History

Overview

Incorporated into Russia in 1721, Latvia became an independent state in 1918, before being proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940. During the Second World War, it was occupied by Germany. A new nationalist movement grew up in the 1980s, and in 1991, independence was declared. Although the last Russian troops left Latvia in 1994, tensions still remain between the Russian and Latvian communities. Latvia was formally invited to join NATO and the EU in 2002.

Early History

The proto-Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC.

At the beginning of this era, the territory known today as Latvia became famous as a trading crossroads. The famous "route from the Vikings to the Greeks" mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory via the River Daugava to the ancient Rus and Byzantine Empire.

The ancient Balts of this time actively participated in the trading network. Across the European continent, Latvia's coast was known as a place for obtaining amber. Up to and into the Middle Ages amber was more valuable than gold in many places. Latvian amber was known in places as far away as Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

In the 10th century AD, the ancient Balts started to form specific tribal realms. Gradually, four individual Baltic tribal cultures developed: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians and Semigallians. The largest of them was the Latgallian tribe, which was the most advanced in its socio-political development. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Couronians maintained a lifestyle of intensive invasions that included looting and pillaging. On the west coast of the Baltic Sea, they became known as the "Baltic Vikings". But the Selonians and Semgallians, during this time, were known as peace-loving and prosperous farmers.

German Period

Because of its strategic geographic location, Latvian territory has always been invaded by other larger nations, and this situation has defined the fate of Latvia and its people.

At the end of the 12th century, Latvia was more often visited by traders from western Europe who set out on trading journeys along Latvia's longest river, the Daugava, to Russia. At the very end of the 12th century, German traders arrived and with them came preachers of the Christian faith who attempted to convert the pagan Baltic and Finno-Ugrian tribes to the Christian faith. The Balts did not willingly convert to the new and different beliefs and practices, and particularly opposed the ritual of christening. News of this reached the Pope in Rome and it was decided that Crusaders would be sent into Latvia to influence the situation.

The Germans founded Riga in 1201, and gradually it became the largest and most beautiful city in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. With the arrival of the German Crusaders, the development of separate tribal realms of the ancient Latvians came to an end.

In the 13th century, the Livonian Confederation developed under the Germanic authorities consisting of Latvia and Estonia. In 1282, Riga and later Cesis, Limbazi, Koknese and Valmiera were included in the Northern German Trading Organisation, or the Hanseatic League (Hansa). From this time, Riga became an important point in west-east trading. Riga, being the centre of the eastern Baltic region, formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe.

16th Century: Polish Period

The 1490s were a time of great changes for the inhabitants of Latvia, notable for the reformation and the collapse of the Livonian nation. After the Livonian War (1558-83), today's Latvian territory came under Polish-Lithuanian rule. The Lutheran faith was accepted in Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme, but the Roman Catholic faith maintained its dominance in Latgale - it remains so to this day.

In the 17th century, the Duchy of Courland, once a part of Livonia, experienced a notable economic boom. It established two colonies - an island in the estuary of the Gambia River (in Africa) and Tobago Island (in the Caribbean Sea). Names from this period still survive today in these places.

1621-1710: Swedish Period

However after the Polish-Swedish war (1600-1629) Riga came under Swedish rule in 1621. It became the largest and most developed Swedish City. During this time Vidzeme was known as the "Swedish Bread Basket" because it supplied the larger part of the Swedish kingdom with wheat. The rest of Latvia stayed Polish until the second partition of Poland in 1793, when it became Russian.

Consolidation of the Latvian nation occurred in the 17th century. With the merging of the Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semgallians and Livonians (Finno-Ugrians, in Latvian called: libie?i or livi) a culturally unified nation was developed - the Latvians (Latvian: latvie?i) that spoke a common language called Latvian language (Latvian: latvie?u valoda).

1710-1918: Russian Period

In 1700, the Great Northern War broke out. The course of this war was directly linked with today's Latvian territory and the territorial claims of the Russian Empire. One of its goals was to secure the famous and rich town of Riga. In 1710, the Russian Tsar, Peter I, managed to secure Vidzeme. Through Vidzeme to Riga, Russia obtained a clear passage to Europe. By the end of the 18th century, due to the Polish Partitions, all of Latvia's territory was under Russian rule.

Serfdom was abolished in Courland in 1818 and in 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. Industry developed quickly and the number of the inhabitants grew. Latvia became one of Russia's most developed provinces.

In the 19th century, the first Latvian National Awakening began among ethnic Latvian intellectuals, a movement that partly reflected similar nationalist trends elsewhere in Europe. This revival was led by the "Young Latvians" (jaunlatviesi) from the 1850s to the 1880s. Primarily a literary and cultural movement with significant political implications, the Young Latvians soon came into severe conflict with the Baltic Germans.

With increasing pauperization in rural areas and growing urbanization, a loose but broad leftist movement called the "New Current" arose in the late 1880s. Led by Rainis and Peteris Stucka, editors of the newspaper Dienas Lapa, this movement was soon influenced by Marxism and led to the creation of the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party.

Latvia in the 20th century saw an explosion of popular discontent in the 1905 Revolution.

1918-1940: Independence

The idea of an independent Latvia became a reality at the beginning of the 1900s. The course of World War I (WWI) activated the idea of independence. WWI directly involved Latvians and Latvian territory. Latvian riflemen (latviesu strelnieki) fought on the Russian side during this war, and earned recognition for their bravery far into Europe. During the Russian civil war (1917-1922), Latvians fought on both sides with a significant group (known as Latvian red riflemen) supporting the Bolsheviks. In the autumn of 1919, the red Latvian division participated in a major battle against the "white" anti-bolshevik army headed by the Russian general Anton Denikin.

Latvia was ostensibly included within the German-led United Baltic Duchy, but this collapsed after the defeat of the German Empire in 1918. The post-war confusion was a suitable opportunity for the development of an independent nation. Latvia proclaimed independence shortly after the end of World War I - on November 18, 1918, which is now the Independence Day in Latvia. The first major power to recognise Latvia's independence was the Russian SFSR (on August 11, 1920), which relinquished authority over the Latvian nation and claims to Latvian territory once and for all times. However, future actions proved that these had been empty promises.

The international community recognised Latvia's independence on January 26, 1921, and the recognition from many other countries followed soon. In this year Latvia also became a member of the League of Nations (September 22, 1921).

Because of the world economic crisis there was a growing dissatisfaction among the population at the beginning of the 1930s. In Riga on May 15, 1934, Prime Minister Karlis Ulmanis, one of the fathers of Latvian independence, took power by a bloodless coup d'état: the activities of the Parliament (the Saeima) and all the political parties were suspended.

Rapid economic growth took place in the second half of 1930s, due to which Latvia reached one of the highest living standards in Europe. Because of improving living standards in Latvian society, there was no serious opposition to the authoritarian rule of the Prime Minister Karlis Ulmanis and no possibility of it arising.

1940-1991: Soviet Period

The Soviet Union guaranteed its interests in the Baltics with the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany on August 23, 1939. Under threat of invasion, Latvia (as did Estonia and Lithuania) signed a mutual assistance pact with Soviet Union, providing for the stationing of up to 25,000 troops on Latvian soil. Following initiative from Nazi Germany, Latvia concluded an agreement on October 30, 1939 to repatriate ethnic Germans in the wake of the impeding Soviet takeover.

While world attention was focused on the fall of Paris to Nazi Germany a day earlier, Soviet foreign minister Molotov accused the Baltic states of conspiracy against the Soviet Union. On June 16, 1940, threatening an invasion, Soviet Union issued an ultimatum demanding that government be replaced and that unlimited number of Soviet troops be admitted. Knowing that the Red Army had entered Lithuania a day before and that its troops were massed along the eastern border, and mindful of the Soviet military bases in Western Latvia, the government acceded to the demands, and Soviet troops occupied the country on June 17. Staged elections were held July 14-15, 1940, whose results were announced in Moscow 12 hours before the polls closed; Soviet documents show the election results were forged. The newly elected so-called People's Assembly declared Latvia a Socialist Soviet Republic and petitioned for admission into the Soviet Union (illegal under the interwar constitution) on July 21. Latvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union on August 5, 1940. The overthrown Latvian government continued to function in exile while the republic was under the Soviet control.

In the spring of 1941, the Soviet central government began planning the mass deportation of anti-Soviet elements from the occupied Baltic States. During the night of the 13th/14th June, 1941, 15,424 inhabitants of Latvia-including 1,771 Jews and 742 ethnic Russians-were deported to camps and special settlements, mostly in Siberia. Approximately 35,000 people were deported in the first year of Soviet occupation (131,500 across the Baltics). The Nazi invasion, launched a week later, cut short immediate plans to deport several hundred thousand more from the Baltics.

1940-1944: Nazi Occupation

Nazi troops occupied Riga on July 1, 1941. Immediately after the instalment of German authority, a process of eliminating the Jewish and Gypsy population began, with many killings taking place in Rumbula. The killings were committed by the Einsatzgruppe A, the Wehrmacht and Marines (in Liepaja), as well as by Latvian collaborators, including the 500-1,500 members of the infamous Arajs Commando, which alone killed around 26,000 Jews, and the 2,000 or more Latvian members of the SD. By the end of 1941, almost the entire Jewish population was killed or placed in the death camps. In addition, some 25,000 Jews were brought from Germany, Austria and the present-day Czech Republic, of whom around 20,000 were killed. The Holocaust claimed approximately 85,000 lives in Latvia.

A large number of Latvians resisted the German occupation. The resistance movement was divided between the pro-independence units under the Latvian Central Council and the pro-Soviet units under the Latvian Partisan Movement Headquarters in Moscow. Their Latvian commander was Arturs Sprogis. (The Nazis, in fact, planned to Germanise the Baltics after the war.)

In 1943 and 1944, two divisions of Waffen SS were formed from Latvian volunteers to help Germany against the Red Army. In 1944, when the Soviet military advances reached the area, heavy fighting took place in Latvia between German and Soviet troops which ended with another German defeat. During the course of the war, both occupying forces conscripted Latvians into their armies, in this way increasing the loss of the nation's "live resources". In 1944, part of the Latvian territory once more came under Soviet control. The Soviets immediately began to reinstate the pre-war order. After the German surrender it become clear that Soviet forces were there to stay, and pro-independence partisans (Forest Brothers), soon to be joined by German collaborators, began their fight against another occupier - the Soviet Union.

Post-War Years

The first post-war years were marked by particularly dismal and sombre events in the fate of the Latvian nation. 120,000 Latvian inhabitants were imprisoned or deported to Soviet concentration camps (the Gulag). Some managed to escape arrest and joined the Forest Brothers. 130,000 took refuge from the Soviet army by fleeing to the West. On March 25, 1949, 43,000 rural residents were deported to Siberia in a sweeping repressive action.

An extensive programme to impose bilingualism was initiated in Latvia, limiting the use of minor languages in favour of Latvian and Russian. In some fields there existed either Russification or Latvianization.

In the post-war period, Latvia was forced to adopt Soviet farming methods and the economic infrastructure developed in the 1920s and 1930s was purposely destroyed. Rural areas were forced into collectivisation.

Because Latvia had still maintained a well-developed infrastructure and educated specialists it was decided in Moscow that some of the Soviet Union's most advanced manufacturing factories were to be based in Latvia. New industry was created in Latvia, including a major machinery factory RAF and electrotechnical factories, as well as some food and oil processing plants. However, there was not enough workforce to run the newly built factories. In order to run these factories, Russian workers were transferred into the country, noticeably decreasing the proportion of ethnic Latvians. By 1989, the ethnic Latvians comprised about 52% of the population (1,387,757), however before WWII, they comprised around 77% (1,467,035) of all inhabitants.

1980-1991: Restoration of Independence

A liberalisation within the communist regime began in the mid 1980s in the USSR. In Latvia there immediately appeared a few mass socio-political organisations that made use of this opportunity - Tautas Fronte (Popular Front of Latvia), Latvijas Nacionalas Neatkaribas Kustiba (The Movement for National Independence), Pilsonu Kongress (The Congress of Citizens of Latvia). These groups were for the reinstatement of National Independence.

In 1989, on 23 August, 50 years had passed since the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. In order to draw the world's attention to the fate of the Baltic nations, Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians joined hands in a human chain that stretched 600 kilometres from Tallinn, to Riga, to Vilnius. It symbolically represented the united wish of the Baltic States for independence.

A notable step towards restoration of independence was taken on May 4, 1990. The Latvian SSR Supreme Council, elected in the first democratic elections since 1930s, adopted a declaration restoring independence that included a transition period. On the August 21, 1991 parliament voted for an end to the transition period, thus restoring Latvia's pre-war independence. On September 6, 1991, Latvian independence was once again recognised by the USSR.

1991 - Present: Recent History

Soon after reinstating independence, Latvia became a member of the United Nations and swiftly returned to the flock of democratic nations in the free world. In 1992, Latvia became eligible for the International Monetary Fund and in 1994 took part in the NATO Partnership for Peace programme, as well as signed the free trade agreement with the European Union. Latvia became a member of the European Council as well as a candidate for the membership in the European Union and NATO. Latvia was the first of the three Baltic nations to be accepted into the World Trade Organization.

At the end of 1999, the heads of the European Union governments invited Latvia to begin negotiations regarding accession to the European Union, and in 2004, Latvia's most important foreign policy goals, membership of the European Union and NATO, were fulfilled. On April 2, Latvia became a member of NATO and on May 1, Latvia together with the other two Baltic States became a member of the European Union. Around 67% had voted in favour of EU membership in a September 2003 referendum with turnout at 72.5 percent.