History of Latvia for the period before the establishment of an independent state
By the end of the 12th century the territory of modern Latvia was mainly inhabited by the ancient tribes of the Balts: Curonians, Selonians, Zemgalians, who have not yet had their statehood, mainly engaged in agriculture and were pagans.
Under the rule of the German knights (13th - 16th century)
In the late 12th - early 13th centuries, German crusaders seized these lands and on the territory of present Latvia and Estonia formed a confederation of feudal states - Livonia.
In 1201 German crusaders founded the city of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava River. In 1282 Riga and later Cesis, Limbazi, Koknese and Valmiera were taken in the north-German alliance of trading cities - "Hanseatic League", which contributed to the rapid development of the region. Riga became an important trading point between East and West.
Under the rule of Poles and Swedes (16 - 17th century)
In 1522 the Reformation movement, engulfed by the time the whole of Europe, penetrated into Livonia. As a result of the Reformation in the territories of Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme Lutheran faith is strengthened and in Latgale preserved dominance of the Roman Catholic Church. Religious unrest undermined the foundations of the Livonian statehood. In 1558 Russia, Polish-Lithuanian Principality and Sweden went to war for the possession of these territories, which ended in 1583 by section of Livonia between the Polish-Lithuanian principality and Sweden. The territory of modern Latvia was annexed by Poland. At this point the dispute between the Poles and Swedes did not end. In the new war (1600-1629), Vidzeme and Riga came under the dominion of Sweden.
In the 17th century the Duchy of Kurzeme (vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Principality) experienced an economic upswing and even captured overseas colonies: in the Gambia (Africa) and the island of Tobago in the Caribbean.
In turn, Riga became the largest city of Sweden and Vidzeme was called the "granary of Sweden", as it provided grain to the most part of the Swedish Kingdom.
In the 17th century, was gradually going consolidation of separate tribes (Latgales, Selonians, Zemgalians, Curonians and Livonians) into a united speaking the same language Latvian people. The first books in the Latvian language (prayer books) appeared in the mid-16th century, but then were used not modern but gothic font.
As part of the Russian Empire (1710 - 1917)
During the Great Northern War (1700 -1721) Russia against Sweden in 1710 Peter I went to Riga and after 8 months of siege took her. The territory of Vidzeme crossed under the control of Russia. In 1772, as a result of the partition of Poland, the territory of Latgale also crossed under the control of Russia, and in 1795, after the third partition of Poland - and the territory of the Duchy of Kurzeme.
Despite joining the Russian Empire, the laws in these lands are often very different from the "domestic". So Russia has retained the privileges of the German barons who owned large estates, and that, in fact, continued to be the main authority in the lands. Barons were allowed to gather on Landtags and offer a variety of bills. Already in the years 1817-1819 in most of the current Latvia serfdom was abolished. Only in 1887 the teaching of the Russian language in all schools was legally introduced. During the period of Russian rule in the territory of east Latvia – Latgale took Pale of Settlement - here on the outskirts of the empire were allowed to settle Jews and old believers. Up to the present time in Latvia remained strong Old Believer community, but the Jewish population, which was in these lands almost the majority of the urban population was almost completely destroyed during the German occupation of 1941-1944.
In the late 18th century industry began to develop rapidly and population growth increased. The territory of present Latvia has become the most developed province in Russia. At the end of the 18th century Riga became the second port in the Empire after the St. Petersburg, the third industrial center after Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Since the late 19th century it began the rise of national consciousness in Latvia, there were the beginnings of a national movement. Special rise was experiencing during the first Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. After the collapse of the monarchy in February 1917, the Latvian representatives of the Russian Parliament performed the requirements to give Latvia autonomy.
History of Latvia in the XX century
The First Republic (1920-1940)
At the end of 1918 most of Latvia including Riga was captured by the German army during the First World War. Germany lost the war and could not retain these lands, while at the same time the country's winners were not interested in the fact that the territory was included to Soviet Russia. The current international situation has given Latvia a chance to find its own state. It was beginning to form authorities of the Republic of Latvia who proclaim Latvia's independence in November 18, 1918.
Initially they acted as allies of Germany against the Red Army, then opposed Germany itself, and, finally, won from Soviet Russia the territory of Latgale. In February 1920, Russia signed an armistice with Latvia, thereby recognizing its independence. At a conference of the great powers in Paris, 26 January 1921, the independence of Latvia were recognized de jure unconditionally. At the same time the other "fragments" of the Russian Empire - Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland also got independence.
During 20 years of independence Latvia could build an independent state, to achieve certain economic success. Originally a democratic parliamentary republic, it became an authoritarian state in 1934, when as a result of the coup K. Ulmanis captured an absolute power. However, Ulmanis didn’t resort to large-scale repression and, in general, acted as a "guarantor of stability". Ulmanis time remains in the memory of many Latvians as a symbol of economic and cultural development, at this time the standard of living in Latvia was the highest in Europe.
The loss of Independence (1940)
September 1, 1939, the Second World War started - Germany invaded Poland. 17 September in Poland Soviet troops entered Poland from the east; it was divided between Germany and the USSR. October 2 - the Soviet Union demanded that Latvia within three days pass for the needs of the Red Army's military ports, airfields and other military infrastructure. Similar requirements at the same time have been put forward in relation to Lithuania and Estonia, as well as Finland (additionally it was demanded about the exchange of territory). At the same time, the Soviet leadership assured that they were not talking about interfering in the internal affairs of these countries, but only about preventive measures, in order that their territory was not used as a springboard against the USSR.
The three Baltic countries, including Latvia, took the fulfillment of requirements. October 5 - a mutual assistance pact between Latvia and the USSR was signed. On the territory of the country military contingent was introduced, comparable and even exceeding the size and power of the Latvian National Army. Finland refused to fulfill the established conditions, and 30 November the USSR began its military operations against it.
However, still almost a year Latvia has existed as an independent state. The end came in 1940. In June 1940, Germany defeated France, almost all of continental Europe was under its control. Baltic countries remained the last, except the Balkans, undivided Europe.
June 16 USSR showed Latvia (formerly Lithuania, and three days later - Estonia) new ultimatum, the main requirement of which was the resignation of the "hostile to the Soviet Union government" and the formation of a new government under the supervision of representatives of the USSR.
President K. Ulmanis took all the points of the ultimatum and addressed his nation to remain calm, which ended with the famous phrase "stay in your place, and I'm staying on his". June 17 new units of the Soviet military units entered Latvia, without encountering any resistance. On June 21, it was formed a new government friendly to the USSR, and on July 14-15 in all three still Baltic countries were held "national elections", which resulted in a "convincing victory of the Communists." The newly-elected Supreme Soviet synchronously applied to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to include Latvia (along with Estonia and Lithuania) in the USSR, which happened on 5 August.
Soviet power in Latvia has become established on the proven technology. In order to "pull up the bourgeois Baltics" according with the standards of the Stalinist Soviet Union, there were rapidly eradicated "counter-revolutionary" elements, carried out the nationalization of property and collectivization. A week before the start of the war - June 14 - the first mass deportation was organized - about 15 thousand people were deported to Siberia. During the year from June 1940 to June 1941 there were made a lot, and that’s why many local people welcomed the German army as liberators from the communist terror.
Latvia during the war (1941-1945)
June 22, 1941 Germany attacked the Soviet Union. The territory of Latvia on a week and a half came under German control and remained under it entirely up to July 1944. During this time in Latvia it was destroyed up to 90 thousand people. Since July 1941, Latvia began to form volunteer teams of policemen, some of whom participated in the destruction of the Jewish population. Auxiliary unit of SD, under the command of Araya, destroyed 30 thousand Jews.
In February 1943 on Hitler's orders it began to form the Latvian SS Legion. Originally, it was formed on a voluntary basis, but the general mobilization was carried out shortly. In total, the legion was called for 94 000 people.
In July-August 1944, the Red Army, which included also fought the Latvian Army Corps, liberated from the Germans almost the entire territory of Latvia, except for the so-called "Kurzemes pocket". Kurzemes pocket - a large part of western Latvia - Kurzeme, with the ports of Ventspils and Liepaja, remained under German control until May 1945, and army defending it, including the Latvian Legion, laid down their arms only after the fall of Berlin and the complete surrender of Germany. Hold of Kurzemes pocket allowed 130 thousand inhabitants of Latvia to cross to neighboring countries in boats.
At the Yalta Conference in January 1945, the Soviet border was fixed as of June 1941. Thus, the great powers recognized the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union.
Latvia as a part of the USSR (1944-1991)
After the war, Sovietization of Latvia was continued. In March 1949, it was carried out another mass expulsion of the population in the northern regions of the USSR. Despite this, small groups of guerrillas - "Forest Brothers" - acted on the territory of Latvia before 1956.
In 60 - 80 years Latvia was developing in the USSR, as a kind of model of the Soviet republic. There operated well-known enterprises - WEF, radio, RAF, Lima, and others. Through the merits on the basis of the construction of socialism, many party leaders of Soviet Latvia were promoted to senior positions in Moscow, among them a member of the Politburo A.Y. Pelshe, KGB head B.K. Pugo etc.
During its stay in the USSR a lot of people from other republics of the Soviet Union came to work to Latvia - the proportion of the Latvian population decreased from 75% in 1935 to about 53% in 70 years.
The restoration of independence
Restructuring (“Perestroika”), that Mikhail Gorbachev launched in 1987, was given a rise to various political movements. In Latvia, in October 1988, the first congress of the Popular Front took place. Popular Front in Latvia and the rest of the territory of the Soviet Union was perceived not as a nationalist, but above all, as a democratic, anti-totalitarian movement, and therefore its activity were actively attended by representatives of the Russian population, it was actively supported by the Russian democrats. In the Popular Front program was written that citizenship in the independent Latvian state would be granted to all its inhabitants (the so-called "zero option").
August 24, 1991, after the failure of the coup, the Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree recognizing the independence of the three Baltic republics. Unfortunately, when the leaders of the Popular Front came to power, and Latvia regained its independence, the situation began to change radically. It was passed the law on citizenship, providing that only citizens of Latvia in June 1940 and their direct descendants may be eligible for automatic citizenship in the new Latvia. Recent collaborators came to fight against totalitarianism, became to be regarded as a fifth column of Moscow, which still must prove their reliability, passing the naturalization process. Disclaimer of promises (which many leaders of the NFL considered only as a "tactical maneuver") was one of the reasons for the split of the population in the two communities.
The modern Latvia (since August 1991)
Over the past few years after the restoration of independence Latvia held serious economic reforms, has introduced its own currency (lats) in 1993, held the privatization and returned ownership to the former owners (restitution). The economy is growing steadily at 5-7% per year.
Also the Government embarked on a course on the withdrawal from Russian influence and integration with the European institutions. In February 1993, Latvia has introduced a visa regime with Russia, and in 1995 the last part of the Russian army left the country. Since 2004 Latvia is a member of NATO and the European Union.