The Estonian Defence League (, 'Defence League') is a voluntary

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

national defence organization of the

Republic of 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 ...

, under management of the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. Its aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its constitutional order. The Defence League possesses arms and engages in military exercises, fulfilling the tasks given to it by the law. The organization is divided into 4 Territorial Defence Districts that consist of 15 Defence League regional units, called malevs, whose areas of responsibility mostly coincide with the borders of Estonian counties.

Mission

The Defence League is a voluntary military national defence organisation, which acts in the area of government of the Ministry of Defence. The Defence League possesses arms and engages in military exercises. The main goal of the Defence League is, on the basis of the citizens’ free will and initiative, to enhance the readiness of the nation to defend its independence and its constitutional order, including in the event of military threat. The Defence League plays an important role in supporting the civil structures. Its members aid in putting out wildfires, volunteer as assistant police members, and ensure safety at various events. Units, consisting of voluntary members of the Defence League, also participate in international peace support operations such as in the Balkan states. The Defence League and its affiliated organisations have positive relations with partner organisations in the Nordic countries, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

History

*1918 – The Estonian Defence League was preceded by Estonia's first armed home defence organisation, the

Omakaitse The Omakaitse ('home guard') was a militia organisation in Estonia. It was founded in 1917 following the Russian Revolution. On the eve of the occupation of Estonia by the German Empire, the Omakaitse units took over major towns in the country ...

(Citizens' Defence Organisation,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Bürgerwehr) against the public disorder accompanying the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. *1918 – On 11 November the Citizens' Defence Organisation was renamed the Estonian Defence League which performed the tasks of a national guard in the

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

. *1924 – The attempted Communist coup on December 1 was opposed by the Defence League. Development of the Defence League for the performance of tasks of national defence was started. *1925 – In October the Estonian Defence League magazine "Kaitse Kodu!" ("Defend Your Home!") was founded. *1926 – On 19–20 June the first Estonian Defence League Festival took place in Tallinn, to be followed by six more such events held before 1940. *1927 – To develop the Defence League and give it a family dimension, the Commander of the Defence League approved the temporary statutes of the Women's Home Defence. *1928 – The Body of Elders decided to invite the boy scout organisation the Young Eagles to join the Defence League. *1931 – The Government of the Republic approved the Statutes of the Defence League which have remained in force until the present day. *1932 – The

Girl Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organization ...

organisation Home Daughters was established at the Women's Home Defence. *1934 – To regulate the life and work of the organisation, House Rules of the Defence League were adopted. *1940 – Soviet Union invaded Estonia on 17 June. Estonian government was forced to sign a deal that demanded collection of all the weapons, including personal ones, from the Defence League members within 48 hours. In protest many members deliberately damaged their weapons before returning them. Hundreds of weapons were hidden. On 24 June all 43,600 members were released from their vowed obligations. On 29 June, all the assets and money of the Defence League were transferred to the ownership of the

Communist Party of Estonia The Communist Party of Estonia (, abbreviated EKP; in Russian: Коммунистическая партия Эстонии) was a regional branch of the CPSU, Soviet communist party (CPSU) which in 1920–1940 operated illegally in Estonia an ...

, formally ending the existence of the Defence League. *1974 – Defence League in exile was founded by Estonian Minister of War in exile Avdy Andresson in the United States *1990 – The Defence League was re-founded on 17 February at Järvakandi on popular initiative in order to defend Estonia's independent statehood. *1991 – On 4 September the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia reinstated the rights of the Defence League as a legal organization, days after its personnel were deployed as the

Soviet Airborne Troops The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno- desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a separate troops branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. First formed b ...

occupied the

Tallinn TV Tower Tallinn TV Tower () is a free-standing structure with an observation deck, built to provide better telecommunication services for the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics regatta event (see Sailing at the 1980 Summer Olympics). It is located near the ...

but owing to EDL personnel deployed to the signal rooms, did not disrupt the radio broadcasts. *1992 – On 28 April the Defence League was included in the Defence Forces as a national defence organisation. In 1999, the Estonian Parliament adopted the EDL Law, which provided the position of the Kaitseliit in society and national defence and also described its main tasks, structure, legal basis for operations and control and co-operation with the Defence Forces, Police, and other state organizations.

Organization

The organisation is divided into 4 Territorial Defence Districts () that consist of 15 Defence League regional units () whose areas of responsibility mostly coincide with the borders of Estonia's counties. In case of mobilization, each of the districts will form a battalion sized maneuver unit. * Northern Territorial Defence District: Tallinn, Harju and Rapla malevs * Northeastern Territorial Defence District: Alutaguse, Viru, Jõgeva and Järva malevs * Southern Territorial Defence District: Põlva, Sakala, Tartu, Valgamaa and Võrumaa malevs * Western Territorial Defence District: Pärnumaa, Lääne and Saaremaa malevs Today, the Defence League has over 15,000 reservists. The affiliated organisations of the Defence League combine more than 25,000 volunteers, in all, and include the Estonian Defence League's women's corps (), the Estonian Defence League's boys’ corps (), and the Estonian Defence League's girls’ corps ().

Affiliated organisations

;Women's Voluntary Defence Organization (WVDO) WVDO – ' ( (NKK)) is an organisation within Kaitseliit. Every member of WVDO has a function/task in a case of crises (civilian or armed) # Military defence - every member has the option to contribute in a military unit as a combatant # Comprehensive national defence - evacuation units civil defence affairs (courses, app), We Salute! campaign to support veterans, youth work, co-operation with MoI (Rescue Board, Police and Border Guard, Emergency Response Centre, etc.) # Community member - Member of WVDO with skills and knowledge of basic training is able to cope in all situations and different crises. Willing to take initiative and responsibility in all stages of crises. Empowerment of women! ;Defence League's girls’ corps – "Home Daughters" The Defence League's girls’ corps – was established to increase patriotic feelings and readiness to defend the independence of Estonia among young girls; to enhance the love for home and fatherland; to encourage respect for the Estonian language and ways of thinking; to be honest, enterprising, responsible, and capable of decision-making; to respect nature; and to respect one's parents and others. ;Defence League's boys’ corps – "Young Eagles" The Defence League's boys’ corps – . The objective of the organisation is to raise these young people as good citizens with healthy bodies and minds. In addition to numerous interesting activities, such as parachute jumping, flying gliders, orienteering, shooting weapons, etc., the boys’ corps also participates in numerous events, the most popular but also the most difficult being the Mini-Erna 35 km reconnaissance competition.

Culture

The Estonian

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

(1919) has been celebrated until WWII with military parades, organized by the Kaitseliit. Since 2000, Victory Day parades have been organized by Kaitseliit again every June 23. The 2015 parade also saw a rising number of military contingents from NATO countries take part: Latvia, the United States, Finland, Poland and Sweden, while 2016, aside from the US and Latvian troops also featured new contingents from Lithuania and Denmark. In 2006, the first Fleet Review in Estonian history was conducted by Kaitseliit in June in Saaremaa. In 2016, the Sakala subdivision of Estonian Defence League formed the first Estonian military

pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, ...

and their first performance was during the yearly Victory Day parade the same year. Band uses 4 sets of drums and 12 special sets of "war pipes" made by Andres Taul. Idea for such a unit originally came from President

Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Early life Meri was born in Tallin ...

in 2001 whilst he was visiting the

Viljandi Folk Music Festival The Viljandi Folk Music Festival is a music festival in Estonia with a central focus on European folk music. It is traditionally held during the last weekend of July, when the otherwise quiet city of Viljandi is completely transformed as the smal ...

. The idea was later revived by President

Toomas Hendrik Ilves Toomas Hendrik Ilves (; born 26 December 1953) is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. Ilves worked as a diplomat and journalist, and he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1 ...

in 2010 and Ando Kiviberg, notable local piper and head of Viljandi's folk festival, was assigned to form the band. According to Kiviberg one of the goals of the band is also to promote bagpipes amongst males, as Estonia is lacking male pipers.

Personnel

Leadership

The Commander of Defence League () is the highest-ranking officer of the Defence League; though he may not be the senior officer by time in grade. The Commander has the responsibility to man, train, equip and develop the organization. He does not serve as a direct battlefield commander. The Commander is a member and head of the Chief of Staff which is the main organizational tool of the Commander. The Commander is appointed by the Commander of the Defence Forces or by the Supreme Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces. As of 2020, Colonel

Eero Rebo Eero Rebo (born 19 December 1974, in Abja-Paluoja) is an Estonian Land Forces colonel. From 2004 to 2007 he was the commander of Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion. From 2015 to 2019 he was the commander of 2nd Infantry Brigade (Estonia), 2nd Infant ...

is the Defence League Chief of Staff.

Ranks and insignia

Uniforms

Standard uniforms of the

Estonian Defence Forces The Estonian Defence Forces () is the unified military force of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces consists of the Estonian Land Forces, the Estonian Navy, the Estonian Air Force, and the paramilitary Estonian Defence Leagu ...

are the ESTDCU issued to Defence League personnel. On some festive occasions (such as parades), white

armband An armband is a piece of material worn around the arm. They may be worn for pure ornamentation, or to mark the wearer as belonging to group, or as insignia having a certain rank, status, office or role, or being in a particular state or conditi ...

s with the insignia of the given territorial unit are worn. Civilian uniforms are worn by the women's division during parades and ceremonies. Armbands have also previously been worn on civilian clothing to distinguish members of the Defence League from civilians during periods when Defence League units did not have sufficient inventories to supply every member with a uniform (during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

; and in the beginning of the 1990s).

Equipment

The basic infantry weapon of the Defence League is the 5.56mm

LMT R-20 Rahe The LMT R-20 Rahe is an assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is specially designed and manufactured for the needs of the Estonian Defense Forces by the US company Lewis Machine & Tool Company. The R-20 Rahe replaced ...

, but the majority of the memberbase is equipped with the

7.62mm The 7.62 mm caliber is a nominal caliber used for a number of different cartridges. Historically, this class of cartridge was commonly known as .30 caliber, the equivalent in Imperial and United States Customary measures. It is most com ...

G3 rifle The Heckler & Koch G3 () is a select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO developed in the 1950s by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned firearms manufacturer CETME. The G3 w ...

and its variants. The G3-based rifles are being phased out in favour of the R-20 Rahe in Territorial Defence () maneuver units while backline units will retain the G3. Suppressive fire is provided by the

Ksp 58 The Ksp 58 (, English: Machine Gun 58) is a Swedish variant of the Belgian FN MAG general-purpose machine gun, adopted by the Swedish Armed Forces in 1958. History After 1945, many countries were trying to produce their own machine guns based on ...

MG3 The MG 3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser round. The MG 3 was standardized in the late 1950s a ...

machine guns and

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered ...

heavy machine guns. Squad level anti-tank capabilities are provided with 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless rifles. In addition, indirect fire is provided by 81mm and 120mm mortars on battlegroup level. Defence League battlegroups also include dedicated anti-tank units equipped with 90mm Pvpj 1110 anti-tank guns and

FGM-148 Javelin The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is an American-made man-portable anti-tank system in service since 1996 and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-f ...

ATGMs.Estonian Defence League: Equipment
The Defence League utilizes a variety of tactical transport vehicles and a small number of

BTR-80 The BTR-80 () is an 8×8 wheeled Amphibious vehicle, amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the Soviet Union. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous vehicles, the BTR-60 and BTR-70, in the Soviet Army. It was first de ...

armoured personnel carriers.

References

External links

Estonian Defence League
official webpage
Estonian Defence League SchoolEstonian Defence League Girl's corp
official page in Estonian
Estonian Defence League Women's corp
official page in English
Estonian Defence League Boy's corp
official page in Estonian {{Estonian Military Military of Estonia Militias in Europe Estonian War of Independence Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1940 Military units and formations established in 1991 1918 establishments in Estonia Paramilitary organizations based in Estonia