Militarised society in Soviet Estonia
Soviet society was characterised by extensive militarisation. In post-war years when the area by the Baltic Sea became one of the outposts of the Cold War, an exceptionally large body of Soviet armed forces was located here, supplemented by the families of regular officers and soldiers. The total number of the Soviet military and associated persons in Estonia is estimated to have been about 100,000-150,000.
In the conditions of the Cold War, where the army had to be prepared for imminent action, the militarization of the civil population increased as well. Military training started at general education schools – the young people eligible to be drafted had to take an extensive military course at school. All universities had faculties of military training for reserve officers (female students were trained in basic medicine). Paramilitary training was offered by the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy of the USSR (DOSAAF, Estonia abbreviation ALMAVÜ).
The reservists who had completed their compulsory military service in the Soviet Army, were registered in special lists and often called to reserve training. A large number of the reservists forced into training were frequently used as free labour at various military sites.
The threat of nuclear war emerging in the 1950s was the impetus for establishing an extensive civil defence organisation. Civil defence in Soviet Estonia was organised by the Civil Defence Headquarters, which supervised the commando post, civil defence courses, various workshops and radio communications, and also the regional civil defence headquarters in towns.
The main part of the civil defence objects was made up of various bunkers. In 1986, there were 543 bunkers registered for civil defence in Estonia (for over 100,000 people), 7343 simple radiation shelters (for 780,000 people) and 21,000 cellars (for 1.8 million people, i.e. more than actually necessary as the Estonian population was then 1.6 million).
The civil population had to produce protective equipment; lectures in civil defence were delivered at enterprises and schools, and special courses were organised. During the latter, people had to proceed to the bunkers in an organised manner, and were taught how to use the protective equipment, administer first aid, etc.
