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Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces
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<h2 id="list-of-officeholders">List of officeholders</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th>No.</th><th>Portrait</th><th>Commander</th><th>Took office</th><th>Left office</th><th>Time in office</th><th>Defence branch</th><th>Ref.</th></tr><tr><td>1</td><td></td><td>Laidoner, JohanGeneral<a href="/facts/Johan_Laidoner/gmtAsrYz">Johan Laidoner</a>(1884–1953)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></td><td>23 December 19181 December 192412 March 1934</td><td>26 March 19208 January 192522 June 1940</td><td>1 year, 94 days38 days6 years, 102 daysTotal: 7 years, 234 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td></td><td>Jonson, GustavMajor General<a href="/facts/Gustav_Jonson/ldD4VaDv">Gustav Jonson</a>(1880–1942)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></td><td>22 June 1940</td><td>3 September 1940</td><td>73 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a>Cavalry</td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><i>Vacant</i> <a href="/facts/Soviet_occupation_of_the_Baltic_states_(1940)/tk1jWo9W">Soviet</a> and <a href="/facts/German_occupation_of_the_Baltic_states_during_World_War_II/80dm9qg5">German</a> occupations</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td></td><td>Maide, JaanMajor General<a href="/facts/Jaan_Maide/oVYrzQzU">Jaan Maide</a>(1896–1945)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></td><td>18 September 1944</td><td>24 October 1944</td><td>36 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><i>Vacant</i> <a href="/facts/Soviet_re-occupation_of_the_Baltic_states_(1944)/NUG4Vn1w">Soviet occupation</a></td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td></td><td>Einseln, AleksanderGeneral<a href="/facts/Aleksander_Einseln/qS42x7YT">Aleksander Einseln</a>(1931–2017)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></td><td>1 May 1993</td><td>4 December 1995</td><td>2 years, 217 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td></td><td>Kert, JohannesLieutenant General<a href="/facts/Johannes_Kert/UunbzvdU">Johannes Kert</a>(1959–2021)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></td><td>23 January 1996</td><td>30 June 2000</td><td>4 years, 159 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Defence_League/rN5RYLdf">Defence League</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>–</td><td></td><td>Ermus, AarneLieutenant colonel<a href="/facts/Aarne_Ermus/HlVDQqhL">Aarne Ermus</a>(born 1966)<i>Acting</i></td><td>30 June 2000</td><td>21 September 2000</td><td>83 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td></td><td>Kõuts, TarmoVice Admiral<a href="/facts/Tarmo_K%C3%B5uts/7sgEkJxs">Tarmo Kõuts</a>(born 1953)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></td><td>21 September 2000</td><td>14 November 2006</td><td>6 years, 54 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Border_Guard/EoVBWT88">Border Guard</a></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td></td><td>Laaneots, AntsGeneral<a href="/facts/Ants_Laaneots/aH7FcFCT">Ants Laaneots</a>(born 1948)</td><td>5 December 2006</td><td>5 December 2011</td><td>5 years, 0 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td></td><td>Terras, RihoGeneral<a href="/facts/Riho_Terras/KdI5Y0zX">Riho Terras</a>(born 1967)</td><td>5 December 2011</td><td>5 December 2018</td><td>7 years, 0 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td></td><td>Herem, MartinGeneral<a href="/facts/Martin_Herem/E8oB77mb">Martin Herem</a>(born 1973)</td><td>5 December 2018</td><td>30 June 2024</td><td>5 years, 208 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td><td><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td></td><td>Merilo, AndrusMajor General<a href="/facts/Andrus_Merilo/a5WAJFdD">Andrus Merilo</a>(born 1973)</td><td>1 July 2024</td><td><i>Incumbent</i></td><td>273 days</td><td><a href="/facts/Estonian_Land_Forces/cI5wKBIl">Army</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><i><a href="/facts/Kindral/VMHoHl7r">Kindral</a></i></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>First term served during Estonian War of Independence. Made commander-in-chief twice under martial law. Eventually removed from position on 22 June 1940, after Soviet Union occupied Estonia. <a href="/wiki/Estonian_War_of_Independence" target="_blank">/wiki/Estonian_War_of_Independence</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Served as commander-in-chief following the forced resignation of Johan Laidoner following the Soviet Union's demand that the Red Army establish military bases and station 25,000 troops on Estonian soil for the duration of the war. Executed by Soviet authorities in 1942. <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Served as commander-in-chief in the period between the German occupation and second Soviet occupation. Captured by the Soviets on 24 October 1944. <a href="/wiki/German_occupation_of_Estonia_during_World_War_II" target="_blank">/wiki/German_occupation_of_Estonia_during_World_War_II</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Resigned on 4 December 1995 due to a disagreement with the Minister of Defence. <a href="/wiki/Minister_of_Defence_(Estonia)" target="_blank">/wiki/Minister_of_Defence_(Estonia)</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Toivo Miljan. Historical Dictionary of Estonia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004. ISBN 978-0-8108-4904-4; pp. 185–186 <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&dq=state+department+einseln&pg=PA185" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&dq=state+department+einseln&pg=PA185</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>WORLD NEWS BRIEFS;Ex-U.S. Colonel Resigns As Estonian Army Chief - New York Times <a href="https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DB1E39F937A35751C1A963958260" target="_blank">https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DB1E39F937A35751C1A963958260</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Was requested to make a resignation by the head of state, head of government and the Minister of Defence, but refused.[3] Impeached by the President of the Republic on 30 June 2000.[4] <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Johannes Kert: "Ma isegi ei tea, kes just praegu olen!"". epl.delfi.ee. Retrieved 2018-01-19. <a href="https://epl.delfi.ee/news/melu/johannes-kert-ma-isegi-ei-tea-kes-just-praegu-olen?id=50846125" target="_blank">https://epl.delfi.ee/news/melu/johannes-kert-ma-isegi-ei-tea-kes-just-praegu-olen?id=50846125</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"Johannes Kerdi vabastamine ja Aarne Ermuse nimetamine". www.riigiteataja.ee. Retrieved 2018-01-19. <a href="https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/82812" target="_blank">https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/82812</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Requested to be resigned to enter politics. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"President ülendas Tsahkna ettepanekul Terrase kindraliks". ERR. Retrieved 20 February 2017. <a href="http://uudised.err.ee/v/eesti/044efb80-5e2e-4b71-bdd6-3651e4fa58a7/president-ulendas-tsahkna-ettepanekul-terrase-kindraliks" target="_blank">http://uudised.err.ee/v/eesti/044efb80-5e2e-4b71-bdd6-3651e4fa58a7/president-ulendas-tsahkna-ettepanekul-terrase-kindraliks</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Gallery: Maj. Gen. Herem takes over command of the Estonian Defence Forces". ERR. Retrieved 4 December 2018. <a href="https://news.err.ee/882147/gallery-maj-gen-herem-takes-over-command-of-the-estonian-defence-forces" target="_blank">https://news.err.ee/882147/gallery-maj-gen-herem-takes-over-command-of-the-estonian-defence-forces</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>