Editing History of Latvia (section)

===War of Independence===
{{Main|Latvian War of Independence|Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic|Baltische Landeswehr|West Russian Volunteer Army|British campaign in the Baltic (1918–19)}}
On December 1, 1918 [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Russia]] invaded Latvia.
Much of the invading army in Latvia consisted of [[Red Latvian Riflemen]], which made the invasion easier. The Soviet offensive met little resistance, coming just a few weeks after the collapse of the German Empire and the proclamation of an independent Latvia. The Social Democratic party at this point decided to leave the People's Council - it rejoined it only in April 1918. On December 17, 1918, the Provisional government of Workers and Peasants, led by the veteran left-wing politician [[Pēteris Stučka]] proclaimed Soviet rule. On December 18 [[Lenin]] officially recognized the new Soviet Latvia.

The Soviet Army captured Riga on January 3, 1919. By the end of January the Provisional Government and the remaining German units had retreated all the way to [[Liepāja]], but then the Red offensive stalled along the [[Venta (river)|Venta]] river. The [[Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic]] was officially proclaimed on January 13 with the political, economic, and military backing of Soviet Russia. Stučka established a radical communist régime of nationalizations, expropriations and executions of class enemies. Revolutionary tribunals were established, condemning to death German nobles, pastors, and wealthy traders - as well as peasants who refused to surrender their grain: in total some 1000 people were executed. Due to food-supply disruptions, 8590 people starved to death in Riga.

On March 3, 1919 [[Freikorps in the Baltic|German]] and Latvian forces commenced a counterattack against the forces of Soviet Latvia.
On April 16 the [[Baltic nobility]] organized a [[coup d'état]] in Liepāja and a puppet government under the
leadership of [[Andrievs Niedra]] (in office from 26 April 1919) was established - it lasted for just two months. The provisional national government took refuge aboard the steamship ''Saratov'' under British protection
in Liepaja harbour.<ref name=parrott>{{cite journal|url= http://www.bdcol.ee/fileadmin/docs/bdreview/bdr-2002-8-11.pdf|title=The Baltic States from 1914 to 1923: The First World War and the Wars of Independence|author=LtCol Andrew Parrott | journal=Baltic Defence Review|volume=2/2002|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090319083729/http://www.bdcol.ee/fileadmin/docs/bdreview/bdr-2002-8-11.pdf|archive-date=March 19, 2009}}</ref>
On May 22, 1919, the German [[Freikorps in the Baltic|Freikorps]] under the overall command of the German Major-General [[Rüdiger von der Goltz]] recaptured Riga, and the White Terror against any suspected Soviet sympathizers began. At the same time the Estonian Army (including the North Latvian Brigade loyal to the Latvian Provisional Government headed by Ulmanis) started a major offensive against the Soviets in north Latvia. By the middle of June Soviet rule was reduced to Latgale.

In June 1919 collisions started between the {{lang | de | [[Baltische Landeswehr]]}} on one side and the [[Military of Estonia|Estonian]] 3rd division (including the 2nd Cēsis regiment of the North Latvian brigade) on the other.<ref name=maide>{{cite book|title= Ülevaade Eesti Vabadussõjast (1918–1920) (Overview on Estonian War of Independence) |language= et|author=Colonel Jaan Maide|url=http://www.ksk.edu.ee/file.php?ID=1207|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100822143207/http://www.ksk.edu.ee/file.php?ID=1207|archive-date=August 22, 2010}}</ref> The 3rd division defeated the German forces in the [[Battle of Cesis (1919)|Battle of Wenden]] on June 23. An armistice was signed at Strazdumuiža, under the terms of which the Germans had to leave Latvia.<ref name=maide/>

Instead the German forces were incorporated into the [[West Russian Volunteer Army]].<ref name=maide/> On October 5 it commenced an offensive on Riga, taking the west bank of the [[Daugava River]] - the front line split Riga in half. On November 11 the Latvian counteroffensive began and by the end of the month the West Russian Volunteer Army was driven from Latvia. During battles in Riga, Latvian forces were supported by British naval artillery.

On January 3, 1920, the united Latvian and Polish forces launched an attack on the Soviet army in Latgale, and in the [[Battle of Daugavpils]] liberated [[Daugavpils]] by January 5. By the end of January they reached the ethnographic border of Latvia, and peace negotiations with the Soviets soon began.