Jaan Soots

Jaan Soots VR I/1 (12 March [O.S. 29 February] 1880 - 6 February 6, 1942) was an outstanding Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence.

Jaan Soots was born in Küti farmstead, Linna village, Helme Parish, Viljandi County (now in Helme Parish, Valga County), Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire. He joined the army voluntarily in 1900, studied between 1901 and 1904 at Vilnius Military Academy, participated in the Russo-Japanese War and from 1910 to 1913 studied at the Imperial Nicholas Military Academy. At the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence, Soots was Chief of Operative Staff; in February 1919 he became Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief. In 1919, Soots also achieved the rank of Major General. Soots also participated in the Tartu peace conference and retired in 1920. Later, he was twice a Minister of War, member of the State Assembly, Mayor and Lord Mayor (ülemlinnapea) of Tallinn. In 1938, he received Herbert Hoover, who, as an honorary citizen of Tallinn, visited Estonia. In 1940, Soviet occupation authorities arrested Soots and in 1942 he died in Ussollag prison camp in Usolye, Perm Oblast.

Soots is recipient of the Estonian Order of the White Star, 1st class, and the Latvian military Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class.

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