Omakaitse

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Estonian. (December 2020) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Estonian Wikipedia article at [[:et:Omakaitse]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|et|Omakaitse}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (December 2020) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at [[:ru:Самооборона (Эстония)]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|ru|Самооборона (Эстония)}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Omakaitse
Omakaitse in Pärnu, 8 July 1941
Active	1917–1918; 3 July 1941 – 17 September 1944
Disbanded	September 1944
Country	Estonia
Allegiance	Estonia (1917–1918)  Nazi Germany (1941–1944)
Branch	Militia
Role	defence from Soviet Armed Forces
Size	40,000
Engagements	Russian revolution, World War II: Summer War, Tartu Offensive, Tallinn Offensive
Commanders
Notable commanders	Friedrich Kurg, Johannes Soodla, Jaan Maide, Arnold Sinka
Insignia
Identification symbol	White armband

The Omakaitse ('home guard')^[1] was a militia organisation in Estonia. It was founded in 1917 following the Russian Revolution. On the eve of the occupation of Estonia by the German Empire, the Omakaitse units took over major towns in the country allowing the Salvation Committee of the Estonian Provincial Assembly to proclaim the independence of Estonia.^[2] After the German Occupation the Omakaitse became outlawed.

The Estonian Defence League was dissolved in 1940 after the Soviet occupation of Estonia.^[3][4]

The Omakaitse was reestablished during the German Operation Barbarossa in 1941 by the Forest brothers who took control of the country before the German troops arrived allowing Jüri Uluots to establish a co-ordinating council in Tartu to proclaim the provisional government of Estonia.^[5] The Germans disbanded the provisional government but allowed the armed units in the Omakaitse after Estonia became a part of the German-occupied Reichskommissariat Ostland. During World War II Omakaitse existed from 3 July 1941 – 17 September 1944 at the Eastern Front (World War II).^[6]