Editing History of Latvia (section)

== World War II ==

=== Soviet occupation under the Molotov–von Ribbentrop Pact===
{{Main|Occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union (1940)|Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940|Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic}}
[[File:Hitler Stalin Pakt Geheimes Zusatzprotokoll.jpg|thumb|According to the 1939 [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] "''the Baltic States (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)''" were divided into German and Soviet "spheres of influence" (German copy)]]
The Soviet Union prepared for Soviet annexation of Baltic countries with the signing of the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] between the [[Soviet Union]] and [[Nazi Germany]] on August 23, 1939. Under threat of invasion,{{refn|Soviet-Latvian negotiations started on October 2, 1939 and on the following day Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Vilhelms Munters]] informed his government that Josif Stalin had said that "as for the Germans, [there is no obstacle], we can occupy you" and threatened that the USSR could also seize "territory with a Russian minority."<ref>{{cite web | author = Dr. hab.hist. Inesis Feldmanis | title = The Occupation of Latvia: Aspects of History and International Law | publisher = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia | year = 2004 | url = http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/latvia/history/occupation-aspects/ | access-date = February 21, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070630204328/http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/latvia/history/occupation-aspects/ | archive-date = June 30, 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref>|group=note}} Latvia (along with Estonia and Lithuania) signed the [[Soviet–Latvian Mutual Assistance Treaty]] with [[Soviet Union]], providing for the stationing of up to 25,000 Soviet troops on Latvian soil. Following the initiative from Nazi Germany, Latvia on October 30, 1939, concluded an agreement to "repatriate" ethnic Germans, most of whom had lived in the region for generations, in the wake of the impending Soviet takeover.

Seven months later, the Soviet foreign minister [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]  accused the Baltic states of conspiracy against the Soviet Union. On June 16, 1940, threatening an invasion,{{refn|and presenting the ultimatum and accusations of violation by Latvia of the terms of mutual assistance treaty of 1939, Molotov issued an overt threat to "take action" to secure compliance with the terms of ultimatum – see report of Latvian Chargé d'affaires, Fricis Kociņš, regarding the talks with soviet Foreign Commissar Molotov.<ref>{{cite book | last = I.Grava-Kreituse, I.Feldmanis, J.Goldmanis, A.Stranga. | title = Latvijas okupācija un aneksija 1939–1940: Dokumenti un materiāli. ''(The Occupation and Annexation of Latvia: 1939–1940. Documents and Materials.)'' | publisher = Preses nams | year = 1995 | pages = 348–350 | url = http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/okupac/dokumenti/kocins/1940.21.06.htm | language = lv }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>|group=note}} Soviet Union issued an ultimatum demanding that the government be replaced and that an unlimited number of Soviet troops be admitted.<ref>see text of ultimatum; text in Latvian: {{cite book | last = I.Grava-Kreituse, I.Feldmanis, J.Goldmanis, A.Stranga. | title = Latvijas okupācija un aneksija 1939–1940: Dokumenti un materiāli. ''(The Occupation and Annexation of Latvia: 1939–1940. Documents and Materials.)'' | publisher = Preses nams | year = 1995 | pages = 340–342 | url = http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/okupac/dokumenti/1940.06.16.ultim.htm | access-date = February 21, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070907213150/http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/okupac/dokumenti/1940.06.16.ultim.htm | archive-date = September 7, 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Knowing that the Red Army had entered Lithuania a day before, that its troops were massed along the eastern border and mindful of the Soviet military bases in Western Latvia, the government acceded to the demands, and Soviet troops occupied the country on June 17. Staged elections were held July 14–15, 1940, and the results were announced in Moscow 12 hours before the polls closed; Soviet documents show the election results were forged. The newly elected "People's Assembly" declared Latvia a Socialist Soviet Republic and applied for admission into the [[Soviet Union]] on July 21. Latvia was incorporated into the [[Soviet Union]] on August 5, 1940. [[Latvian diplomatic service]] continued to function in exile while the republic was under the Soviet control.

In the spring of 1941, the Soviet central government began planning the mass deportation of anti-Soviet elements from the occupied Baltic states. In preparation, General [[Ivan Serov]], Deputy [[People's Commissariat for State Security|People's Commissar of Public Security]] of the Soviet Union, signed the [[Serov Instructions]], "Regarding the Procedure for Carrying out the Deportation of Anti-Soviet Elements from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia." During the night of June 13–14, 1941, 15,424 inhabitants of Latvia — including 1,771 Jews and 742 [[History of Russians in Latvia|ethnic Russians]] — were deported to [[Gulag|camps]] and [[Forced settlements in the Soviet Union|special settlements]], mostly in [[Siberia]].<ref>{{cite book |editor= Elmārs Pelkaus |title= Aizvestie: 1941. gada 14. jūnijā |year= 2001 |publisher= Latvijas Valsts arhīvs; Nordik |location= Riga |language= lv, en, ru |isbn= 9984-675-55-6 |oclc= 52264782 }}</ref> 35,000 people were deported in the first year of Soviet occupation (131,500 across the Baltics).

=== Occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany (1941–1944) ===
{{Main|Occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany|The Holocaust in Latvia|Latvian Legion|Latvian resistance movement}}

The Nazi invasion, launched a week later, cut short immediate plans to deport several hundred thousand more from the Baltics. Nazi troops occupied Riga on July 1, 1941. Immediately after the installation of [[Germany|German]] authority, a process of eliminating the [[Jews|Jewish]] and [[Romani people|Gypsy]] population began, with many killings taking place in [[Rumbula massacre|Rumbula]]. The killings were committed by the [[Einsatzkommando|Einsatzgruppe A]], the [[Wehrmacht]] and Marines (in [[Liepāja]]), as well as by Latvian collaborators, including the 500–1500 members of the infamous [[Arajs Kommando|Arajs Commando]] (which alone killed around 26,000 Jews) and the 2000 or more Latvian members of the [[Sicherheitsdienst|SD]].<ref name="HIL_EZ">[[Andrew Ezergailis|Ezergailis, A.]] The Holocaust in Latvia, 1996</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://motlc.learningcenter.wiesenthal.org/text/x14/xm1411.html |title=Simon Wiesenthal Center Multimedia Learning Center Online<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=September 12, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110163740/http://motlc.learningcenter.wiesenthal.org/text/x14/xm1411.html |archive-date=January 10, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By the end of 1941 almost the entire Jewish population was killed or placed in the [[Nazi concentration camps|concentration camps]]. In addition, some 25,000 Jews were brought from Germany, Austria and the present-day Czech Republic, of whom around 20,000 were killed. The Holocaust claimed approximately 85,000 lives in Latvia,<ref name="HIL_EZ" /> the vast majority of whom were Jews.

A large number of Latvians resisted the German occupation. The resistance movement was divided between the pro-independence units under the [[Latvian Central Council]] and the pro-Soviet units under the [[Soviet partisans in Latvia|Latvian Partisan Movement Headquarters]] (Латвийский штаб партизанского движения) in [[Moscow]]. Their Latvian commander was [[Arturs Sproģis]]. The Nazis planned to Germanise the Baltics after the war.<ref name="HIL_EZ" /> In 1943 and 1944 [[Latvian Legion|two divisions]] of [[Waffen-SS]] were formed from Latvian conscripts and volunteers to help Germany against the [[Red Army]].
<gallery widths=180>
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-771-0356-01, Lettland, zerstörter sowjetischer Panzer.jpg|Damaged Soviet tank in Riga
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L19397, Lettland, Riga, Begrüßung der deutschen Soldaten.jpg|Women greeting German soldiers in Riga
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1994-090-06A, Lettland, Riga, Frauen auf Weg zum Arbeitseinsatz.jpg|Women cleaning team in Riga, July 11, 1941
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-209-0063-12, Lettland, Aiviekste, Schützenpanzer vor Bahnübergang.jpg|Germans at [[Aiviekste]] railroad station
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-209-0063-17, Lettland, Aiviekste, Panzer III an Bahnstrecke.jpg|German tanks in action near Aiviekste railroad station
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1970-043-42, Lettland-Riga, Ankunft von Hinrich Lohse mit Offizieren am Bahnhof.jpg|[[Hinrich Lohse]] in Riga
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1994-090-05, Drechsler, Lohse, Rosenberg, v. Medem.jpg|Reichsminister [[Alfred Rosenberg]] during visit to occupied Latvia, 1942
Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Duerr-054-19, Lettland, KZ Salaspils, Häftlinge.jpg|Jewish prisoners in [[Salaspils concentration camp]]
Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Duerr-054-16A, Lettland, KZ Salaspils, Häftlingsappell.jpg|Jewish prisoners in Salaspils concentration camp
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J16133, Lettland, Appell der SS-Legion.jpg|[[Latvian Legion]] soldiers in Riga, 1943
Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-702-0420-35, Lettland, Riga, Beisetzung.jpg|Funeral of [[Voldemars Veiss]] in Riga, 1944
Kurland6pf20apr1945.jpg|German postal stamp from the [[Courland Pocket]], 1945
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-093-39, Schnellboote transportieren Truppen aus Libau.jpg|Last troops leaving [[Liepāja]] port, May 8, 1945
</gallery>