of the Red Army attacks. The initial reports were good. In most cases the Finns had stopped the Russian advance and beat them back. Under these distractions, we prepared for and finished our final exams in December.
In the middle of our last semester, in March of 1940, we heard that Finland had capitulated to the Soviets and had been forced to cede some of its territory to satisfy its giant neighbor. We were impressed by the Finns’ struggle. We were likewise amazed that no nation from the west had come to their aid. This made us ponder about the war and the value of alliances, and we had many debates on the topic.
Like several others in our class, I got married during all this turmoil. I had known Frieda since childhood and she now became my wife. Her brother, Col. Artur Normak, had been the head of the Academy until 1939. 3
Frieda and Viktor’s wedding. Col. Normak in the back row, Viktor’s parents on left, Frieda’s on right.
One night we awoke to the sound of someone groaning and found Ensign Roland lives doubled over with severe pain in his groin. When the ambulance arrived Ensign Kubja carried the suffering cadet to the vehicle. He recovered quickly during his hospital stay and left against the doctor’s advice in order to be at the Academy to take his final exams. He knew that he was in a good position to finish at the top of his class and did not want to miss that opportunity.
On our Independence Day on February 24, 1940, the Academy graduated its first class of officers. These were men who had specialized in the study of side arms. Lt. R. Ilves received a gold pocket watch from General J. Laidoner for being the best in this class. The magazine Sõdur (Soldier) published the following account of the graduation ceremony:
The first graduates of the Military Technical Academy emerged on Independence Day. They were one lieutenant and 15 ensigns. By decree from the President of Estonia these individuals were promoted to one captain and 15 second lieutenants. The Academy held a formal banquet in honor of the graduates where General Laidoner addressed them.
He stated: “We have all heard much and read much about how important technology is in the present day. Without technology a person is at a loss and distinct disadvantage. Thus it is likewise in matters of war. The Academy was created for the specific reason to prepare future leaders who have the technological training and are able to put it to use in our armed forces. Machines are very important today. But don’t forget that the most complicated, most extensive, and most durable machine is the human being. Everything starts and ends with him, which makes him more important than all else. When you enter the armed forces you are primarily officers, not just technical experts. When you develop and combine these aspects you will find that you will get the best results.
The worst leader is he who looks down on the uneducated. Requiring discipline from subordinates does not mean making them feel inferior. An officer has to have the proper psychology to treat his subordinates fairly. He has to set a good example not just within the military ranks but also in his private life. What society perhaps forgives others, it does not forgive officers. They must live to a higher standard. Try to remain quiet when required. Don’t get involved in or propagate gossip. Often the conveyors of gossip don’t believe the stories themselves but find it difficult not to spread it around. Take it upon yourself to find the difference between what to believe and what to ignore.
You are entering the military at a difficult time. Even though we are not at war, we are all feeling the effects of it. The time the world is living in today will present us with many hardships. Our task is to carry our nation through these times. How it all will end – nobody knows. Regardless, go bravely into the future. Step into life with confidence and you will achieve your goals.”
A few weeks later the health of the newly commissioned Second Lieutenant Roland lives took a turn for the worse. He was again transported to the hospital but did not respond to treatment. He died there in March 1940. We accompanied him on his last trip in procession from the hospital to the train station. From there he was transported to his home in Narva for burial.
Lt. R. Ilves’ funeral procession through Tallinn.
When the German army invaded Norway on the ninth of April, we were amazed at the speed at which this was done. It seemed to have been carried out with precision and planning. A month later the Germans started expanding their western front by invading Belgium and Holland, both of which were neutral countries like Estonia had been. Holland fell in four days and Belgium in seventeen days. The Belgians received support from the British and French, making that conquest somewhat more difficult, but the outcome was still inevitable.
When the Germans then set their sights on France and its allies, the cadets organized a new game of chance, estimating how long the French would resist before falling. Many bets were made and considerable cash awaited the victors. Projections were made based on previous German victories. The prevailing rationale was that since it took the Nazi forces 21 days to occupy Poland with its 30 million inhabitants, then France should fall in about 28 days with its population of about 40 million. The cadets followed the events of this battle with profound interest via radio reports and newspaper accounts. Sure enough, in approximately four weeks the French surrendered.
During the month of June in 1940 the Soviet Union initiated a rapid succession of aggressive actions against the Estonian Republic in violation of the formerly signed military base agreements. Without warning, their navy and air force isolated Estonia from the rest of the world. All foreign travel was prohibited and ships and airplanes arriving in Estonia were turned back. Those ships attempting to leave were sunk or seized and their crews arrested. The passenger plane Kaleva was shot down in the Baltic Sea as it left Estonia. Cargo ships were taken to the Soviet base in Paldiski and even Estonian President Päts’ boat was confiscated.
On the sixteenth of June 1940 the Estonian government was accused by the Soviets of having formed an alliance with the other Baltic countries and of cooperating with Finland, an enemy of the Soviet Union. The Soviets gave Estonia an ultimatum: either open up your borders to all Russian troops and form a new government friendly to the Russians or the Russians would do it themselves. The time allowed for a response was nine and a half hours. The Estonian government quickly convened and accepted the terms. Many government officials could not agree with this capitulation of sovereignty and submitted their resignations. President Pats issued a decree that the Estonian military was not to resist the arriving masses of Russian troops.
The next day the 25,000 Soviet troops already in Estonia left their bases and headed for the towns and cities. An additional 90,000 troops arrived via the border towns of Narva and Irboska, and 10,000 Soviet naval personnel were on their way to Estonia by sea. By contrast, the total Estonian military force numbered only 15,000 men.
Estonia’s General Laidoner accepted terms that required the Estonian army to provide housing for the arriving Soviet troops, to evacuate existing military facilities, to put telephone communication under Soviet control, to disarm the non-military population, to forbid demonstrations and meetings, and to forbid conveying information regarding Soviet troop strength and location and any photography thereof.
When the commander of our Academy, Lt. Col. Simson, gave us the news of the new directives on the morning of the next day, it was like a bolt of lightning from the clear blue sky! We were all shocked when directed to vacate our premises by 1 o’clock.
After the initial shock wore off we set to work. The physical effort required for the move helped subdue the fear and panic. I was thinking of many things as my body did what was required. What is happening with the other Estonian military units? What is happening in other cities? Is all lost – our land, people, and freedom? I thought of what had happened to Czechoslovakia and Austria. Would this also be our fate?
The
Ed. Note: Col. Normak was deported to the Ural Mountains in Russia in August, 1940. He was never heard from again.
