Estonian War of Independence
1919 · All of Estonia and northern Latvia · World · Modern
The Estonian army repulsed the Red Army's offensive, defeated the German forces at Cēsis, and in 1920 signed the Treaty of Tartu with Soviet Russia
Belligerents
Estonian army
- Commanders
- Johan Laidoner, Konstantin Päts
- Strength
- Up to about 86,000 men, with support from Finnish volunteers and a British fleet
The Soviet Russian Red Army and the German Landeswehr
- Commanders
- Red Army 7th Army
- Strength
- Red Army up to about 100,000
Background
After German troops withdrew in November 1918, the Soviet Russian Red Army immediately attacked newly independent Estonia, at one point advancing to just over thirty kilometers from Tallinn.
Course of the battle
- Critical momentBy the end of 1918 the Red Army had captured eastern and southern Estonia and was closing in on Tallinn
- Total mobilizationLaidoner became commander-in-chief and organized armored trains and volunteer units, while Finnish volunteers and a British fleet came to help
- CounteroffensiveIn early 1919 the Estonian army launched a counteroffensive along the entire front and drove the Red Army out of the country
- Two-front war and peace treatyIn June it defeated the German forces at Cēsis; in February 1920 it signed the Treaty of Tartu with Soviet Russia
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1919 |
|---|---|
| Place | All of Estonia and northern Latvia |
| Result | The Estonian army repulsed the Red Army's offensive, defeated the German forces at Cēsis, and in 1920 signed the Treaty of Tartu with Soviet Russia |
| Winner | Estonia |
| Casualties | About 3,600 Estonian soldiers killed in battle |
| Territorial change | Soviet Russia recognizes Estonian independence |
Impact
The War of Independence secured Estonia's national independence, and Estonia still regards the Treaty of Tartu as the legal basis of the border between the two countries.
See the world in 1919 on the map →