Estonian Defence League


The Estonian Defence League is a voluntary national defence organization of the Republic of Estonia, under management of the Ministry of Defence. 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 against the public disorder accompanying the Russian Revolution.
  • 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.
  • 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!" 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 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, 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 occupied the Tallinn TV Tower 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.
The Estonian Defence League did not completely cease to exist after being closed down during the Soviet occupation in summer 1940. Its members hid some of the weapons but it was done on their own initiative and only in a few locations. They maintained communication, common listening to foreign radio stations was organised as well as discussions of world affairs and future prospects.
After the June deportation in 1941 and the breakout of war between Germany and the Soviet Union, the former members of the Defence League and other civilians formed partisan groups in the woods called forest brothers. As clashes with the retreating Soviet 8th Army, destruction battalions and NKVD escalated into the Summer War, the partisan groups formed themselves into Omakaitse of rural municipalities and regions. The formation of countywide structures began right after the arrival of the German 18th Army. The first such organisation was created on 3 July 1941 in the town of Kilingi-Nõmme. It included the units of Omakaitse and forest brothers of rural municipalities. After the arrival of the 18th Army, the Omakaitse were subordinated to local Wehrmacht field commanders. This happened in Pärnu on 10 July, in Tartu on 11 July, in Valga on 12 July and in Võru on 14 July.
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 – Women's Home Protection is an organisation within Kaitseliit. Every member of WVDO has a function/task in a case of crises
  1. Military defence - every member has the option to contribute in a military unit as a combatant
  2. Comprehensive national defence - evacuation units civil defence affairs, We Salute! campaign to support veterans, youth work, co-operation with MoI
  3. 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 – Kodutütred 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 – Young Eagles. 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 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 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 in 2001 whilst he was visiting the Viljandi Folk Music Festival. The idea was later revived by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves 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 is the Defence League Chief of Staff.