History Of Latvia Latvia Before 13th Century Latvia In 13th To

Since 9,000 BC ancient peoples of unknown origin had inhabited Latvia, but by 3,000 BC the ancestors of the Finns had settled the region. A millennium later, pre-Baltic Indo-European tribes had arrived and within time evolved into Curonians, Latgallians, Selonians, and Semigallians. These tribes eventually formed local governments independently from the Finno-Ugric Livonian tribe until the thirteenth century, when they were conquered by the Germans, who renamed the territory Livonia.

2 Latvia in 13th to 18th century

Subsequent wars and treaties ensured Livonia's partition and colonization for centuries. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's successes during the Livonian Wars (1558-83) united the Latvian-populated duchies of Pardaugava , Kurzeme, and Zemgale ( Semigalia ), but the Polish-Swedish WarThe Polish-Swedish Wars were two wars fought between Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden between 1600 and 1629. The first stage 1600-1611 and the second stage 1617-1629. It was followed by the Northern Wars in 1655-1660. See also Rise of Sweden as a (1600-29) granted SwedenThe Kingdom of Sweden Konungariket Sverige in Swedish) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf acquisition of RigaRiga ( German: Riga, Estonian: Riia, Lithuanian: Ryga), situated on the Baltic Sea coast at the mouth of the Daugava river, is the capital of Latvia and a major regional port and industrial centre. Riga is the biggest city in the Baltic States. The city's and the Duchy of Pardaugava , minus Latgale, leaving Latvia again split ethnically.

3 Latvia in Russian empire (18th century to 1917)

The 18th century saw RussiaThe Russian Federation ( Russian: , transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija , or Russia (Russian: , transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. With taking over Latvia. The Russian takeover started with the Great Northern WarNot to be confused with the Northern Wars ( 1655 1661 1700 by Gustaf Cederstrom, painted 1910, shows a battle of the Great Northern War . The Great Northern War was the war fought between a coalition of Russia, Denmark- Norway and Saxony- Poland (from 171 (1700-21) between Russia and SwedenThe Kingdom of Sweden Konungariket Sverige in Swedish) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf. Before the war, the northern part of Latvia (called Vidzeme in Latvian) belonged to Sweden. After Sweden lost the war, Russia took over Vidzeme. The east of Latvia (called Latgale in Latvia) belonged to Poland. Russia took over it during the First Partition of Poland in 1772. The west of Latvia (the duchy of Courland) was the last to become a part of Russia. In 1795, after behind-the-scenes pressure, the last duke of Courland resigned and Courland became a part of Russian Empire.

From 1804 onward, a series of local decrees gradually weakened the grip of German nobility over peasant society. Serfdom was abolished in Courland in 1818 and Vidzeme in 1819. In 1849, a law granted a legal basis for the creation of peasant-owned farms. Reforms were slower in Latgale where serfdom was only abolished in 1861.

Until the 1860s, there still was little sense of a Latvian national identity, as both serfdom and institutional controls to migration and social mobility limited the boundaries of the peasants' intellectual and social geography. The large baronic estates caused a lack of available farmland for an increasing population, creating a large landless, urban class comprising about 60% of the population. Also in the face of stricter russification policies, the Baltic German clergy and literati began to take a more benevolent interest in the distinctive language and culture of the Latvian peasantry. These patrons (with such Latvian names as Alunans, Barons, Krastins, Kronvalds, Tomsons and Valdemars ) soon formed the Young Latvian Movement, whose aim was to promote the indigenous language and to publicize and counteract the socioeconomic oppression of Latvians. A significant center of this movement was University of Dorpat (now Tartu, Estonia) where many of Young Latvians studied.

Meanwhile, Riga became an important industrial center. In late 19th century, Riga was the 3rd largest industrial city in Russian Empire by the number of industrial workers (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) and 4th largest by industrial output (after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Ivanovo).

By 1901, "Jauna Strava" had evolved into the Latvian Social Democratic Party . Following the lead of the Austrian Marxist s, the LSDP advocated the transformation of the Russian Empire into a federation of democratic states (to include Latvia) and the adoption of cultural autonomy policy for extra-territorial ethnic communities. In 1903, the LSDP split into the more radically internationalist Latvian Social Democratic Worker's Party and the more influential Latvian Social Democratic Union (LSDU), which continued to champion national interests and Latvia's national self-determination, especially during the failed 1905 Revolution in Russia.

The onset of World War I brought German occupation of the western coastal province of Kurzeme, and Latvians heroically countered the invasion with the establishment of several regiments of riflemen commanded by Czarist generals. As a defensive measure, Russia dismantled over 500 local Latvian industries, along with technological equipment, and relocated them to central Russia. The sagging military campaign generally increased Latvian and LSDU support for the Bolsheviks' successful October Revolution in 1917, in the hopes of a "free Latvia within free Russia." These circumstances led to the formation of the soviet "Iskolat Republic" in the unoccupied section of Latvia. In opposition to this government and to the landed barons' German sympathies stood primarily the Latvian Provisional National Council and the Riga Democratic Bloc. These and other political parties formed the Latvian People's Council ( Tautas Padome) which on November 18, 1918 declared Latvia's independence and formed an army.

4 The first independence (1918 to 1940)

The new Latvian army faced rogue elements of the retreating German army and squared off in civil war against the Soviet Red Army, comprised greatly of the former Latvian Riflemen. Soviet power resumed in Latvia one month later on December 17 by order of the Latvian SSR, which forcefully collectivized all land and nationalized all industries and property. By May 22, 1919 the resurgent German Army occupied and devastated Riga for several days. In response, the Latvian army managed to win a decisive battle over the combined German-Red Army forces (Latvian Provisional Government returned Riga from Liepaja in July 1919) and thereafter consolidated its success on the eastern Latgale front. These developments led to the dissolution of the Soviet Latvian government on January 13, 1920 and to a peace treaty between Latvia and Bolshevist Russia on August 11 later that year. On January 26, 1921, the Allied Supreme Council in Paris recognized the Republic of Latvia de jure, and many countries followed this decision. By September 22, 1921, Latvia was admitted to the League of Nations.

Having obtained independent statehood in which Latvians were an absolute majority, the Government headed by Prime Minister Krlis Ulmanis declared a democratic, parliamentary republic. It recognized Latvian as the official language, granted cultural autonomy to the country's sizeable minorities, and introduced an electoral system into the Latvian constitution, which was adopted in 1922. The first President of the State was Janis Cakste (1922-1927). The decade witnessed sweeping economic reform, as war had devastated Latvian agriculture, and most Russian factories had been evacuated to Russia already in 1915. Economic depression heightened political turmoil, and on May 15, 1934, Prime Minister Ulmanis dismissed the parliament, banned political parties and tightened authoritarian state control over Latvian social life and the economy.

5 World War II and Soviet Period (1940 to 1991)

The effects of the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 steadily forced Latvia under Soviet influence. On October 5, 1939, Latvia was forced to sign the Treaty of mutual assistance with the USSR, which sanctioned the stationing of Soviet military bases in the territory of Latvia. On June 15, 1940, the Soviet Union used a staged border incident at Maslenki border point as an excuse for bringing in troops. Ulmanis, wanting to avoid bloodshed, ordered Latvian army to surrender. Latvia was occupied on June 17, 1940 and officially annexed to the Soviet Union on August 5, 1940. But the United States 1940 - 1991 has never recognized the forcible and illegal annexation of the Baltic States in conformity with the principles of Stimson Doctrine ( Sumner Welles`s Declaration of July 23, 1940), and more than 50 countries followed USA. Republic of Latvia in 1940-1991 continued to exist as a state de jure according of international law all time of its factual occupation and annexation. Therefore some Latvian diplomatic and consular representations continued to function in 1940 - 1991 in some Western countries ( USA, Australia, etc.), dealing with a limited part of state functions of the Republic of Latvia.

On June 14, 1941, 15,000 Latvian citizens were forcibly deported to Siberia according to orders of Soviet security authorities ( NKVD) and most of former army officers shot. The subsequent German occupation witnessed the mobilization of many Latvians into Waffen SS legions, while some Latvians joined the Red Army and formed resistance groups; others fled to the West and East. By 1945, Latvia's population had dropped by one-third.

At the end of the war, USSR occupied Latvia once more. After the war, the U.S.S.R. subjected the Latvian republic to a scale of social and economic reorganization which rapidly transformed the rural economy to heavy industry, the strongly ethnically Latvian population into a more multiethnic structure, and the predominantly peasant class into a fully urbanized industrial worker class. As part of the goal to more fully integrate Latvia into the Soviet Union, on March 25, 1949, Stalin again deported another 42,000 Latvians and continued to promote the policy of encouraging Soviet immigration to Latvia (i. e., Soviet colonization and russification of Latvia). The brief " Khrushchev thaw" of the 1950s ended in 1959, when the Soviets dismissed Latvian Communist Party and Government leaders on charges of "bourgeois nationalism" and replaced them with more aggressive hardliners, mostly from Russia. During 1940s and 1950s thousands of resistance fighters participated in unsuccessful guerilla warfare against Soviet regime.

" Perestroika" enabled Latvians to pursue a bolder nationalistic program, particularly through such general issues as environmental protection. In July 1989, the Supreme Soviet of Latvian SSR adopted a "Declaration of Sovereignty" and amended the Constitution of Latvian SSR to assert the supremacy of its laws over those of the U.S.S.R. Pro-independence Latvian Popular Front candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council in the March, 1990 democratic elections. On May 4, the Council declared its intention to restore full Latvian independence after a "transitional" period; 3 days later, Ivars Godmanis was chosen Council of Ministers Chairman, or Prime Minister.

In January 1991, Soviet political and military forces tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the legitimate Latvian authorities by occupying the central publishing house in Riga and establishing a " Committee of National Salvation " to usurp governmental functions. Seventy-three percent of all Latvian residents confirmed their strong support for independence March 3 in a nonbinding "advisory" referendum. A large number of ethnic Russians also voted for the proposition.

Latvia declared the end of "transitional period" and claimed de facto full independence on August 21, 1991 in the aftermath of the failed Soviet coup attempt. International recognition, including the U.S.S.R., followed. The United States, which had never recognized Latvia's forcible annexation by the U.S.S.R., recognized the restored independence of Latvia on September 2 and resumed full diplomatic relations with Latvia on September 5. Today`s Republic of Latvia regards itself as a continuation of the 1918-1940 independent republic.

6 The Second Independence (from 1991)

Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (more than 30% of the population, most of them, as mentioned above, has come to Latvia as a result of Soviet colonization of Latvia) remains of concern to Moscow. Many discussions revolve around whether the minorities (mainly Russian people) should have to learn the Latvian language. This is a major concern for Latvians, as some of the minorities living in Latvia claim it would mean assimilation and refuse to do so.

Latvia continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic institutions, especially NATO and the European Union. In a referendum on September 20, 2003, Latvia voted to join EU. On March 29, 2004, it joined NATO and on May 1, 2004 it became a member of the EU.

7 See also

Latvia
Latvian independence movement (1940-1991)
Latvian diplomatic service (1940-1991)
Livonia

8 External links

Latvia Latvian history

<Hide>

Home > History of Latvia

1 Latvia before 13th century