Monument to regular Estonian officers

Estonia’s military elite and heroes of the War of Independence were among the first to fall victim to the wave of terror in the summer of 1940. The terror continued in the Soviet rear area while Estonia was occupied by Germany during World War II, and in Estonia after the war. The majority of Estonian generals and senior officers in the regular forces along with over 500 junior officers, retired officers and reserve officers were arrested and executed or died in imprisonment.

A total of 801 officers and military officials who had served in the regular army, which was a quarter of the entire Estonian officer corps, fell victim to the Soviet terror. Nearly two thirds of them had participated in the War of Independence. Among the victims were 198 bearers of the Cross of Liberty.