Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Cēsis

Battle of Cēsis was a battle fought on 5 June 1919 at Cēsis, in what is now Latvia; it lasted 18 days. It was part of the Estonian War of Independence, which ran from 1918 to 1920. The recorded result: Estonian-Latvian victory.

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Armies in Latvia during the Latvian Independence War on June 22, 1919 (stage 4) German army Latvian Bolshevik army Latvian Ulmanis' army Estonian army
Armies in Latvia during the Latvian Independence War on June 22, 1919 (stage 4) German army Latvian Bolshevik army Latvian Ulmanis' army Estonian army. Renata3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought5 June 1919lasted 18 days
WhereCēsis, Latvia57.313N, 25.275E
OutcomeEstonian-Latvian victory
BelligerentsEstonia; Latviaagainstborder|22px Baltische Landeswehr; Freikorps
Part ofEstonian War of Independence1918 to 1920

Where it sits in the Estonian War of Independence

Battle of Narva, 1918Battle of Joala, 1918Battle of Punapargi, 1918Battle of Tartu, 1919Battle of Utria, 1919Battle of Laagna, 1919Battle of Paju, 1919Revolt of Saaremaa, 1919Battle of Cēsis, 1919Battle of Krivasoo, 191919181919Battle of Cēsis, 1919
10 placed engagements of the Estonian War of Independence in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date5 June 1919
to 23 June 1919
PlaceCēsis, Latvia
57.313N, 25.275E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength6,509 infantry; 65 cavalry; 106 heavy machine guns; 126 light machine guns; 23 artillery pieces; 3 armoured vehicles; 3 armoured trains including; 750 infantry; 8 heavy machine guns; 20 light machine guns5,500–6,300 infantry; 500–600 cavalry; 50 heavy machine guns; 90 light machine guns; 42–48 artillery pieces
Casualties and lossesEstonia: 110 killed; 295 wounded; Latvia: 13–40 killed; 30–85 wounded; 15 missing274 killed
Commanders
  • Ernst Põdder
  • Nikolai Reek
  • Jorģis Zemitāns
  • Krišjānis Berķis
  • Rüdiger von der Goltz
  • Alfred Fletcher
Battle of CēsisBattle of CēsisBattle of WendenBattle of CēsisBattle of WendenBattles of WendenSiege of Cēsis CastleRigaTartuPärnuJelgavaRēzekneViljandi100 km57.313N, 25.275E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 6 times between 1210 and 1919.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1919

Battle of Cēsis is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 58 in present-day Latvia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q183286, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cēsis (1919), revision 1370109490, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.