Ants Kurvits

Ants Kurvits
General Ants Kurvits
Born	14 May 1887
Died	27 December 1943 (aged 56)
Allegiance	Russian Empire Estonia
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Army Estonian Army Estonian Border Guard
Years of service	Russia: 1914–1917 Estonia: 1918–1939
Rank	Major general
Battles/wars	World War I Estonian War of Independence
Awards	See below

Ants Kurvits or Hans Kurvits (May 14, 1887 – December 27, 1943) was an Estonian military commander, reaching rank of major general. He participated in the Estonian War of Independence and later became the founder and long-time leader of the Estonian Border Guard. Kurvits also served briefly as Minister of War.

Ants Kurvits was born on 14 May 1887 in Mihkli-Aadu farm in Äksi, Tartu County, Estonia, then part of the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire. He was the fifth child in the family. Kurvits received his early education in Hugo Treffner Gymnasium. After graduating in 1911 he went to the University of Tartu, where he studied law until the breakout of World War I in 1914.

On 1 November 1914 Kurvits joined the Imperial Russian Army. In 1915, after passing a short officer course in Vladimir Military School in St Petersburg, he was promoted to the rank of ensign. In the First World War he participated in fighting on the Polish front, becoming company commander by 1917. With the formation of Estonian national units, Kurvits was assigned to the 1st Estonian Infantry Regiment on 8 July 1917, first as company and later as battalion commander. In February 1918 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

On 16 November 1918, after the end of the Imperial German Occupation in Estonia, Kurvits became commander of the Estonian Defence League in Tartu County. On 25 December he started forming the Viljandi Volunteer Battalion. On 5 February 1919 Kurvits was assigned to head the 2nd Infantry Regiment, which he led during fighting on the Petseri front. Briefly in late 1919 and early 1920, while major fighting was ongoing, he served as garrison commander of Narva and aide to the commander of the 1st division. After the end of the war Kurvits served as commander of the 2nd and later the 7th infantry regiments until his retirement in October 1921.