia Restituta Oficerski BAR

Officer's Cross of the Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, * Order_of_the_Sword_-_Ribbon_bar

Commander of the Swedish Order of the Sword, 1st class ''1932''. * Commander Grand Cross of the Swedish Order of the Polar Star, (1936) * FIN Order of the White Rose Commander BAR

FIN Order of the White Rose Commander BAR

Commander of the Finnish Order of the White Rose,

References