Amid the chaos of World War I and the Russian Revolution, Latvia moved towards self-determination. In October 1917, Latvian centrist politicians and representatives from soldiers’ committees and refugee organizations met in Petrograd and agreed to form a united national council. On November 29, 1917, the Latvian Provisional National Council was established in Valka, a city on the Latvian-Estonian border. The council declared Latvia’s autonomy over Latvian-inhabited territories and announced its goals: the creation of political autonomy, the convening of a Constitutional Assembly, and the unification of all Latvian regions.
Struggles for Recognition and Division
The National Council faced challenges, competing with the Bolshevik-controlled Iskolat (pro-Soviet administration) also based in Valka. In January 1918, Latvian deputy Jānis Goldmanis declared Latvia’s separation from Russia at the Russian Constituent Assembly, though the assembly was soon dissolved by the Bolsheviks.
On January 30, 1918, the National Council officially declared that Latvia should become an independent, democratic republic, uniting the regions of Kurzeme, Vidzeme, and Latgale. However, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918 gave Kurzeme and Vidzeme to Germany, leaving Latgale out of the arrangement. The council protested this division but lacked the power to prevent it.
Diplomatic Progress Amid German Collapse
On November 11, 1918, the British Empire recognized the Latvian National Council as a de facto government, lending diplomatic support for independence. However, internal divisions persisted, with Social Democrats and the Democratic Bloc refusing to join the National Council, preventing the formation of a unified front.
Following the collapse of the German Empire in November 1918, German authorities recognized Latvia’s independence. On November 17, factions finally agreed to create the People's Council (Tautas padome). The following day, November 18, 1918, the People’s Council proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Latvia and established a Provisional Government led by Kārlis Ulmanis. This moment marked the birth of independent Latvia, although the country would soon face further struggles for sovereignty amid the Latvian War of Independence.