People / group

Estonian Defence League

1918–1940, 1990– · 20th century · Also known as Kaitseliit

The Estonian Defence League, or Kaitseliit, is a voluntary armed national defence organisation founded in November 1918 during the War of Independence. It grew into a large militia in the interwar republic and was dissolved after the Soviet occupation in 1940. Re-established in 1990, it now forms part of Estonia's defence forces with a large volunteer membership.

Estonian Defence League
Image: unknown; Quibik (talk) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

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Republic of EstoniaMilitary

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Estonian Defence League. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/estonian-defence-league
MLA
“Estonian Defence League.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/estonian-defence-league. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Estonian Defence League.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/estonian-defence-league.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Estonian Defence League’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/estonian-defence-league (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻