Battle of Paju

Overview

The Battle of Paju was fought in Paju, near Valga, Estonia, on 31 January 1919 during the Estonian War of Independence. After heavy fighting, the Tartu-Valga group of the Estonian Army pushed the Red Latvian Riflemen out of the Paju Manor. It was the fiercest battle in the early period of war. Estonian commander Julius Kuperjanov fell in the fighting.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Paju, fought near Valga on 31 January 1919, was described as the fiercest engagement of the early period of the Estonian War of Independence. The Tartu-Valga group of the Estonian Army drove Red Latvian Riflemen, numbering approximately 1,200, from Paju Manor after heavy fighting, securing a contested position in the border region between Estonia and Latvia. The battle carried a particular cost for the Estonian side: commander Julius Kuperjanov was killed during the engagement, a significant loss among the Estonian officer corps at a critical stage of the independence war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)