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The Latvian War of Independence was a series of complex military conflicts that unfolded between December 1918 and August 1920, involving Latvian forces, Soviet Russia, German paramilitary units, and later, allied support from Estonia, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The war ended with Latvian victory and the formal establishment of Latvia as an independent state.
Soviet Offensive and the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic
Latvia declared independence on November 18, 1918, under the provisional government led by Kārlis Ulmanis, but just two weeks later, Soviet Russia invaded. The Red Latvian Riflemen, fighting for the Bolsheviks, facilitated a rapid Soviet advance. By January 1919, much of Latvia was under Soviet control, including Riga, and the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic was proclaimed.
The Latvian government retreated to Liepāja in the west, relying on support from German paramilitary forces such as the Baltische Landeswehr and the Iron Division to resist Soviet advances.
Counteroffensives and German-Latvian Tensions
In March 1919, Latvian and German units launched a counteroffensive, retaking Jelgava and parts of Kurzeme. However, tensions emerged between the Latvian nationalists and the German forces. On April 16, 1919, the German-backed forces staged a coup in Liepāja, installing a puppet government under Andrievs Niedra, forcing Ulmanis and his government to take refuge on a British ship in the harbor.
Despite the internal strife, Latvian and Estonian forces, supported by the Estonian Army, recaptured Riga on May 22, 1919, but atrocities followed, with the German forces executing thousands of suspected Bolshevik supporters.
Battle of Cēsis and German Defeat
After taking Riga, the German forces attempted to extend their control north. They clashed with Estonian and Latvian national units near Cēsis in June 1919. The Battle of Cēsis on June 23 marked a turning point, with Estonian forces defeating the German Landeswehr and Iron Division, forcing them to retreat towards Riga.
The Allies intervened, insisting the Germans cease their attacks and withdraw from Latvia. The Ulmanis government was restored to Riga on July 8, 1919.
Bermontian Offensive
In the autumn of 1919, the Germans, now reorganized as the West Russian Volunteer Army under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov, launched a new offensive against the Latvian government. On October 8, Bermondt’s forces captured the left bank of the Daugava River in Riga, forcing the Latvian government to evacuate the city.
However, on October 15, Latvian forces crossed the Daugava River, retaking key positions such as Bolderāja and Daugavgrīva Fortress. On November 11, 1919, Latvian forces launched a decisive counteroffensive, expelling Bermondt’s army from Riga. By early December, Bermondt’s forces were pushed out of Latvia entirely.
With German forces neutralized, Latvian attention turned to the liberation of Latgale. In early 1920, Latvian and Polish armies jointly launched a campaign against Soviet forces in the region. By January 1920, they successfully drove the Red Army out of Latgale.
The war officially ended with the signing of the Latvian-Soviet Peace Treaty on August 11, 1920, in which Soviet Russia recognized Latvia's independence.
Aftermath
The Latvian War of Independence secured Latvia's sovereignty and unified its regions. The war, however, came at a high cost, with thousands of casualties and widespread devastation. Latvia's independence would last until 1940, when it was forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union, but the success of the war remained a pivotal moment in Latvian history, cementing its national identity and independence.