Battle of Paju

Battle of Paju
Part of Estonian War of Independence
Battle of Paju. Painting by Maximilian Maksolly
Date 31 January 1919 Location Paju Manor, near Valga 57°49′13″N 26°06′42″E / 57.820144°N 26.111628°E / 57.820144; 26.111628 Result Estonian victory
Belligerents
Estonia Finnish volunteers	Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic Soviet Russia
Commanders and leaders
Hans Kalm Julius Kuperjanov † Johannes Soodla	Emīls Vītols
Units involved
Tartumaa Partisan Battalion Pohjan Pojat	Red Latvian Riflemen
Strength
Estonia: 300 soldiers 13 machine guns 2 field guns Finnish volunteers: 380 soldiers 9 machine guns 4 field guns Total: 683 soldiers 22 machine guns 6 field guns	1,200 soldiers 32 machine guns 4 field guns 1 armoured train
Casualties and losses
156	300 dead

The Battle of Paju (Estonian: Paju lahing) 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.^[1] It was the fiercest battle in the early period of war. Estonian commander Julius Kuperjanov fell in the fighting.