Latvia during World War I

The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 quickly embroiled Latvia due to its strategic location along the eastern front. With the Courland Governorate sharing a border with Germany, the region saw military action from the start. German warships bombarded Liepāja and other coastal areas, and many Latvians served in Russian units that took part in battles like the First and Second Battles of the Masurian Lakes. Early clashes resulted in 25,000 Latvian casualties during Russia’s failed invasions into East Prussia.

German Invasion and Refugee Crisis (1915)

By May 1915, the war reached Latvia’s territory. German forces captured Liepāja and Kuldīga by May 7, and by August, they took Jelgava and other parts of Courland. In response to the advancing Germans, Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of entire regions. The forced displacement affected around 500,000 people, many of whom fled eastward to Russia, often under harsh conditions. Crops and homes were destroyed to prevent them from falling into German hands, and refugees faced hunger, disease, and hardship in makeshift camps across Russia.

The Latvian Refugee Aid Central Committee, led by future political figures like Jānis Čakste and Vilis Olavs, provided aid, housing, schools, and hospitals for displaced Latvians. However, many refugees remained in Russia, with some later joining the Bolshevik government, only to be purged during Stalin's repressions in the 1930s.

Latvian Riflemen and the Front Line

As the German offensive advanced, Latvian leaders issued a call for the formation of Latvian Riflemen units. These battalions began fighting in 1915 and held defensive positions along the Daugava River, including the crucial Nāves Sala (Island of Death) bridgehead. They distinguished themselves during the Christmas Battles of 1916-1917, though they suffered heavy casualties.

With the collapse of the Russian army following the February Revolution of 1917, many Riflemen shifted their allegiance to the Bolsheviks. This shift played a key role in Soviet efforts to secure power, with Jukums Vācietis, a Latvian, becoming the first Red Army commander-in-chief. However, the German capture of Riga in September 1917 marked the end of the Russian presence in Latvia.

German Occupation and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918)

Following the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks took control of Russia. In March 1918, they signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ceding Courland and Livonia to Germany. Under German occupation, plans emerged to create a United Baltic Duchy tied to Prussia, though these ambitions were cut short by Germany’s defeat in November 1918.

The war caused widespread destruction in Latvia. A 1920 survey revealed that 57% of parishes suffered war-related damage. The population dropped from 2.55 million to 1.59 million, and the ethnic Latvian population never fully recovered to its pre-war levels.

The war devastated infrastructure and agriculture, with 87,700 buildings destroyed, 27% of farmland left in ruin, and 25,000 farms obliterated. Much of Riga’s industry, evacuated to Russia, was lost permanently, and ports, railways, and bridges were heavily damaged.