Ants Kurvits 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 founder and long time leader of the Estonian Border Guard . Kurvits also served briefly as Minister of War . Early life . 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 fifth child in family . Kurvits received early education in Hugo Treffner Gymnasium . After graduating in 1911 he went to University of Tartu , where he studied law until breakout of World War I in 1914 . Career . On 1 November 1914 Kurvits joined Imperial Russian Army . In 1915 , after passing short officer course in Vladimir Military School in St Petersburg , he was promoted to rank of Ensign . In First World War he participated in fighting on the Polish front , becoming company commander by 1917 . Then formation of Estonian national units started , Kurvits was assigned to 1st Estonian Infantry Regiment on 8 July 1917 , first as company and later as battalion commander . In February 1918 he was promoted to rank of Lieutenant Colonel . On 16 November 1918 , after end of Imperial German Occupation in Estonia , Kurvits became commander of Estonian Defence League in Tartu County . On 25 December he started forming Viljandi Volunteer Battalion . On 5 February 1919 Kurvits was assigned to head 2nd Infantry Regiment , which he lead during fighting on 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 1st division . After end on the war Kurvits served as commander of 2nd and later 7th Infantry Regiment until his retirement in October 1921 . On 1 November 1922 Kurvits was recalled to service and made head of newly forming Estonian Border Guard , becoming its first commander . In 1924 he briefly served as Minister of War in government of Friedrich Akel . After that he returned to head the Border Guard , holding this position up to 1939 . In February 1928 he was promoted to Colonel , and in February 1932 to Major General . As head of border guard Kurvits made official visits to Latvia , Finland and Poland . Head of Border Guard was subordinate to the High Commander of the defence forces , holding rights equal to a division commander . By May 1923 the Border Guard had taken over from Defense Forces guarding of the whole Estonian border . Border Guard guarded 1159 km of sea border at north and west , 276 km of Soviet border at east and 365 km of Latvia border at south . During period of 1923 - 1939 the Border Guard exposed 4491 cases of smuggling and caught 4651 illegal border crossers . While subordinate to the Minister of Internal Affairs , border guards were all professional military personnel . General Kurvits retired on 22 December 1939 . Death . After start of Soviet Occupation in 1940 the General ' s family lost their flat in Tallinn and moved back to Mihkli - Aadu farm . On 14 June 1941 Ants Kurvits and his wife Anna were deported as part of first Soviet mass deportation from Baltic states . General was moved to Kirov prison camp in Sosva , Sverdlovsk oblast . On 27 December 1943 he died in Soviet imprisonment . Honors . During his lifetime General Kurvits received numerous awards from Estonia , Russian Empire , Latvia , Finland and Poland , including Estonian Cross of Liberty 1st grade 2nd class , Russian Order of St . George 4th class and Latvian Order of Lāčplēsis 3rd class . In May 2012 new multi - purpose ship of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board Kindral Kurvits ( PVL - 101 ) , was named after General Kurvits . Personal life . Kurvits married with his wife Anna Ariva on 26 December 1917 . They had three daughters . After Ants Kurvits became head of border guard family moved to Tallinn where they lived up to Soviet Occupation period . Home farm at Mihkli - Aadu remained family ' s summer home .