LATVIA INDEPENDENCE The idea of an independent Latvia became a reality at the beginning of the 20th century.

The course of World War I activated the idea of independence. World War I directly involved Latvians and Latvian territory. Latvian riflemen (latvieu strlnieki) fought on the Russian side during this war, and earned recognition for their bravery far into Europe.[citation needed] During the Russian Civil War (19171922), Latvians fought on both sides with a significant group (known as Latvian red riflemen) supporting the Bolsheviks. In the autumn of 1919 the red Latvian division participated in a major battle against the "white" anti-bolshevik army headed by the Russian general Anton Denikin. Latvia was ostensibly included within the proposed Baltic German-led United Baltic Duchy,[12] but this attempt collapsed after the defeat of the German Empire in November 1918. The post-war confusion was a suitable opportunity for the development of an independent nation. Latvia proclaimed independence shortly after the end of World War I on November 18, 1918 which is now the Independence Day in Latvia. A series of conflicts within the territory of Latvia during 19181920 is commonly known as the Latvian War of Independence. In December 1918 Soviet Russia invaded the new republic and rapidly conquered almost all the territory of Latvia, Riga itself was captured by the Soviet Army on 4 April 1919, with the exception of a small territory near Liepja. The Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic was proclaimed on 17 December 1918 with the political, economic, and military backing of the Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia. On March 3, 1919 German and Latvian forces commenced a counterattack against the forces of Soviet Latvia. On 22 May 1919 Riga was recaptured. In June 1919 collisions started between the Baltische Landeswehr on one side and the Estonian 3rd division on the other.[13] The 3rd division defeated the German forces in the Battle of Wenden on June 23. An armistice was signed at Strazdumuia, under the terms of which the Germans had to leave Latvia.[13] However the German forces instead of leaving, were incorporated into the West Russian Volunteer Army.[13] On October 5 it commenced an offensive on Riga taking the west bank of the Daugava River but on November 11 was defeated by Latvian forces and by the end of the month, driven from Latvia. On January 3, 1920 the united Latvian and Polish forces launched an attack on the Soviet army in Latgalia and took Daugavpils. By the end of January they reached the etnographic border of Latvia. On August 11, 1920 according to the LatvianSoviet Peace Treaty ("Treaty of Riga") Soviet Russia relinquished authority over the Latvian nation and claims to Latvian territory "once and for all times". The international community (United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy and Japan) recognized Latvia's independence on January 26, 1921, and the recognition from many other countries followed soon. In this year Latvia also became a member of the League of Nations (September 22, 1921). In April 1920 elections to the Constituent assembly were held. In May 1922 the Constitution of Latvia and in June the new Law on Elections were passed, opening the way to electing the parliament- Saeima. Because of the world economic crisis there was a growing dissatisfaction among the population at the beginning of the 1930s. In Riga on May 15, 1934, Prime Minister Krlis Ulmanis, one of the fathers of

Latvian independence, took power by a bloodless coup d'tat: the activities of the parliament (the Saeima) and all the political parties were suspended. Rapid economic growth took place in the second half of 1930s, due to which Latvia reached one of the highest living standards in Europe.[15] Because of improving living standards in Latvian society, there was no serious opposition to the authoritarian rule of the Prime Minister Krlis Ulmanis and no possibility of it arising. -Liberalization in the communist regime began in the mid 1980s in the USSR with the perestroika and glasnost instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev. In Latvia, several mass political organizations were constituted that made use of this opportunity Popular Front of Latvia(Tautas Fronte), Latvian National Independence Movement (Latvijas Nacionls Neatkarbas Kustba) and Citizens' Congress (Pilsou kongress). These groups began to agitate for the restoration of national independence. On the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (August 23, 1989) to the fate of the Baltic nations, Latvians, Lithuanians andEstonians joined hands in a human chain, the Baltic Way, that stretched 600 kilometers from Tallinn, to Riga, to Vilnius. It symbolically represented the united wish of the Baltic States for independence. Subsequent steps towards full independence were taken on May 4, 1990. The Latvian SSR Supreme Council, elected in the first democratic elections since the 1930s, adopted a declaration restoring independence that included a transition period between autonomy within the Soviet Union and full independence. In January 1991, however, pro-communist political forces attempted to restore Soviet power with the use of force. Latvian demonstrators managed to stop the Soviet troops from reoccupying strategic positions (January 1991 events in Latvia). On August 21, after unsuccessful attempt at a coup d'tat in Moscow, parliament voted for an end to the transition period, thus restoring Latvia's pre-war independence. On September 6, 1991 Latvian independence was once again recognised by the Soviet Union. Modern history George W. Bush, Vaira Ve-Freiberga, Arnold Rtel, and Valdas Adamkus in Riga, May 7, 2005. Soon after reinstating independence, Latvia, which had been a member of the League of Nations prior to World War II, became a member of the United Nations. In 1992, Latvia became eligible for the International Monetary Fund and in 1994 took part in the NATO Partnership for Peace program in addition to signing the free trade agreement with the European Union. Latvia became a member of the European Council as well as a candidate for the membership in the European Union and NATO. Latvia was the first of the three Baltic nations to be accepted into the World Trade Organization.At the end of 1999 in Helsinki, the heads of the European Union governments invited Latvia to begin negotiations regarding accession to the European Union. In 2004, Latvia's most important foreign policy goals, membership of the European Union and NATO, were fulfilled. On April 2, Latvia became a member of NATO and on May 1, Latvia, along with the other two Baltic States, became a member of the European Union.