Editing History of Latvia (section)

=== 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]].
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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>