The Estonian Defence Forces (Estonian: Eesti Kaitsevägi) is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian military is a defence force consisting of Estonian Land Forces, Merevägi (Navy), Õhuvägi (Air Force) and a paramilitary organization Kaitseliit (Defence League). The national defence policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area, territorial waters and airspace and its constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible capability to defend the nation's vital interests and development of the Defence Forces in a way that ensures their interoperability with the armed forces of NATO and European Union member states and their capability to participate in the full range of Alliance missions.

After the German Revolution, between 11 and 14 November 1918, ending the German occupation in Estonia, the representatives of Germany formally handed over political power to the Government of Estonia. A few days later Estonia was invaded by the military forces of Bolshevist Russia, marking the beginning of the Estonian War of Independence. The small, poorly armed Estonian military, also known as the (Estonian: Rahvavägi) (Peoples Force), was initially pushed back by the Red Army into the vicinity of the capital city of Estonia - Tallinn. A mere 34 kilometers separated Tallinn and the front line. Partly due to the timely arrival of a shipment of arms brought by a British naval squadron the Bolsheviks were stopped.

Estonia ⁱ/ɨsˈtoʊniə/ (Estonian: Eesti), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik), is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by Lake Peipus and the Russian Federation (338.6 km). Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km² (17,462 sq mi), and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. The Estonians are a Finnic people, and the official language, Estonian, is closely related to Finnish.

Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic divided into 15 counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. With a population of 1.29 million, it is one of the least-populous members of the European Union, Eurozone and NATO. Estonia has the highest GDP per person among former Soviet republics. Estonia is listed as a "High-Income Economy" by the World Bank and as an "advanced economy" by the International Monetary Fund; the country is an OECD member. The United Nations lists Estonia as a developed country with a Human Development Index of "Very High". The country is also ranked highly for press freedom, economic freedom, democracy and political freedom and education.

Marina Kaljurand (born 6 September 1962 in Tallinn as Marina Rajevskaja) is an Estonian diplomat (though notably not of Estonian heritage, her father being of Latvian descent and the mother Russian).

She served as an ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Russian Federation (since 3 February 2006) and to Kazakhstan (since 25 October 2007).^{[citation needed]}

In the campaign of Nashi and Molodaya Gvardiya to blockade the Estonian embassy during the events of Bronze Soldier of Tallinn controversy, Kaljurand was generally considered a focus of the attacks.^{[citation needed]}

On 31 December 2007, Eesti Naiste Koostöökett voted Kaljurand the Teenäitaja (lit. 'Guide') of the year. Kaljurand's continued adherence to European political traditions in face of severe threats amidst the Nashi campaign was cited as a deciding factor. [1]