History of Latvia: a Brief Survey

Occupation of Latvia by the Soviet forces —Russian tanks in Rīga on 17 June 1940.Soviet government headed by Augusts Kirhenšteinsled Latvia into the USSR. The annexation wasformalized on 5 August 1940.The Soviet occupation regime regularlyused a variety of propaganda techniquesto influence society. Depicted hereis a Soviet poster that was producedimmediately after the occupation in 1941– ‘Proletariat of the world unite! Standproud beneath the international flags ofMarx-Engels and Lenin-Stalin!’.With the help of various agents and the Red Army, Moscow introduced political changesthat were favourable to the Soviet regime immediately after Latvia’s occupation. Theformation of a new government was announced on 20 June. A government wasassembled of social and political activists who were favourably inclined towardMoscow, led by Professor Augusts Kirhenšteins (1872-1963). A political charade wasorganised on 14 and 15 July 1940 — elections were held for the new parliament(the so-called ‘people’s parliament’), in which the Soviet regime allowedonly pro-communist candidates to run for office. As a result, on 21 Julythe newly elected Soviet puppet parliament voted to make Latvia apart of the USSR.Soviet repressions against Latviancitizens — deportation of a Latvianfamily. Large-scale deportations werecarried out in all three Baltic Statessimultaneously on 13-17 June 1941.34The Sovietisation of Latvia began rapidly. Unlawful resolutions wereadopted regarding the nationalisation (confiscation from its owners)of land, buildings, banks, and various types of commercial andindustrial enterprises. Moscow began to terrorise those Latvian socialstrata that it considered threatening to Soviet power. Thus, the period from thesummer of 1940 until June 1941 has entered history as the ‘Year of Terror’. On 14 June 1941,over 15 000 Latvians were deported in cattle cars to Siberia, where most of them perished.Those deported constituted Latvia’s elite: teachers, scientists, the intelligentsia, businessmen,politicians, and army officers.