History of Estonian Military Thought

In 2021, Dr Igor Kopõtin, currently Lead Research Fellow at the Estonian Military Academy, initiated the research project “Estonian Military Thought 1920–1940,” based on research contributions from scholars of the Estonian Military Academy, the Estonian War Museum – General Laidoner Museum, the Estonian Maritime Museum, and the University of Tartu. The aim of the project was to explore the factors that influenced the content and development of Estonian military theory and art of war. The work resulted in several studies on Estonian national art of war and theory of war, focusing primarily on analyses of research papers on warfare by Estonian higher and senior officers, written in the period between the two wars. Some studies were published in the “Occasional Papers” series of the Estonian Military Academy. Two of these are examined below.

Polish Military Thought in the Interwar Period of the 20th Century and the Role of Marshal Józef Piłsudski

Polish military thought of the interwar period was derived from the country’s position in the international arena, its geostrategic location, the position and role of Józef Piłsudski, as well as economic and social factors determining specific development opportunities of the armed forces of independent Poland

The Red Army Rises – the Impact of Threat Assessment on Defence System and Military Thinking in Finland in the 1920s

This article examines how the threat of the Red Army was perceived in Finland during the 1920s and 1930s, and how this threat assessment influenced the development of Finland’s defence system. The main focus of the article is on the developments of the 1920s and the solutions that were reached during that time. It primarily addresses the development of the defence system, but also considers the evolution of Finnish military thinking in its early stages. The research question of the article is: “How did the threat assessment affect the development of Finnish defence and military thinking during the 1920s and 30s?” The article is mostly based on the author’s dissertation project that examines the development of the Finnish covering troop concept from 1918 to 1942

Examining the Indefensible: Guarding Estonia in the Interwar Period and the Future

Estonia failed to take adequate lessons from World War I to defend itself from the looming threat of the Soviet Union, and instead spent its limited resources on acquisitions of marginal utility and failed to adequately reform its military. Its international position was further weakened by an inability to forge appropriate alliances due to infighting among the countries of Northern Europe. This paper will shed light on the complex interplay of geopolitical factors, internal dynamics and the strategic choices made by Estonia during that critical time and explore how these insights can inform current defence strategies. During the interwar period, Estonia sought to modernise and organise its military forces, facing constraints in arming its soldiers with a hotchpotch of equipment comprising leftover Russian and German arms, lendlease British equipment, and other sundries. Despite these challenges, Estonia made efforts to establish a defensive line in the northeast of the country and pursued alliances with Finland, Latvia, Poland and other states. It made preparations for a southeastern defensive network along the Võru axis, but ground had not yet been broken by the time of the Soviet ultimatum. Both efforts ultimately failed, and Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Lessons from this failure can be applied to the current strategic situation in the Baltic region, given the continuing importance of NATO and the renewed military significance of deliberate defensive positions backed up by long-range precision firepower and anti-access/area-denial weapons

The Challenges of Our Defence: Military Knowledge and Officers’ Writings in Interwar Czechoslovakia

A central focus of this study is the process of knowledge creation and circulation of military texts in interwar Czechoslovakia and the role of professional officers in it. Their writings were circulated through books, professional journals and the daily press, but their ability to publish was managed by the military administration. At first, these publications provided a platform for the articulation of the role of the Czechoslovak military in an often antimilitary-minded society. Later, they functioned especially as instruments of military preparedness propaganda. This article aims to demonstrate both the societal context and the control over officers’ writings, not only in discussing military thought but also in bolstering society’s resolve, thereby contributing to the military culture of fledgling Czechoslovakia in the interwar period

Michael Calmeyer: A Dutch Infantry Officer Contemplates Modern War, 1935–1940

In the 1930s, Michael Calmeyer, a Dutch infantry officer, extensively studied the current military developments of the time and the war of the future. He based his conclusions on thorough analyses of numerous international publications, primarily in French, German and English. He concluded that modern technology, particularly tanks and aircraft, had reintroduced mobility in warfare, while also increasing its speed. Consequently, classical manoeuvre warfare was making a comeback, with the infantry still playing a leading role. While he considered extreme and one-sided views such as those of Douhet, Fuller and Liddell Hart to be impractical, he acknowledged that elements of these views did influence major powers. Calmeyer saw this view confirmed both in contemporary conflicts, and within the professional publications of Morretta and Alléhaut. Notably, Calmeyer was, between 1937 and 1939, the only Dutch officer seconded to Wehrmacht units and the Kriegsakademie in Berlin. He advised the Dutch army leadership to focus primarily on building strong defences against motorised and mechanised attacks, as well as maintaining high morale and commitment among the soldiers. After all, modern warfare would demand the utmost from every individual soldier

Implications of General Johan Laidoner’s Active Defence Doctrine in the Estonian Defence Modernisation Plan of 1938

General Johan Laidoner’s activities as commander-in-chief during Estonia’s interwar period are often associated with his doctrine of active defence. While direct documentation is limited, scholars have reconstructed this doctrine from archival sources and analysed its defensive applications. This study examines how Laidoner’s active defence principles influenced Estonia’s military modernisation planning. Following the 1934 coup, Laidoner possessed unprecedented powers, providing him significant freedom to implement his strategic vision. The research addresses two questions: What were the main strategic and tactical principles of Laidoner’s active defence doctrine, and what were their foundations? Can these principles be identified in Estonia’s 1938 Defence Modernisation Plan? The analysis focuses primarily on the latter question, as development plans represent crucial forward-looking strategic management tools. The 1938 plan and accompanying discussions provide the clearest evidence of Laidoner’s commitment to implementing active defence principles within the evolving security environment of the late 1930s

Social Network Characteristics, Disability and Survival among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Social support may affect survival for everyone, or it may buffer the effects of chronic strain. This paper explores whether, how, and which social network characteristics are associated with longer overall survival as well as longer survival when experiencing disability-related stress. The data used is from the SHARE Estonia survey for the population aged 50+ (2010–2020), cross-checked with the timing of death from the population register. The effects of six network characteristics were analysed: network size, frequency of contact with family members, number of children in the network, reporting a partner and friends as network members, and overall emotional closeness with the network. Network characteristics, disability, employment, legal marital status, and practical support were constructed as time-varying variables. Men and women were analysed separately using Cox’s hazard models. The analytical sample includes 2,754 people (1,157 men and 1,597 women) without everyday activity limitations at the onset, of whom 14.5% (19.9% of men and 10.5% of women) died during the observation period. The results show that irrespective of whether they experience stress, larger networks protect women from dying earlier. Frequency of contact with family members was the only significant factor buffering the experience of everyday activity limitations, albeit with high uncertainty and only among men

Beyond Staatswissenschaft The Conception of the State and Rights

Beyond Staatswissenschaft The Conception of the State and Right