The Minister of Defence (''

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

: Kaitseminister'') is the senior

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

at the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

(''Kaitseministeerium'') 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. The

defence minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

is chosen by the prime minister 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 Defenc minister Ministers of Defence