In 1944 he was promoted to Brigadeführer, which was the highest rank ascribed to any Estonian officer in the German army during World War II.

In the Estonian War of Independence Soodla fought along with Julius Kuperjanov in the same unit.

Soodla then went to Germany returning to Estonia in the summer of same year with German Army.

Soodla headed both the Estonian police and Omakaitse, a paramilitary self-defence organization during the German occupation.

The Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity concluded that by the virtue of his senior position, Johannes Soodla shared responsibility with the German authorities for all criminal actions carried out in Estonia, and beyond its borders by military units or police battalions raised with their consent.