Story of the Estonian Military Uniform

A permanent exhibition of Estonian Defence Forces uniforms that were in use from 1917 until the occupation of Estonia in 1940. The exhibition includes 14 historical uniforms, only two of which are copies. In addition to the uniforms, the exhibition also includes uniforms of the Estonian Defence Forces, military unit insignia and designs for unit flags.

The story of the Estonian Defence Forces uniforms began with the formation of the Estonian national units in the Russian Tsarist army in the spring of 1917. In November of the same year, the first description of the Estonian national military units’  insignia was completed and approved in March 1918. The German occupation authorities disbanded Estonian national units in April 1918, but the Estonian National Army was established in November. On 28 November, the War of Independence began and forced mobilisation was declared in Estonia. As Estonian soldiers did not yet have standard uniforms at the beginning of the War of Independence, the men wore the uniform of the Russian Tsarist army, or in its absence, their own clothes. Both used the same insignia – a five- pointed hat badge and a blue-black-and-white flag on the arm.

In March 1919, the description of the uniforms and insignia of the Estonian National Army was approved, but thanks to the equipment sent to Estonian units by the Allies, the uniforms worn in the War of Independence include uniforms of both the USA and Great Britain.

In 1920, the uniform of the Estonian Defence Forces changed – the brown-grey cloth was replaced by khaki-coloured uniform cloth. The description of the completely renewed uniform was approved in January 1924. After the then Minister of War Ado Anderkop, it was called the Anderkop uniform. Two years later, the uniform was changed again and remained in use, with some modifications, for ten years.

The new and last pre-war uniform was introduced in 1936. After the occupation of Estonia in 1940, Estonian soldiers and officers transferred to the Red Army initially continued to wear the uniform of the Estonian army, but the Red Army insignia were attached.

During the Second World War, the uniforms of the Estonian Defence Forces were worn by the officers and non-commissioned officers of the Estonian battalions and the Self-Defence Forces, which had been formed as part of the German armed forces, but were soon replaced by the uniforms of the Wehrmacht, the German police or the Relva-SS. The Estonian Rifle Divisions of the Red Army formed in 1942 wore the Red Army uniform. The story of the Estonian uniform was interrupted for 51 years.