The 20th Century: Independence Gained, Illegal Annexation and Freedom Restored

Latvian national independence became a public cause in the early years of the 20th century. The Revolution of 1905 in Latvia was an outright struggle for social and political liberation against German landowners and the Russian policy of national oppression. World War I (1914-1918) crippled Latvia economically as the German army occupied the western half of Latvia one fifth of Latvia's 2.5 million inhabitants became refugees, while most of Latvia's industry was moved to the Russian interior. However, at the same time, the division of the territory and economi hardships brought about a new outburst of national self confidence. Battalions and later regiments of Latvian riflemen were established to protect the country. Latvian political parties were formed into the Latvian People's Council which, on November 18, 1918, for the first time proclaimed the national independence of the Republic of Latvia. The international community recognized Latvia's independence January 26, 1921, and nine months later, Latvia was admitted to the League of Nations. Despite facing a multitude of problems, Latvia began to flourish and by the 1930's, had one of the highest standards of living in Europe. The signing of the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and associated protocols decided the fate fate of Latvia, as Hitler and Stalin divided Eastern Europe into their spheres of influence. Latvia fell into the Soviet sphere and on June 17, 1940 Soviet troops invaded, and sham elections were organized so as to legitimize their occupation. On the night of June 13-14, 1941, tens of thousands of Latvia's inhabitants were deported to Siberia. German forces invaded in early July 1941 and their rule lasted until 1944, when the Soviet troops returned. The western region of Kurzeme held out until the end of the war, not having surrendered to either side, but, by the end of the war, Latvia had lost one third of its population. Between 110,000 and 120,000 individuals were persecuted and faced repressive actions such as imprisonment, deportation to Soviet Gulag camps or were killed out right, while some 130,000 individuals, escaping from invading forces, fled to the west. Though partisan fighting against the Soviet system continued until 1953, the communist regime basically continued its illegal annexation of Latvia from where it left off in 1941. Stalin's reign of terror was sharply felt, and on March 25, 1949 alone almost 43,000 people were deported from Latvia to Siberia. A massive Russification campaign, deportations, mass imprisonment, together with forced mass immigration (which flooded Latvia with huge numbers of non-natives to work in the area of forced general collectivization and irrationally introduced industries), significantly changed the make Before Soviet occupation in 1940, Latvians made up approximately 75% of the population, but by 1989 this figure was less than 51%. In no other post-war European country had the native population become a minority in seven of its major cities, including the capital Riga. And yet, despite over 50 years of illegal Soviet rule and the active and intense imposition of a Russification policy, Latvians never lost their sense of identity.

The second national awakening began in the late 1980's after the implementation of Soviet President Gorbachev's expressed policies of glasnost and perestroika in 1985. On March 18, 1990 the Popular Front of Latvia candidates gained 124 of the 201 seats in the Supreme Council, and on May 4, 1990 the Supreme Council adopted declaration on the renewal of Latvia's independence. After bloody assaults by Soviet OMON forces in January 1991, first in Vilnius, Lithuania followed a week later in Riga, Latvia, a general referendum on March 3 in which 73.7% of the participating 87.6% of eligible voters voted in support of independence from the USSR. After the aborted coup in Moscow, on August 21, 1991 the parliament in Latvia voted on re-establishing de facto independence, restoring Latvia's pre-war status as a sovereign independent country.

January, 1991.