From July to December 1941, Estonia was cleared of Soviet armed forces by Germans who were assisted by Estonian national partisans.
The Germans refrained from looting and excessive murders, but retaliated for armed resistance by burning down villages, amongst other things.
In Generalbezirk Estland there was established a German civilian administration and a German-controlled Estonian police force.
[2] The partisans found it impossible to establish permanent bases in Estonia, one reporting "it is dangerous to visit a village where even one Estonian lives".
Two Soviet partisans (Leen Kulman and Vladimir Fedorov) who fought in Estonia were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously)[4] and five other (Eduard Aartee, Arno Avarsoo, Richard Melts, Roland Valkman and Ilmar Jürisson) were awarded the Order of Lenin.