November 11, 1919 – Latvian War of Independence: Latvian forces repulse an attack by the West Russian Volunteer Army
In October 1919, the WestRussian Volunteer Army instead attacked sections of Latviaincluding Riga,intending to overthrow the Latvian nationalist government. The Latvians fought back with armed support provided by the BritishNavy and Estonian armored trains, and foiled the attack, forcing the West RussianVolunteer Army to withdraw into Lithuania where it subsequently also was defeatedthere.
(Taken from Latvian War of Independence – Wars of the 20th Century – Vol. 4)
Independence War The northern front of the Soviet offensive was directed at Latvia and Estonia. In Latvia, the Red Army, as Soviet forceswere called and which included the Red Latvian Riflemen (formerly the LatvianRiflemen of the Imperial Russian Army who had shifted their allegiance toBolshevik Russia), made rapid progress and easily gained control of most ofLatvian territory, including Valka, Valmiera, Rēzekne, Daugavpils, and thecapital Riga, which was taken in April 1919. The newly formed Latvian Army and pro-Latvia German militias retreatedin disarray. Under the sponsorship ofSoviet Russia, on December 17, 1918, the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic led by Latvian communist PēterisStučka, was set up as a regime to rival the UlmanisLatvian nationalist provisional government that had been formed one monthearlier.
The Latvian communistgovernment and its infrastructures were based largely on the Russian Bolshevikmodel but zealously imposed strict communist doctrines. Ethnic Germans, particularly the BalticGerman nobility, were the target of repressive measures. Private ownership was placed under governmentcontrol, and under an agrarian reform program, the government nationalizedagricultural lands, including the German nobility’s vast landholdings. The expropriated farmlands were placed undera collective farming system which was bitterly opposed by the rural populationthat wanted the lands subdivided and distributed to landless peasants. Ultimately, the Latvian communist regime lostits initially widespread support from the general population, which opposed thegovernment’s authoritarian rule, unpopular decrees, and repressive measures.
The Red Army’s offensivehad forced the Ulmanis nationalist provisional government to evacuate tosouthwest Latvia centered onthe city of Liepāja. Then in January 1919, the Latvian nationalistleaders built up its nascent armed forces that initially consisted of the 1stLatvian Independent Battalion (later expanded to the Latvian IndependentBrigade). At the request of the Ulmanisregime, two other paramilitary groups were organized to fight on the side ofthe Latvian government: the BaltischeLandeswehr (Baltic defense forces), organized by and consisting mainly ofBaltic Germans; and the German Iron Brigade (later German Iron Division), a Freikorps (lit. “Freecorps”; German militias formed after World War I) paramilitary consisting ofethnic German volunteers and former soldiers (from Germany) who were enticed tofight in the Baltic region for various reasons, e.g. to stop the spread ofRussian communism into Europe; to acquire free lands in the Baltic region thathad been promised to them as a reward for their participation; etc. German forces in the Baltic region wereplaced under German General Rüdiger von der Goltz who succeeded in stopping the SovietRed Army’s advance at the Venta River.
The presence of GermanArmy units in the Baltic region after World War I resulted from a directivefrom the Allied Powers that required Germany (which had been forced todemobilize much of its armed forces) to maintain a sufficient enough militarypresence in the Baltic region to stop an anticipated Red Army offensive thatwas aimed at recapturing Russian territories that had been lost in World WarI. At the outset, tensions existedbetween the Latvian nationalist government and the Baltische Landeswehr/GermanIron Division – Latvian leaders particularly were concerned that the BalticGerman nobility and German Freikorps volunteers had a second motive other thandefeating the Bolsheviks, i.e. maintaining German political and economic powerin Latviaat the expense of Latvian nationalism. In the meantime, the two sides were compelled by the Allied Powers towork and fight together, and both shared the mutual need to defeat a commonenemy.
The Allied Powersprovided diplomatic and material support for the independence struggles of Latvia and Estonia. The United States delivered food, clothing, and other humanitarianaid to the Baltic region that currently was experiencing a serious foodshortage, while Francefurnished relief as well as naval assistance. Among the Allies, Britainprovided the greatest support, sending to the Baltic region a number ofmilitary and relief missions by the Royal Navy whose ships blockaded the Baltic Sea to prevent Soviet vessels from launchingartillery attacks or amphibious landings on the Latvian and Estoniancoasts. The British also provided theLatvian and Estonian forces, as well as the White Russian (i.e. anti-Bolshevik)Army in the Baltic region, with large amounts of weapons and militaryequipment. British authorities, however,distrusted the Germans and Baltische Landeswehr, and did not provide them withweapons; instead, German Baltic forces received their military supplies from Germany.
In February-March 1919,the now strengthened German-Latvian alliance launched a number of majoroffensives that succeeded in recapturing large sections of Courland,including the major centers of Ventspils, Kuldīga, and Saldus. By late April 1919, Estonian forces from thenorth also had driven the Red Army from southern Estoniainto northern Latvia. With German-Latvian forces advancing fromwestern Latvia, the combinedforces pushed back the Red Army into a section of Latgale (in eastern Latvia), where the Latvian communist governmentalso transferred its capital after evacuating from Riga, Latvia’scapital. Riga itself fell to the Germans-Latvians onMay 22, 1919.
Latvian War of IndependenceMeanwhile, on April 16,1919, the Latvian-German alliance fell apart when the Baltische Landeswehr, with the tacit support of General von der Gotz, overthrew the Ulmanisnationalist government, and in its place, installed a pro-German regime led by Andrievs Niedra, a Latvian Lutheran pastor. Prime Minister Ulmanis and members of hisCabinet evaded capture by taking refuge at the British diplomatic mission andthen aboard the steam ship Saratov, whichwas protected by British warships.
To the Latviannationalists, the coup confirmed the Germans’ political ambitions in Latvia,which ostensibly could not be stopped, as the Latvian military was yet largelyundeveloped and had played a subordinate role in the German-Latviancounter-offensive. Furthermore, even theUlmanis government was not supported by some sectors of the Latvian population.
The defeat of the Soviet RedArmy in northern Latvialed to tensions between the Estonian Army and the Baltische Landeswehr-GermanFreikorps, hitherto nominal allies. TheBaltische Landeswehr accused the Estonians of occupying Latvian territory,while Estonians distrusted the Baltische Landeswehr, believing that the latterwas planning to invade Estoniaand curb Estonian nationalism in order to maintain the Baltic German nobility’sdomination of Estonian society, a supposition that was merited since theBaltische Landeswehr had overthrown Latvia’s nationalist government.
Both sides demanded theother to back down and withdraw, while Allied officials in the Baltic regiontried to force the two sides to seek a negotiated solution. On June 6, 1919, fighting broke out when theBaltische Landeswehr attacked and seized the town of Cēsis,which served as a railway junction between Tartu,Estonia and Riga. Four days later, Allied authorities imposed aceasefire, and strongly urged the two sides to negotiate a peaceagreement. The talks, however, wentnowhere and fighting continued. Following the German Freikorps’ unsuccessful attack on Estonianpositions in Limbaži and Straupe, on June 23, 1919, Estonian forcescounter-attacked, supported by the North Latvian Brigade, a Latvianparamilitary group organized in Estonia by anti-German Latvians, and wrestedback control of Cēsis, and turned in the direction of Riga to pursue theBaltische Landeswehr and German forces that now were in full retreat.
On July 3, 1919, theAllied Powers again mediated an end to the fighting, compelling thebelligerents to sign the ceasefire of Strazdumuiza, which held. The pro-Germangovernment in Rigacollapsed and the Ulmanis nationalist government was restored to power. Allied authorities placed the BaltischeLandeswehr under Latvian authority and ordered the German forces in Latvia to disband and return to Germany. The German Freikorps did disband but 14,000of its soldiers joined anti-Bolshevik General Pavel Bermondt-
Avalov and his West Russian Volunteer Army, a WhiteRussian militia that was organized, armed, and funded by ethnic Germans who hadeconomic interests in Latvia. General Bermondt-Avalov also was a staunchmonarchist and opposed secession of the Baltic States from Russia.
