History UsefulNotes / Latvia

The interwar period was, for the most part, good for Latvia -- at least at first. No longer under the control of the absolutist Russian czars, Latvia (along with its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania) enjoyed a democratic regime, rapid economic growth, and good relations with Western European powers like the UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom, {{UsefulNotes/France}}, {{UsefulNotes/Germany}}, and the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates. However, Karlis Ulmanis, who had been the country's prime minister several times since independence, staged a coup in 1934 and established a dictatorship, ending Latvian democracy for the next half-century. Things got worse when UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and UsefulNotes/{{Joseph Stalin}}'s USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, dividing Eastern Europe between them; Latvia was on the Soviet side, and Soviet forces overran the country in 1939. Though the Soviets officially annexed Latvia that same year, this was never recognized by the Western world, which continued to consider it (along with Estonia and Lithuania) legally independent and ''illegally'' occupied.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact did not last. In 1941, Germany launched a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, and the Baltics, including Latvia, were relatively close to the border, meaning they were overrun quickly by the German advance. After two years of Soviet occupation, many Latvians welcomed the Germans as liberators, and Latvia was incorporated into ''Reichskomissariat Ostland''. A lot of people were drafted/volunteered into the Waffen SS Latvian Legion during the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi German]] occupation and used to fight the Soviets. Not supporting Hitler directly, they saw this as the only opportunity to secure some sort of an independence from the Soviets, which, by then, had sent huge amounts of Latvians to gulags or just shot them. We have a remembrance day for them in the 16th of March, a date which is, unfortunately, portrayed in media as some sort of a Nazi-support celebration, but this is not the case. Of course, the true nature of the German occupation and their plans for the region quickly revealed itself, and the Germans proved to be even more draconian than the Soviets they had replaced. Most depressingly, 70,000 Latvian Jews were murdered in UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, more than 75% of their pre-war population. After the tide of the war turned at Stalingrad and Moscow, Soviet forces retook the region, but a small number of German troops managed to hold out in the "Courland Pocket," in the far west of Latvia, until Germany surrendered in May 1945.

Also, a cool thing, done together with our neighbours, the Estonians and Lithuanians, was getting independence via making a [[http://interestingworldhistory.blogspot.com/2013/04/baltic-way.html huge chain of people, stretching from Vilnius to Tallin]].

The Latvians (the older term 'Lett' has fallen out of use in English) are really touchy about being mistaken for the Russians - and by "touchy", we mean that calling a Latvian a Russian is a sure-fire way of getting into a fight. This might have something to do with the fact that out of the three Baltic states, Latvia was Russified the most; the number of Russians doubled from about 250,000 to 500,000 in just two decades after the Soviet annexation in 1940 and peaking at 900,000 in late 1980s (35% of the total population). For many years, the Russians actually made the majority in the capital and most populous city, Riga, and still is in the second-biggest city Daugavpilis. This created a problem in the years after independence, as the Baltic countries have made a resolute agreement ''not'' to offer automatic citizenship to residents who migrated in post-1940 or recognizing languages other than their own at all. Yes, until 2006, ''more than half of the population of the country's capital were considered illegal immigrants''[[note]] Admittedly, that's a hyperbole. There are Russians who have become citizens, too, but the percentage of those who do not are still very high[[/note]].

Regarding the national language, it's considered by linguists to be one of the most conservative from the Indo-European language family, though not to the same extent as Lithuanian. For non-speakers, it sounds vaguely Slavic-ish, which is understandable, since the language is a part of the clade that contains the Slavic languages, albeit (like Lithuanian) having split from the others eons ago. And no, no matter what dictionary you find about Latvian, "[[Series/{{Seinfeld}} kavorka]]" does not mean "[[KavorkaMan the lure of the animal]]", nor it is a word of Latvian at all (or other languages for that matter).

* Music/{{Aminata}} Savadogo, who represented the country at the Series/EurovisionSongContest 2015 and gave them their best result in a decade.

* '''Area:''' 64,589 km
(24,938 sq mi) (122nd)

* '''Area:''' 64,589 km
(24,938 sq mi) (122nd)

** President: Egils Levits
** Prime Minister: Krišjānis Kariņš
** Speaker of the Saeima: Ināra Mūrniece

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In TheMiddleAges, the Baltic countries -- the last stronghold of paganism in Europe -- were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until UsefulNotes/WorldWarII[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). Over the centuries, the Germans intermingled with the native Baltic-speaking Latvians; many Baltic elite families intermarried with and assimilated into the German ruling class, while lowborn German colonists often married into and assimilated into the broader Latvian culture, especially in cities. German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination.[[note]]Hence the standard way to distinguish between the three Baltic states from middle-school geography class: UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}} is Baltic by language and Catholic by religion; UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}} is Finnic by language and Protestant by religion; and Latvia, sandwiched between the two, is Baltic by language and Protestant by religion.[[/note]] Eventually, though, the independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

See also ''Main/LatvianMedia''

[[index]]

The interwar period was, for the most part, good for Latvia -- at least at first. No longer under the control of the absolutist Russian czars, Latvia (along with its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania) enjoyed a democratic regime, rapid economic growth, and good relations with Western European powers like the UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom, {{UsefulNotes/France}}, {{UsefulNotes/Germany}}, and the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates. However, Karlis Ulmanis, who had been the country's prime minister several times since independence, staged a coup in 1934 and established a dictatorship, ending Latvian democracy for the next half-century. Things got worse when UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and UsefulNotes/{{Joseph Stalin}}'s USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, dividing Eastern Europe between them; Latvia was on the Soviet side, and Soviet forces overran the country in 1940. Though the Soviets officially annexed Latvia that same year, this was never recognized by the Western world, which continued to consider it (along with Estonia and Lithuania) legally independent and ''illegally'' occupied.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact did not last. In 1941, Germany launched a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, and the Baltics, including Latvia, were relatively close to the border, meaning they were overrun quickly by the German advance. After a year of Soviet occupation, many Latvians welcomed the Germans as liberators, and Latvia was incorporated into ''Reichskomissariat Ostland''. A lot of people were drafted/volunteered into the Waffen SS Latvian Legion during the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi German]] occupation and used to fight the Soviets. Not supporting Hitler directly, they saw this as the only opportunity to secure some sort of an independence from the Soviets, which, by then, had sent huge amounts of Latvians to gulags or just shot them. We have a remembrance day for them in the 16th of March, a date which is, unfortunately, portrayed in media as some sort of a Nazi-support celebration, but this is not the case. Of course, the true nature of the German occupation and their plans for the region quickly revealed itself, and the Germans proved to be even more draconian than the Soviets they had replaced. Most depressingly, 70,000 Latvian Jews were murdered in UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, more than 75% of their pre-war population. After the tide of the war turned at Stalingrad and Moscow, Soviet forces retook the region, but a small number of German troops managed to hold out in the "Courland Pocket," in the far west of Latvia, until Germany surrendered in May 1945.

The interwar period was, for the most part, good for Latvia -- at least at first. No longer under the control of the absolutist Russian czars, Latvia (along with its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania) enjoyed a democratic regime, rapid economic growth, and good relations with Western European powers like the {{UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom, {{UsefulNotes/France}}, Germany, and the US. However, Karlis Ulmanis, who had been the country's prime minister several times since independence, staged a coup in 1934 and established a dictatorship, ending Latvian democracy for the next half-century. Things got worse when UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and UsefulNotes/{{Joseph Stalin}}'s USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, dividing Eastern Europe between them; Latvia was on the Soviet side, and Soviet forces overran the country in 1940. Though the Soviets officially annexed Latvia that same year, this was never recognized by the Western world, which continued to consider it (along with Estonia and Lithuania) legally independent and ''illegally'' occupied.

The interwar period was, for the most part, good for Latvia -- at least at first. No longer under the control of the absolutist Russian czars, Latvia (along with its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania) enjoyed a democratic regime, rapid economic growth, and good relations with Western European powers like Britain, France, Germany, and the US. However, Karlis Ulmanis, who had been the country's prime minister several times since independence, staged a coup in 1934 and established a dictatorship, ending Latvian democracy for the next half-century. Things got worse when UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and UsefulNotes/{{Joseph Stalin}}'s USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, dividing Eastern Europe between them; Latvia was on the Soviet side, and Soviet forces overran the country in 1940. Though the Soviets officially annexed Latvia that same year, this was never recognized by the Western world, which continued to consider it (along with Estonia and Lithuania) legally independent and ''illegally'' occupied.

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In TheMiddleAges, the Baltic countries -- the last stronghold of paganism in Europe -- were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until World War II[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). Over the centuries, the Germans intermingled with the native Baltic-speaking Latvians; many Baltic elite families intermarried with and assimilated into the German ruling class, while lowborn German colonists often married into and assimilated into the broader Latvian culture, especially in cities. German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination.[[note]]Hence the standard way to distinguish between the three Baltic states from middle-school geography class: UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}} is Baltic by language and Catholic by religion; UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}} is Finnic by language and Protestant by religion; and Latvia, sandwiched between the two, is Baltic by language and Protestant by religion.[[/note]] Eventually, though, the independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In the Middle Ages, the Baltic countries -- the last stronghold of paganism in Europe -- were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until World War II[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). Over the centuries, the Germans intermingled with the native Baltic-speaking Latvians; many Baltic elite families intermarried with and assimilated into the German ruling class, while lowborn German colonists often married into and assimilated into the broader Latvian culture, especially in cities. German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination.[[note]]Hence the standard way to distinguish between the three Baltic states from middle-school geography class: UsefulNotes/{{Lithuania}} is Baltic by language and Catholic by religion; UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}} is Finnic by language and Protestant by religion; and Latvia, sandwiched between the two, is Baltic by language and Protestant by religion.[[/note]] Eventually, though, the independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

Latvia ('''Latvian:''' ''Latvija''), officially known as the '''Republic of Latvia''' ('''Latvian:''' ''Latvijas Republika''), is a Northern European country and the middle one of the three "Baltic Republics" along with {{UsefulNotes/Estonia}} and {{UsefulNotes/Lithuania}}, and has shared their modern history of brief independence following UsefulNotes/WorldWarI before being snapped up by the [[UsefulNotes/SovietRussiaUkraineAndSoOn Soviet Union]] until independence in 1991. This is why the Soviet Union and Allies in general aren't very popular in Latvia - as the people often see [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]] as the liberator, due to how he stopped the Soviet atrocities in Latvia (no, they're not supportive of his other policies). In fact, it wasn't until 1918 that the three of them had clearly delineated borders - for most of their history the area known as Livonia or Courland/Kurland was a vaguely-defined parcel of land passed around between UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} and the Teutonic Knights, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}.

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In the Middle Ages, the Baltic countries -- the last stronghold of paganism in Europe -- were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until World War II[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). Over the centuries, the Germans intermingled with the native Baltic-speaking Latvians; many Baltic elite families intermarried with and assimilated into the German ruling class, while lowborn German colonists often married into and assimilated into the broader Latvian culture, especially in cities. German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination. Eventually, though, the independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In the Middle Ages, the Baltic countries -- the last stronghold of paganism in Europe -- were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until World War II[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination. The independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

The country is bisected by the Daugava River, which flows into the Gulf of Riga, at, well, Riga, the capital and largest city of the country. In the Middle Ages, the Baltic countries were targeted by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Northern Crusade]]; crusader armies, mostly ethnic Germans, invaded the region and set up colonies and feudalist systems. These became the ancestors of the Baltic Germans, who formed a large part of the ruling class in the region up until World War II[[note]]Most were deported in 1939, and the rest were driven out by Soviet forces in 1944[[/note]]. Riga, which was founded by Germans (on the site of several native Baltic settlements) was one of the most important ports of the UsefulNotes/HanseaticLeague, and German colonists founded many other key cities in the country as well, including Cesis and Daugavpils (or ''Wenden'' and ''Dünaburg'' in German). German influence is still seen in the architecture of many Latvian cities, as well as Lutheranism's status as the largest Christian denomination. The independent German duchies were conquered first by Poland-Lithuania, then by Sweden, then by Russia, under whose control they remained until they attained independence after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.