Aleksander Einseln

{{short description|Estonian general, the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 1993 to 1995}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Aleksander Einseln

| honorific_suffix =

| image =

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| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| nickname =

| office = Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces

| term_start = 1 May 1993

| term_end = 4 December 1995

| leader =

| president = Lennart Meri

| predecessor = Jaan Maide Before Soviet occupation

| successor = Johannes Kert

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1931|10|25}}

| birth_place = Tallinn, Estonia

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|3|16|1931|10|25}}

| death_place = Tallinn, Estonia

| placeofburial =

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| allegiance = {{flag|USA}} (1950–1985)
{{flag|Estonia}} (1993–1995)

| branch = {{Army|United States}}
{{flagicon image|Kvyldlipp.svg|size=23px}} Estonian Defence Forces

| branch_label =

| serviceyears = 1950–1985, 1993–1995

| serviceyears_label =

| rank = 23px General

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| commands = {{Plainlist|

Estonian Defence Forces

}}

| battles = Korean War
Vietnam War

| battles_label =

| mawards = See: Awards, decorations, and recognition

| spouse =

| children =

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}}

Aleksander Einseln (25 October 1931 – 16 March 2017) was an Estonian general, the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 1993 to 1995 and previously a United States Army colonel. Born in Estonia, his mother and he fled the Red Army, which was resuming its occupation of the country. From 1950 to 1985, he served in the US Army, taking part in the Korean War, and as a Special Forces A-team commander in the Vietnam War. In 1993, at the request of President Lennart Meri, he returned to Estonia to serve as the first Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces following the restoration of Estonia's independence.[http://www.err.ee/584422/suri-endine-kaitsevae-juhataja-kindral-aleksander-einseln "Suri endine kaitseväe juhataja kindral Aleksander Einseln"]{{cite web|title=Estonia Names American as Military Chief, but U.S. Objects|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/06/world/estonia-names-american-as-military-chief-but-us-objects.html|work=The New York Times|date=6 May 1993}}

Biography

Aleksander Einseln was born in Estonia on 25 October 1931.{{Cite book|last1=Miljan|first1=Toivo|title=Historical Dictionary of Estonia|pages=136–137|year=2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810875135}} Einseln's father was deported by the Soviet occupants. His mother and he sought refuge in the West in 1944, becoming displaced persons in postwar Germany. In 1949 they emigrated to United States.{{cite news |last1=Heyser |first1=Holly A. |title=U.S. Revokes Pension of Ex-Colonel As He Takes Command in Estonia |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-aleksander-ein/169767709/ |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 4, 1993 |location=Philadelphia, PA |page=6 |access-date=April 7, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite book|last1=Maegi|first1=Bernard John|title=Dangerous Persons, Delayed Pilgrims: Baltic Displaced Persons and the Making of Cold War America, 1945--1952|pages=241–242|year=2008|isbn=9780549790655}}

Just before the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Einseln enlisted in the United States Army, and served as a paratrooper. In 1955, he was commissioned as a lieutenant, and in 1964 completed the US Army Special Forces officer qualification course. He served with Special Forces in Vietnam during 1965–1966. In 1968, he graduated from George Washington University, and the next year from the Army Staff College. Einseln served another tour in Vietnam in 1971–1972. During 1975–1976 he served in staff training positions at Army headquarters. After graduating from the National Defense College senior course, Einseln served from 1977 to 1982 as head of the European and North Atlantic Treaty Organization office in the Planning and Policy Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After that, he held post of Deputy Inspector General in the United States Pacific Command until his retirement in 1985. During his career in the US Army, Einseln commanded infantry, paratroop, Special Forces and training units, earning 28 medals and retiring as a colonel.

In 1993, at the request of Estonian President Lennart Meri, Einseln returned to Estonia to take command of its military forces, over the objections of the U.S. State Department.{{cite news |title=American Heads Estonia's Military |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-aleksander-einse/169478497/ |work=Asheville Citizen-Times |date=May 5, 1993 |location=Asheville, NC |page=11 |access-date=April 3, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20105981,00.html "Our Man in Estonia"] People Magazine, August 2, 1993 The U.S. threatened to terminate Einseln's military pension and even to revoke his U.S. citizenship. However, after getting support from several U.S. senators, Einseln received official permission from the U.S. authorities to take on his new post.Toivo Miljan. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&dq=state+department+einseln&pg=PA185 Historical Dictionary of Estonia.] Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-4904-4}}; pp. 185–186

File:Einseln kk nr 1.png

In January 1995, after the start of the First Chechen War, Einseln issued an order stating that in the event of foreign troops crossing the border, Estonian Defence Forces were to immediately initiate active resistance, and not cease fighting until ordered to do so by the President of Estonia. This was intended as a mechanism to prevent surrender without resistance as had happened in 1939.{{cite news |url=http://ekspress.delfi.ee/kuum/kuidas-kindral-einseln-riigikaitsele-miini-pani?id=34359935 |title=Kuidas kindral Einseln riigikaitsele miini pani |first=Andrei |last=Hvostov |publisher=Eesti Ekspress |date=29 October 2010 |accessdate=2015-12-09|language=Estonian}} In 2014, after the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war, active Commander-in-Chief General Riho Terras noted that Einseln's decree is still in force.{{cite news |url=http://maaleht.delfi.ee/news/maaleht/arvamus/riho-terras-nutt-ja-hala-meid-ei-aita?id=69815105 |title=Riho Terras: Nutt ja hala meid ei aita |first=Riho |last=Terras |publisher=Maaleht |date=25 September 2014 |accessdate=2015-12-09|language=Estonian}}

Earlier, on 4 December 1995, General Einseln handed in his resignation as Commander of the Armed Forces due to a disagreement with the Minister of Defense.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F06E3DB1E39F937A35751C1A963958260 WORLD NEWS BRIEFS;Ex-U.S. Colonel Resigns As Estonian Army Chief - New York Times]

In February 1996, he was awarded the Estonian Order of the Cross of the Eagle.[http://vp1992-2001.vpk.ee/eng/ametitegevus/Kotkarist.asp The President of Estonia 1992-2001 - Official Duties - Decorations of the Republic of Estonia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051102072324/http://vp1992-2001.vpk.ee/eng/ametitegevus/Kotkarist.asp |date=2005-11-02 }}

Einseln died on 16 March 2017, aged 85.{{Cite news|url=http://www.err.ee/584422/suri-endine-kaitsevae-juhataja-kindral-aleksander-einseln|title=Suri endine kaitseväe juhataja kindral Aleksander Einseln|last=Krjukov|first=Aleksander|date=16 March 2017|work=ERR|access-date=2017-03-17|language=et}} His ashes were buried on 2 April 2018 at Arlington National Cemetery alongside other veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars.{{Cite news|url=https://news.err.ee/693716/gen-einseln-s-ashes-buried-at-arlington|title=Gen. Einseln's ashes buried at Arlington|last=Vahtla|first=Aili|date=3 April 2018|publisher=Eesti Rahvusringhääling|access-date=2019-12-29}}

Effective dates of promotion

=Estonian Army=

:See Military ranks of Estonia

class="wikitable" \|+ Promotions ! Insignia !! Rank !! Date
\|20px	Colonel	1993
\|20px	Major General	17 June 1993{{cite web\|title=13. A. Einselnile sõjaväelise auastme andmine\|url=https://vp1992-2001.president.ee/est/ametitegevus/Kaskkiri.asp?ID=4765\|work=Office of the President\|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}
\|20px	Lieutenant General	22 June 1995{{cite web\|title=52. A. Einselnile sõjaväelise auastme andmine\|url=https://vp1992-2001.president.ee/est/ametitegevus/Kaskkiri.asp?ID=4726\|work=Office of the President\|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}
\|20px	General	3 December 1995{{cite web\|title=59. A. Einselnile sõjaväelise auastme andmine\|url=https://vp1992-2001.president.ee/est/ametitegevus/Kaskkiri.asp?ID=4733\|work=Office of the President\|date=March 7, 2017}}

Awards, decorations, and recognition

=Awards and decorations=

style="width:100%;"
valign="top" \| {\| class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;" \| colspan=3 \|Estonian Awards and decorations
106px	2nd Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle	16 February 1996
106px	Distinguished Service Decoration of the Peace Operations Centre	30 January 2001
bgcolor = "#ccccff" align=center \| colspan=3 \|U.S. Awards and decorations
106px	Defense Superior Service Medal
106px	Legion of Merit
{{ribbon devices\|number=1\|type=oak\|other_device=\|ribbon=Bronze Star Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border\|width=106}}	Bronze Star Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
{{ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=service-star\|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg\|width106}}20px	Air Medal
{{ribbon devices\|number=4\|type=oak\|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg\|width=106}}	Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
106px	Army Good Conduct Medal (several awards)
106px	Army of Occupation Medal
{{Ribbon devices\|number=1\|type=oak\|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border\|width=106px}}	National Defense Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
{{Ribbon devices\|number=3\|type=service-star\|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg{{!}}border\|width=106px}}	Korean Service Medal with three campaign stars
{{Ribbon devices\|number=2\|type=service-star\|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border\|width=106px}}	Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars
106px	Army Service Ribbon
106px	Army Overseas Service Ribbon
bgcolor = "#ccccff" align=center \| colspan=3 \|Foreign Awards
{{Ribbon devices\|number=2\|type=service-star\|ribbon=Vietnamese Gallantry Cross ribbon.svg{{!}}border\|width=106px}}	Gallantry Cross (Vietnam) with 2 stars
106px	Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, First Class
106px	Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Honor Medal First Class
106px	Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
106px	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with palm
106px	United Nations Service Medal
106px	Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960- device