Tartu, located in the center of the country, is the second largest city of Estonia and often considered the intellectual and cultural hub since it is home to Estonia’s oldest and most renowned university. As part of the Soviet invasion, the 49th Red Latvian Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Novgorod Division captured the town of Tartu on Christmas Eve 1918. Their plan was to continue pushing north toward Tallinn while other Russian forces drove west toward the same objective. The Estonians were not idle, but instead were frantically building up their military with aid from sympathetic western countries and mass volunteerism. On 7 January 1919, Estonian Commander-in-Chief Johan Laidoner counterattacked the Russians across the width of the country. He tasked the 2nd Division under Colonel Viktor Puskarin and his subordinate commando units to liberate Tartu. On the 14th they were in position to try.

The Red Latvians were caught by surprise by the Tartumaa Partisans who knew the area intimately. The addition of the trains’ firepower helped unnerve the Latvians who, though resisting in scattered groups, eventually fled south to reestablish their line and get reinforcements. Meanwhile the Estonians would use the rail line to bring in more regular units to keep the Latvians and Russians on the run.