Estonia General FDC

Estonia FDC
Name: 125th Anniversary of Birth of Gen. Johan Laidoner
Date of Issue: 12 February 2009

General Johan Laidoner (12 Feb. 1884 – 13 March 1953) Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian armed forces during the War of Independence Johan Laidoner was born in the Viiratsi commune, Viljandi County. He completed the course of a cadet school in Vilnius and of the Nicholas Military Academy in St. Petersburg. He served as staff officer in World War I and in the autumn of 1917 was asked to take the post of commander of the 1st Estonian division. In 1918 Laidoner was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces and was promoted to lieutenant general for his services in the War of Independence. He retired from military service after the war ended in 1920 and was Member of Parliament in 1920–29. In 1924 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces for six months to head suppression of the coup attempt of December 1, 1924. As member of the Estonian delegation he took part in assemblies of the League of Nations, and in the autumn of 1925 headed a special committee of the League of Nations in the Mosul area of Iraq. In 1932–33 he was deputy chairman of the land forces committee and head of the technical subcommittee at the Geneva disarmament conference. In 1934–40 he once again served as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and was promoted to general in 1939. After the Soviet occupation of Estonia he was deported to Penza in July 1940, was arrested in June 1941 and died in the Vladimir Prison in Russia.

Comment: As usual, Eesti Post used 2 special cancellations for this set. The other one was sent from Viljandi County, General Johan Laidoner's hometown. Thanks my friend!