Overview of the military history of Estonia
Two years after the end of the Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920), the Estonian Army consisted of 3 field divisions and a number of small independent battalions and companies (1922).
The Republic of Estonia consisted of 47,750 km2 of territory, with a population of 1,107,000 inhabitants. The armed forces was made up of 18,000 men. In the opinion of the Lithuanian armed forces General Staff, the army was large enough to defend The Republic of Estonia. Estonia's geographical position was well-suited for military purposes - two large lakes were useful natural obstacles. Conscripts served for was 18 months in the infantry, 24 months in other parts of the army, and 36 months in the Navy. Estonian military also had 105,000 in reserve force which would have been mobilized if a war would have started.
Infantry Organization
The army had 12 line battalions. Every battalion consisted of:
- 3 line (infantry) companies of 3 platoons of 2 squads
- Machine gun company
- Technical company
- Cavalry platoon for recognition
The infantry was using Russian and English made rifles. The accoutrements and ammunition of their weapons were American made. Two battalions make a regiment in peacetime. After the mobilization, every battalion become regiment.
Comparison of companies
| Formation
|
Number of Machine Guns
|
Organization
|
| Line coy
|
6 machine guns (light)
|
3 platoons of 2 squads
|
| Machine gun coy
|
12 Maxim machine guns
|
Artillery
There were 3 regiments of light artillery, one for each infantry division. In addition, there were 2 groups of heavy artillery in separate units. Artillery regiments were composed of 4 batteries. Single battery consisted of 4 guns. Most were 3 inch Russian guns. There were also English, French and German guns.
Cavalry
Military unit
- Hussars regiment:
- 2 line squadrons
- Mg's squadrons
The Estonian military included two regular Hussar cavalry regiments, as well as six cavalry squadrons that could be called up as part of the reserve army.
Two Estonian cavalry regiments participated in the Estonian War of Independence, along with smaller cavalry formations; every infantry regiment had one reconnaissance cavalry attachment. By the end of the war, another cavalry regiment, the Cavalry Reserve Regiment, was formed in Tallinn, and functioned as a cavalry school for soldiers and officers.[2] The Estonian 2nd Cavalry Regiment was dissolved in 1920.
Despite several attempts by the Estonian Defence Forces to modernize its cavalry, the units could not keep up with the technological advances of the 1930s and the rapid development of armoured warfare. While already declining before World War II, the remaining Estonian cavalry regiments were abolished and attached to the Soviet 22nd Rifle Corps on 10 September 1940.[3]
There have been no cavalry units in the modern Estonian Ground Forces since Estonian independence in 1991.
Aviation
3 squadrons – 34 planes and hydroplanes
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Estonia portal
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