Jaan Maide, VR II/3 (30 May 1896 – 10 August 1945) was a senior Estonian Army officer who fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the

Estonian War of Independence The Estonian War of Independence ( et, Vabadussõda, literally "Freedom War"), also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the United Kingdom, against the Bolshevik westw ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Military by

Otto Tief Otto Tief ( – 5 March 1976) was an Estonian politician, military commander (during the Estonian War of Independence), and a lawyer. Tief was the acting prime minister of the last government of Estonia

's government in 1944.

Early life

Maide was born on 30 May 1896, in

Vana-Kariste Vana-Kariste is a village in Mulgi Parish, Viljandi County, in southern Estonia. It has a population of 95 (as of 1 January 2000). Estonian Army officer Jaan Maide Jaan Maide, VR II/3 (30 May 1896 – 10 August 1945) was a senior Estonian Arm ...

to Johann and Liso Maide.

Military career

Maide was drafted into the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

in 1915. He graduated from a commissioned officer's academy in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1916, and served with the Latvian Riflemen regiment from 1917 until 1918. Following the Estonian Declaration of Independence, Maide joined the newly formed Estonian Army, where he was appointed commander of the 1st Company of the 6th Regiment. He commanded his unit during the

, and was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 12 February 1920. After the war, Maide stayed in the military. He finished General Staff officers' course in 1923, and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. From 1923 until 1927, he served as a general staff officer. In 1927, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Estonian Defence League (''Kaitseliit''). On 24 February 1933, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

. From 30 November 1934 until 30 November 1935, he commanded the Armoured Train Regiment, before returning to his former position as the Chief of Staff of the Estonian Defence League. On 1 February 1940, he was appointed commander of the newly established 4th Division, based in

Viljandi Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu ...

. Maide survived the first Soviet occupation. During the German occupation of Estonia in

, Maide was Chief of Staff, and later Commander of the '' Omakaitse'' (Home Guard), a militia based on the Estonian Defence League. In wake of the German retreat and the Soviet offensive in September 1944,

's government made one last attempt to restore Estonian independence. On 18 September 1944, Maide was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Military, and promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

on 21 September. Despite his attempts to reform the army, the plan to defend Estonia failed. Tallinn fell on 22 September 1944, and Maide himself was captured in Munalaskme on 24 October 1944.

Death

Maide was transported to the

Butyrka prison Butyrskaya prison ( rus, Бутырская тюрьма, r= Butýrskaya tyurmá), usually known simply as Butyrka ( rus, Бутырка, p=bʊˈtɨrkə), is a prison in the Tverskoy District of central Moscow, Russia. In Imperial Russia it ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

and executed on 10 August 1945.

Awards and decorations

Promotions

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maide, Jaan 1896 births 1945 deaths People from Mulgi Parish People from Kreis Pernau Estonian major generals Imperial Russian Army officers Russian military personnel of World War I Estonian military personnel of the Estonian War of Independence Estonian people of World War II Recipients of the Cross of Liberty (Estonia) Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class III Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 3rd Class Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 3rd class Estonian prisoners of war Estonian prisoners and detainees Estonian people executed by the Soviet Union