How a Soviet conscript became a NATO General (206)

In 1985, an eighteen-year-old named Riho Terras arrived at the Soviet armed forces’ large conscript assessment facility in Tallinn obeying his conscription orders.

Little did he know that 26 years later he would be a NATO General.

Riho shares his experiences in the Soviet Navy with us in some detail. We hear about his service on the Soviet frigate Zadornyy including trips to the Mediterranean and Cuba as well as monitoring NATO warships.

Riho also shares his experiences of Estonian independence and the challenges of converting the country into an independent nation.

I’m extremely grateful to Elisabeth Braw, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who facilitated this interview via her Englebert Ideas essay.

Thanks to all of you for listening to the podcast. It is an absolute passion for me to save these stories from being forgotten and sharing them weekly for free for everyone to hear. 

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I am delighted to welcome Riho Terras to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information about this episode here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode206/

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0:00 Introduction and Riho Terras' early life in Estonia

1:41 Sponsor: Call for listener support and donations

9:06 Riho's military draft notice and initial experiences in the Soviet Navy

16:41 Riho's unique experience as an artist in the Navy and decision to join a naval ship

22:37 Riho's role and experiences on the Soviet naval ship in the Mediterranean

27:43 Riho's experiences in Cuba and encounters with NATO warships

36:19 Riho's return to Estonia, observations on its independence movement and joining the national guard

47:39 Transitioning from Soviet Union to independent Estonia and its economic changes post-independence

51:03 Riho joining the Estonian Armed Forces and progression through the ranks

54:51 Influence of Riho's Soviet military experience on his career in the Estonian Armed Forces

56:43 Conclusion and acknowledgements to patrons

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