Annual Baltic Military History Conference 2024 Programme

OCTOBER 31

9:00-9:30

Registration

9:30-9:45

Opening of the Conference

BG Alvydas Šiuparis (Baltic Defence College)
Mr Hellar Lill (Estonian War Museum)

Welcoming remarks by the Commandant of the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) and the Director of the Estonian War Museum

9:45-10:15

Keynote Speech

Keynote speaker Mr Jānis Garisons

10:15-11:15

Panel 1: Keynote Panel

Mr Jānis Garisons

MG Ilmar Tamm (Estonian Defence League)

BG Alvydas Šiuparis (Baltic Defence College)

25 Years of the Baltic Defence College and Its Place in PME

Moderator: COL (ret) Dr (hab) Zdzisław Śliwa (Baltic Defence College)

11:15–11:30

Coffee Break

11:30-13:00

Panel 2 : Developments in the Contemporary PME in the Baltics

Dr Laima Bucevičiūtė (Vytautas the Great War Museum) 

Changes in the Education of the Lithuanian Army During the Period of Accession to NATO

Ms Nele Rand, MA (Estonian Military Academy)

Military Education System for a Small-State Army – Estonian Case

Dr Martin Nassua (German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS), Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Bundeswehr Hamburg, Command and Staff College of The Bundeswehr)

Professional Military Education in Germany, 1919–2024 

Moderator: Mr Hellar Lill (Estonian War Museum)

13:00-14:00

Lunch

14:00-15:30

Panel 3: Military Education in the Baltics During the Interwar Period

Dr Igor Kopõtin (Estonian Military Academy)

Russian Influences on the Estonian Military Education in the Early 1920s

LTC Rauno Viitmann, MA, (Estonian Military Academy)

The Influence of the French École Supérieure de Guerre  on Estonian Military Education and Doctrine During the Period 1920-1940

Dr Kārlis Dambītis  (National Defence Academy of Latvia / Museum of the Occupation of Latvia)

Military Education in Latvia 1919–1940: Transforming With the New Era

MAJ (ret) Dr Gintautas Jakštys (General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania)

Training a New Type of Officer at the Lithuanian Military School 1919–1940

Moderator: Mr Art Johanson (Baltic Defence College)

15:30–15:50

Coffee Break

15:50-17:20

Panel 4: Experiences of Professional Military Education

Mr Valdis Kuzmins, MA (National Defence Academy of Latvia)

Creating “Mobile Corps”: the Latvian Army’s Attempt to Train Elite Units

Dr Eric Sibul

The Estonian Armed Forces and Battlefield Staff Rides

Dr Juris Ciganovs (Latvian War Museum)

Training of Latvian Army Officers-Specialists at the University of Latvia (1922-1940): Military Polytechnic Courses

Moderator: Tae Hoon Kim (Swedish Defence University)

NOVEMBER 1

09:00-10:00

Coffee & Gathering

10:00-11:30

Roundtable Discussions

On the second day of the conference, there will be round table discussions for invited guests and speakers. Further cooperation and possible joint projects will be discussed there.With more partners, developing international cooperation and coordinating activities is necessary for future projects.

11:30-12:15

Coffee Break