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 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 was among the most influential people in the Estonian politics between the world wars. Born in Viiratsi,

Kreis Fellin Kreis Fellin (''Viljandi kreis'', ''Феллинский уезд'') was one of the nine subdivisions of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the northern part of the governorate (in present-day southern Estonia). I ...

Governorate of Livonia The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a Baltic governorate of the Russian Empire, now divided between Latvia and Estonia. Geography The shape of the province is a fairly rectangular in shape, with a maximum ...

, Laidoner joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1901 and fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Following the Russian revolution in 1917, he commanded the Estonian national units of the Russian army. In 1918, the

Estonian Provisional Government The Estonian Provisional Government ( et, Eesti Ajutine Valitsus) was formed on 24 February 1918, by the Salvation Committee appointed by '' Maapäev'', the Estonian Province Assembly. History Konstantin Päts' first provisional cabinet The P ...

appointed him commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Estonia. After the

, he served as a member of the

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

(''Riigikogu'') from 1920 to 1929. He was once again appointed commander-in-chief during the 1924 Communist coup attempt, and then again from 1934 to 1940. After the

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into two different ...

in 1940, he was arrested and deported to Russia, where he died in prison in 1953.

Early life and career

Johan Laidoner was born on Raja estate in Viiratsi, to a farmhand Jaak Laidoner (1854–1911) and his wife Mari (née Saarsen; 1851–1938) as the first of four sons. He studied at Viiratsi Elementary School and finished his basic education at Viljandi Town School in 1900. As Laidoner's parents were poor, he could not continue his studies and voluntarily joined the Imperial Russian Army. From 1901 to 1902, he served in the 110th Kama Infantry Regiment, based in Kovno (now Kaunas, Lithuania), and went on to study at the Infantry Officer School in

Vilna Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...

(Vilnius) from 1902 to 1905. He graduated top of his class in April 1905 and was promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant. He was then sent to serve in the 13th Yerevan Grenadier Regiment, which was then stationed in

Manglisi Manglisi ( ka, მანგლისი, ) is a '' daba'' (townlet) in the Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia. As of the 2014 census, it had the population of 1,441. With a recorded history going back to the 4th century, Mangl ...

, Georgia. From 1905 to 1909, he held various positions in the regiment, eventually becoming company deputy commander. In 1908, he 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 ...

. From 1909 to 1912, Laidoner studied at the

Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy () was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy (Императорская военная академия), then in 1855 it was renamed Nichola ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, graduating with a 1st grade diploma. On 30 October 1911, while studying in Saint Petersburg, Laidoner married Maria Skarbek-Kruszewska, a descendant of Polish nobility, whom he had met earlier in Vilnius. The couple had a son, Michael (1913–1928). After Michael's death, the Laidoners adopted Maria's nephew, Aleksei Kruszewski. Upon his graduation in 1912, Laidoner was promoted to the rank of

staff captain Staff captain is the English translation of a number of military ranks: Historical use of the rank Czechoslovakia In the Czechoslovak Army, until 1953, Staff Captain ( cs, štábní kapitán, sk, štábny kapitán) was a senior captain ran ...

and sent back to his regiment. In the following year, he was appointed to the General Staff and was dispatched to serve for one year as company commander in the 1st Caucasus Rifle Regiment. He then served at the Staff of the

Caucasus Military District The Caucasus Military District (russian: Кавказский военный округ, ''Kavkazskiy voenniy okrug'') was a military formation of the Imperial Russian Army. It was created in 1865 as the successor to the Caucasus Army, and was dis ...

World War I

At the outbreak of

, Laidoner served as staff aide of the

3rd Caucasus Army Corps The 3rd Caucasus Army Corps (Russian, 3-й Ка́вказский арме́йский ко́рпус) was a military formation of the Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 ...

. On 26 November 1914, he was promoted to captain. In March 1915, Laidoner was appointed to the senior staff of the 21st Infantry Division of the same corps. In October 1915, he was made aide to the commander of the intelligence department of the Staff of the Western Front and on 15 August 1916, Laidoner was promoted to the rank of ''

Podpolkovnik ''Podpolkovnik'' (russian: подполко́вник, lit=sub –, junior – , or lower regimentary) is a military rank in Slavic and nearby countries which corresponds to the lieutenant colonel in the English-speaking states and military. ...

'' ( lieutenant colonel). From March to September 1917, he served as staff commander of the 1st Caucasus Grenadier Division and from October to November 1917, as staff commander of the 62nd Infantry Division. On 5 January 1918, Laidoner was appointed commander of the newly formed 1st Estonian Division. On 18 February 1918, the negotiations over the

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (also known as the Treaty of Brest in Russia) was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire), that ended Russia's ...

broke down and German forces, who had already captured Estonian islands, landed on the mainland. On the following day, Laidoner resigned from his post as division commander and left for Russia. On 24 February 1918, Estonia declared independence, but was subsequently occupied by Germany.

Estonian War of Independence

On 4 April 1918, the

promoted Laidoner, then still residing in Petrograd, to the rank of ''

Polkovnik ''Polkovnik'' (russian: полковник, lit=regimentary; pl, pułkownik) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandin ...

'' (

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 o ...

). Following the German capitulation on 11 November 1918, the Soviet

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

invaded Estonia on 28 November, marking the beginning of the

. On 30 November, Laidoner left Petrograd and arrived in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

on 8 December. The provisional government first appointed him chief of staff on 14 December, and then on 23 December, commander-in-chief of the

Estonian Armed Forces The Estonian Defence Forces ( et, Eesti Kaitsevägi) are the unified military forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces consist of the Estonian Land Forces, the Estonian Navy, the Estonian Air Force, and the paramilitary Es ...

On 1 January 1919, the Estonian Army had just over 13,000 men, with 5,700 of them facing 8,000 Soviets on the Viru Front. In the first days of January, the Estonian forces managed to halt the Soviet advance at the Valkla-

Kehra Kehra is a town in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia, most known for its pulp and paper mill. The town is situated on the banks of the Jägala river, and has a station on the Tallinn-Narva railway. As of January 1, 2021, the town had a popu ...

line and on 3 January, Laidoner launched a counter-offensive with 1st Division, supported by Finnish volunteers and

armoured trains An armoured train is a railway train protected with armour. Armoured trains usually include railway wagons armed with artillery, machine guns and autocannons. Some also had slits used to fire small arms from the inside of the train, a facili ...

. Within 11 days, the 1st Division advanced 200 kilometres east, while the 2nd Division moved against the Soviet forces in Southern Estonia. Following the liberation of Tartu and

Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru county, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia international border. With 54 ...

, he was promoted to the rank of

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 20 January 1919. On Estonia's first independence day on 24 February 1919, Laidoner reported that the Soviet forces have been driven out of Estonia, as well as capturing over 6,000 men and 40 guns. Laidoner had a crucial role in organizing and training the army in a very short time as well as establishing an effective command structure within the armed forces. Learning from his experience with

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising military trenches, in which troops are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. Trench warfare became ar ...

in World War I and due to the limited size of the forces available to him, Laidoner chose to achieve crucial victories – capturing strategically important roads and railway stations – with smaller and more mobile

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

- and company-sized units, supported by armoured trains and armoured cars. After the end of the war, Laidoner was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

on 21 March 1920, before resigning as commander‑in‑chief and retiring from active service on 26 March 1920.

Post-war career

After the war, Laidoner was a member of the

Riigikogu The Riigikogu (; from Estonian ''riigi-'', of the state, and ''kogu'', assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Just ...

(Parliament of Estonia) and from 1920 to 1929 as a member of the conservative Farmers' Assemblies. He served as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and was part of the Estonian delegation in the General Assembly of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

from 1922 to 1929, where he was known for his

isolationist Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entan ...

stance.

Johan Laidoner and Hugo Österman 1938 in Tallinn

On 1 December 1924, the Estonian Communists, together with assault groups sent from the Soviet Union, attempted a coup d'état. The government called an emergency meeting during which

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

was declared and Laidoner was appointed commander‑in‑chief of the armed forces. Although the actual coup attempt was over in five hours, the pursuit of coupists continued and the situation remained tense for several weeks. On 8 January 1925, after the martial law was abolished, Laidoner resigned as commander‑in‑chief and left military service once again. In 1925, Laidoner was commissioned by the League of Nations to head a special mission to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

, investigating the allegations made against

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

regarding the mistreatment and deportations of Christians in the

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...

region. The report Laidoner's committee submitted played an important role in demarcating the border between Turkey and Iraq. On 12 March 1934, the State Elder

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

declared martial law and appointed Laidoner commander‑in‑chief of the armed forces. The aim of declaring martial law was to halt the political rise of the

Vaps Movement The Vaps Movement ( et, Eesti Vabadussõjalaste Keskliit, later ''Eesti Vabadussõjalaste Liit'', ''vabadussõjalased'', or colloquially ''vapsid'', a single member of this movement was called ''vaps'') was an Estonian political organization. Fo ...

and their potential success in the upcoming presidential elections. Together with Päts and

Kaarel Eenpalu Kaarel Eenpalu (until 1935 Karl August Einbund) (, in Paju talu, Vesneri Parish (now Tartu Parish), Kreis Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 27 January 1942, in Kirov Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR) was an Estonian journalist, ...

, the

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

, Laidoner established an authoritarian rule, disbanding political parties and limiting free speech, the so-called "

Era of Silence The era of silence ( et, vaikiv ajastu) was the period between 1934 and 1938 (or 1940Miljan, p. 196.) in Estonian history. The period began with the preemptive self-coup of 12 March 1934, which the then Prime Minister of Estonia Konstantin P� ...

". Laidoner remained commander-in-chief of the armed forces and oversaw national defence politics. His reforms included a large-scale weapons and equipment modernization program, expanding the military via conscription, and introduction of military training in universities. On 1 January 1938, a new constitution was enacted, which saw the creation of a bicameral Rahvuskogu (National Assembly), consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the National Council. As the commander‑in‑chief, Laidoner became an '' ex officio'' member of the National Council. On 24 February 1939, he was promoted to the rank of

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Soviet occupation, arrest and death

On 17 June 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Estonia. Laidoner was officially removed from his position as the commander‑in‑chief on 22 June 1940. On 19 July, he and his wife were deported to

Penza Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-la ...

, Russia, where they lived in forced exile until the beginning of the war with Germany. On 23 June 1941, they were put under house arrest and then imprisoned on 28 June by the

NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...

. In September 1942, the Laidoners were sent 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 millio ...

, along with Konstantin Päts and a number of former Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish statesmen and their families. From there, they were moved to a prison in Kirov, and then in Ivanovo. On 16 April 1952, Laidoner was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was sent to

Vladimir Central Prison Vladimir Prison, popularly known as Vladimir Central (russian: Владимирский централ), is a prison in Vladimir, Russia. It is the largest prison in Russia, with a capacity of 1220 detainees, and is operated by the Federal Penite ...

, where he died on 13 March 1953. He was buried at the prison cemetery, but his remains have not been found. Laidoner's adopted son Aleksei was also arrested by the NKVD. He died in

Solikamsk Solikamsk (russian: Солика́мск, Permyak: Совкар, ''Sovkar'', also Соликамскӧй, ''Sovkamsköy'') is a town in Perm Krai, Russia. Modern Solikamsk is the third-largest town in the krai, with a population of History The ...

labor camp on 26 November 1941 with chest trauma listed as the cause of death. Maria Laidoner was released in 1954 and was allowed to return to Estonia. She died in 1978 in Jämejala, near

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. ...

, and was buried in Tallinn at Siselinna Cemetery, next to her son Michael.

Legacy

Laidoner's reputation in Estonia has remained controversial; although he has been hailed as a national hero for his leadership skills and success as a military commander in the War of Independence, he has been criticized for his support of Konstantin Päts and his involvement in the 1934 coup d'état as well as the surrender to the Soviet Union in 1940. Viimsi mõis

Laidoner has a number of monuments, memorials and places named after him. * Laidoner's memorial in his birthplace in Vardja was destroyed after the Soviet occupation in 1940 and restored in 1990. * In 2001, the

Estonian War Museum The Estonian War Museum (full name Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum; et, Eesti Sõjamuuseum – kindral Laidoneri muuseum) is a war museum in Viimsi, Estonia. The museum is dedicated to military history of Estonia. The museum is ...

named in his honour was opened in Laidoner's former residence in Viimsi Manor. * In 2004, an

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

of General Laidoner was unveiled next to the ruins of the Viljandi Castle. * In Viljandi, a square and a park are named after him. * In 2009,

Eesti Post Omniva is an international post and logistics company based in Tallinn, Estonia, that targets the Baltic states. The name Omniva was adopted in June 2014; the company was previously called AS Eesti Post, whose history can be traced back to the ...

released a commemorative stamp to honour Laidoner's 125th anniversary. * Laidoner has a plaque dedicated to him in Vilnius Military Academy. Raba talu koht.jpg, Laidoner's memorial in Vardja Johan Laidoner plaque in Vilnius.JPG, Plaque for Laidoner in Vilnius File:Johan Laidoner statue.jpg, Equestrian statue of General Johan Laidoner in Viljandi.

Awards and decorations

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links