In the ebbing wake of the First World War, amidst the cacophony of collapsing empires and the birth cries of new states, a small but resolute nation emerged in the North – Estonia. It found itself grappling with both the newborn Bolshevik monster of Russia and the spectre of a resurgent Germany. England, ever mindful of the balance of power on the European continent, was to play a significant role in this drama.

The Estonian War of Independence (28 November 1918 – 2 February 1920) was a fierce struggle for the nascent Baltic state. On one side, Estonia, recently declared independent from the imploding Russian Empire, sought to establish its place amongst the nations of the world. Against it, the Red Army sought to reclaim it for Bolshevism, and the German Landeswehr and Baltic German Freikorps, remnants of the once mighty German Empire, aimed to forge a dominion in the Baltics.

The British involvement stemmed from their broader policy during the Russian Civil War. Bolshevism was viewed as an existential threat to the old world order, and any opportunity to curtail its expansion was taken. Britain dispatched naval forces to the Baltic Sea, primarily the Royal Navy's Baltic Squadron, to support the fledgeling Baltic states.

The fleet, led by Admiral Sir Walter Cowan, sailed the cold Baltic waters, proving instrumental in several naval engagements. One particularly notable engagement was the Battle of Kronstadt in 1919, where British naval forces, in conjunction with their Estonian allies, mounted an audacious attack against the Bolshevik naval base, severely crippling their naval capacities in the region.

On land, the Estonian forces were led by their capable Commander-in-Chief, General Johan Laidoner. The Red Army’s commanders varied during the conflict, but Vatsetis and later Hayk Bzhishkyan were notable figures. The Baltic Germans rallied under the leadership of Major-General Rudiger von der Goltz.

Amongst the key engagements, the Battle of Paju in January 1919 stands out. Estonian and Latvian forces together thwarted the German Landeswehr, ensuring the liberation of southern Estonia. Further, the battles around the strategically crucial Tartu in the summer of 1919 saw Estonia pitted against both Bolshevik and Baltic German forces, with the city changing hands multiple times. But it was the decisive actions in early 1919, with the aid of British naval power and the capture of key towns like Narva, that critically weakened the Bolshevik position.

By January 1920, the tides of war had turned decisively in Estonia’s favour. The Tartu Peace Treaty, signed on 2 February 1920 between Soviet Russia and Estonia, recognised the sovereignty of Estonia in perpetuity. Though the Baltic Germans’ ambitions had earlier been crushed at the Battle of Cēsis in June 1919.

In the annals of history, amidst grand narratives, the Estonian War of Independence may seem like a lesser chapter. Yet, it stands testament to the courage of a people determined to shape their destiny and to Britain's intricate dance of power and diplomacy in a changing world. The small Baltic nation, with a blend of diplomacy, international support, and determined resistance, secured its place in the sun, albeit for an interlude before the storms of the Second World War.