{"id":14034,"date":"2025-06-11T14:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/?page_id=14034"},"modified":"2025-08-28T13:23:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T13:23:55","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
Since 11. november 1918<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Estonian Defence League \u2013 security of statehood initiated by the people<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
While talking about Estonia\u2019s statehood, its establishment and continuance, we cannot leave out the Estonian Defence League. Several armed services, the border guard, Prison Board, not to mention single military units, grew out of the voluntary national defence organisation established during the confusing times in November 1918, primarily for maintaining public order. A majority of the distinguished officers from the War of Independence and present day Estonia began their service in the Estonian Defence League. In the pre-World War II Republic of Estonia, the Estonian Defence League played a significant role in terms of military training, national defence education, social life and sporting events. It is not said in vain that the Estonian Defence League is the security of Estonian statehood.<\/div>
\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
There have been two attempts to liquidate the Estonian Defence League: in 1924, it led to the Bolshevik rebellion and when the Estonian Defence League was truly liquidated in 1940, the Estonian state was also finished, with the occupation lasting for half a century.<\/div>
\u00a0<\/div>
The Estonian Defence League was re-established in February 1990, a full 18 months before Estonia re-gained its independence, and although the Estonian Defence League is still developing, it is once again becoming a cornerstone of statehood.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Books about the history of the Defence League<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTanel L\u00e4\u00e4n \"Merekaitseliit 1933-1940\/1992-2015\", Tallinn 2015<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTanel Viks \"Eestirootslaste riigikaitse alane v\u00e4lja\u00f5pe, kasvatus ning meelsuse kujunemine koolides, Kaitseliidus ja eriorganisatsioonides aastatel 1917-1940\", 2014<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTanel L\u00e4\u00e4n \"\u00dchine tahe. Pilguheit Kaitseliidu minevikku 1925-1940\", Tallinn 2012<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTanel Pedaru \"1934. aasta riigip\u00f6\u00f6rde m\u00f5ju Eesti Kaitseliidule\", Tartu 2011<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaris Amon-Merilain \"\u00dchis-ning erijooni Soome ja Eesti Kaitseliitude puhkpillimuusikas aastatel 1925-1934\", 2011<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTanel L\u00e4\u00e4n \"Kolmas algus. Kaitseliit 1990-1993\", Tallinn 2010<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMerike J\u00fcrjo \"Eesti Eest!\" lk 1-45, Tallinn 2008<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMerike J\u00fcrjo \"Kaitseliidu ajalugu 1924-1940\", Tallinn 2023<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMerike J\u00fcrjo \"Vaba tahe. Omakaitse ja Kaitseliit 1917 - 1940\", Tallinn 2018<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Kaitseliidu Viru maleva ajalugu piltidel\", Rakvere 2024 <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMart Puusepp \"Kaitseliidu teenetem\u00e4rgid\". Tallinn 2019<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMati Mandel \"S\u00f5jaeelse Kaitseliidu hiilgeaeg ja h\u00e4ving L\u00e4\u00e4nemaal\", Tallinn 2020<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKaja Lotman \"Naiskodukaitse L\u00e4\u00e4ne ringkond 1928 - 1940\", Tallinn 2024<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJarkko Kemppi \"Viron suojeluskuntien organisoituminen ja toiminta 1917-1924\", Joensuu 2000<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since 11. november 1918 Estonian Defence League \u2013 security of statehood initiated by the people While talking about Estonia\u2019s statehood, its establishment and continuance, we cannot leave out the Estonian Defence League. Several armed services, the border guard, Prison Board, not to mention single military units, grew out of the voluntary national defence organisation established […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"kt_page_category":[85],"class_list":["post-14034","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","kt_page_category-defence-league"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHistory - Kaitseliit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"History - Kaitseliit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since 11. november 1918 Estonian Defence League \u2013 security of statehood initiated by the people While talking about Estonia\u2019s statehood, its establishment and continuance, we cannot leave out the Estonian Defence League. Several armed services, the border guard, Prison Board, not to mention single military units, grew out of the voluntary national defence organisation established […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kaitseliit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-28T13:23:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"764\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/\",\"name\":\"History - Kaitseliit\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-11T14:04:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-28T13:23:55+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/defence-league\\\/history\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kaitseliit\",\"description\":\"Kogukondlik vastutus ja kaitsetahe kogu Eestile\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kaitseliit\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/kaitseliit-logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/kaitseliit-logo.svg\",\"width\":249,\"height\":70,\"caption\":\"Kaitseliit\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kaitseliit.ee\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"History - Kaitseliit","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"History - Kaitseliit","og_description":"Since 11. november 1918 Estonian Defence League \u2013 security of statehood initiated by the people While talking about Estonia\u2019s statehood, its establishment and continuance, we cannot leave out the Estonian Defence League. Several armed services, the border guard, Prison Board, not to mention single military units, grew out of the voluntary national defence organisation established […]","og_url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/","og_site_name":"Kaitseliit","article_modified_time":"2025-08-28T13:23:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":764,"url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/","url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/","name":"History - Kaitseliit","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-06-11T14:04:13+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-28T13:23:55+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/defence-league\/history\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/8_polk_20_jogeva.jpeg"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/","name":"Kaitseliit","description":"Kogukondlik vastutus ja kaitsetahe kogu Eestile","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#organization","name":"Kaitseliit","url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kaitseliit-logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kaitseliit-logo.svg","width":249,"height":70,"caption":"Kaitseliit"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14034\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kt_page_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaitseliit.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kt_page_category?post=14034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}