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 and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

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

, and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

.Eesti Entsüklopeedia 14: Eesti elulood.

Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus Estonian Encyclopaedia Publishers ( et, Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus) was an Estonian publisher which published reference literature (like encyclopedias, atlases) and popular science literature. As of 2009 publisher's main shareholders were ...

, 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 ( et, Viljandi vald) is a rural 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, Pärsti, Sa ...

). In 1914 he graduated from

Riga Polytechnical Institute Riga Technical University (RTU) ( lv, Rīgas Tehniskā universitāte) 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 Inst ...

. 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. 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. From 1934 to 1939 he was the assistant officer ( et, käsundusohvitser) of 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 pr ...

. In 1939, the then 59-year-old Jonson resigned from active service with 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 a ...

due to exceeding the age limit, but a year later he was reinstated by Konstantin Päts, who appointed Jonson Commander of the Estonian Army – the former Commander-in-Chief Johan Laidoner was forced to resign on 22 June at the request of the Soviet authorities, who had demanded that Estonia allow the Soviet Union establish military bases and station 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for the duration of the war in September 1939. Gustav Jonsoni mälestuskivi, 2014

Next, Jonson was the commander of the so-called Estonian People's Army and then, from 3 September, the commander of the 22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps. In that capacity he was promoted in February 1941 to Lieutenant General of the

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

. At the beginning of June 1941, all Estonian generals were released from the command of the corps. On 13 June, Jonson was sent to the General Staff Academy in Moscow, where he was arrested on 19 July. On 15 May 1942, Jonson was sentenced to death. Jonson died in

Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk ( rus, Челя́бинск, p=tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk, a=Ru-Chelyabinsk.ogg; ba, Силәбе, ''Siläbe'') is the administrative center and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the seventh-largest city in Russia, with a ...

on 15 November 1942.

Awards

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

RUS Order of Saint George 4th class ribbon 2000

Recipient of the

Saint George Sword The Gold Sword for Bravery (russian: Золотое оружие "За храбрость") was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished ...

, ''1917.'' * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Knight 3rd Class

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; 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 Hol ...

, *

Knight 2nd Class

, *

Knight of the

Order of St. Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poni ...

, *

Knight Commander of the

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

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

Knight 1st Class Order of the Estonian Red Cross, ''1934''.

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Recipient of the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

Foreign

Knight 3rd Class of the Latvian Order of Lāčplēsis, ''1924.'' * LVA Order of the Three Stars - Commander BAR

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

Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword, * FIN Order of the White Rose Commander BAR

Commander of the Finnish Order of the White Rose,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonson, Gustav 1880 births 1942 deaths People from Viljandi Parish People from Kreis Fellin Estonian major generals Soviet lieutenant generals Imperial Russian Army officers Riga Technical University alumni Russian military personnel of World War I Estonian military personnel of the Estonian War of Independence Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 3rd class Recipients of the Cross of Liberty (Estonia) Recipients of the Military Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class I Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars Order of the White Rose of Finland Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Order of the Sword Estonian people who died in Soviet detention Soviet rehabilitations