The Minister of Defence (''

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also * ...

: Kaitseminister'') is the senior minister at the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

(''Kaitseministeerium'') in the Estonian Government. The minister is one of the most important members of the Estonian government, with responsibility for coordinating the governments policies on national defence and the

military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinc ...

. The

defence minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...

is chosen by the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

as a part of the government. When the position was originally established in 1918, it was called the minister of war (''Sõjaminister''). The post was renamed minister of defence on April 1, 1929, but would change back to minister of war in 1937. Though the name of the position, and subsequently the ministry, was changed, the main responsibilities of the position remained virtually same. Since Estonia regained its independence in 1991 the post has been known as the minister of defence.

List of Ministers

1918 to 1929 (Minister of War)

1929 to 1937 (Minister of Defence)

1937 to 1940 (Minister of War)

1992 to Present (Minister of Defence)

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* https://kaitseministeerium.ee/et/ministeerium-kontaktid/kaitseminister/eesti-kaitseministrid-labi-ajaloo

External links

Republic of Estonia Governments

Ministry of Defence

Estonian Defence Forces

Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

Defenc minister Ministers of Defence