Annual Baltic Military History Conference "Armed Resistance in the Baltic States during and after the Second World War" 

The Conference was a successful academic event. Which brought together more than 150 people who are researching or are interested in military history. It is an integral part of the Baltic Defence College educational programs, and it was conducted at the University of Tartu Library Conference Centre.  

Prof. Jeremy Black (United Kingdom), a professor of history at Exeter University, delivered the Opening Keynote Address titled “People’s warfare: the historical dimensions” shaping the follow-on discussions within the conference. He also joined the keynote panel, which discussed theoretical aspects of the contemporary resistance operating concept (ROC) and historical experience. Prof. Black cited examples of both successful and failed resistance extending the spectrum of the conference topic. The next speaker, Major General (ret.) Michael Repass presented the concept of resistance fighting he created and its further development in NATO. He shared personal experiences related to regional security. The panel further set the stage for the rest of the presentations.

The main focus of the conference was on the Baltics and their experience with the resistance struggle and building societal resilience toward the occupation. The topics were presented from different perspectives, and the briefings were done by experts in their research field. In addition to the Baltics, other experiences were also analyzed, e.g. the Arab-Revolt, Poland's experience during and after the Second World War, and the current war in Ukraine was also looked into.

The theoretical and historical experiences were well presented, and as one of the most important conclusions of the conference, we can admit that the topic is very relevant up to now and must be dealt with in the future. During the year, based on the presentations, the Estonian War Museum Yearbook should be completed.

During the Conference Mr Hellar Lill, Head of the Estonian War Museum - General Laidoner Museum, recognized the recipients of the Hendrik Sepp Prize for their research in Estonian military history. For the second year, the event was organized in cooperation with the Baltic Defence College and the Estonian Military Museum, and we can consider fruitful cooperation leading to a successful academic event.