The Minister of Defence () is the senior minister at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

() in the Estonian Government. The minister is one of the most important members of the Estonian government, with responsibility for coordinating the governments policies on national defence and the

military forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

. The

defence minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

is chosen by the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

as a part of the government. When the position was originally established in 1918, it was called the minister of war (''Sõjaminister''). The post was renamed minister of defence on April 1, 1929, but would change back to minister of war in 1937. Though the name of the position, and subsequently the ministry, was changed, the main responsibilities of the position remained virtually same. Since Estonia regained its independence in 1991 the post has been known as the minister of defence.

List of ministers

1918 to 1929 (Minister of War)

1929 to 1937 (Minister of Defence)

1937 to 1940 (Minister of War)

1992 to present (Minister of Defence)

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* https://kaitseministeerium.ee/et/ministeerium-kontaktid/kaitseminister/eesti-kaitseministrid-labi-ajaloo

External links

Republic of Estonia Governments

Ministry of Defence

Estonian Defence Forces

Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

Defenc minister Ministers of Defence