page_title: Johan Laidoner
section_title: Legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Johan Laidoner / Legacy
caption_attribution_description: Eesti: Asub Harjumaal Viimsi valla territooriumil This is a photo of cultural heritage monument of Estonia number 2988.
context_page_description: Johan Laidoner was an Estonian general and statesman. He served as Commander‑in‑Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces during the Estonian War of Independence and was among the most influential people in Estonian history between the world wars.
  Born in Viiratsi, Governorate of Livonia, Laidoner joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1901 and fought in World War I. Following the October Revolution, he commanded the Estonian national units of the Russian army. In 1918, the Estonian Provisional Government appointed him commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Estonian War of Independence.
  After the war, he served as a member of the Riigikogu from 1920 to 1929. He was once again appointed commander-in-chief during the 1924 Communist coup attempt, and then again from 1934 to 1940, during the authoritarian regime of Konstantin Päts. After the Soviet occupation in 1940, he was arrested and deported to Russia, where he died in prison in 1953.
context_section_description: Laidoner's reputation in Estonia has remained controversial. Hailed as a national hero for his leadership skills and success as a military commander in the War of Independence, he has been criticized for his support of Konstantin Päts and his involvement in the 1934 coup d'état as well as the surrender to the Soviet Union in 1940.
  Laidoner has a number of monuments, memorials and places named after him.
  Laidoner's memorial in his birthplace in Vardja was destroyed after the Soviet occupation in 1940 and restored in 1990.
  In 2001, the Estonian War Museum named in his honour was opened in Laidoner's former residence in Viimsi Manor.
  In 2004, an equestrian statue of General Laidoner was unveiled next to the ruins of the Viljandi Castle.
  In Viljandi, a square and a park are named after him.
  In 2009, Eesti Post released a commemorative stamp to honour Laidoner's 125th anniversary.
  Laidoner has a plaque dedicated to him in Vilnius Military Academy.
caption: Viimsi Manor was Laidoner's summer residence.
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