Latvian Riflemen

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Sculpted relief depicting Latvian Riflemen on the base of the Freedom Monument in Riga

Latvian riflemen (Latvian: Latviešu strēlnieki, Russian: Латышские стрелки) were military formations assembled starting 1915 in Latvia in order to defend Baltic territories against Germans in World War I. Initially the battalions were formed by volunteers, and from 1916 by conscription among the Latvian population. A total of about 40,000 troops were drafted into the Latvian Riflemen Division.

1 World War I
2 Red Latvian Riflemen
3 White Latvian Riflemen
4 Post-Soviet views
5 See also
6 References

[edit] World War I

From 1915 to 1917, Latvian Riflemen fought in the Russian army against the Germans in positions along Daugava river. In December 1916 and January 1917, Latvian riflemen suffered heavy casualties in month-long Christmas Battles which began with a surprise attack on German positions during Christmas. Suffering heavy casualties, Latvian riflemen managed to break the German line of defense but the effort was wasted as the attack was not continued. The Russian Army lost over 26,000 soldiers in the failed attack. The casualties included 9,000 Latvian riflemen, about a third of the total number at that time. The heavy casualties resulted in a strong resentment for the Russian generals and tsar among the riflemen. This resentment led to an increased support for the Bolsheviks, who were advocating an end to the war.

[edit] Red Latvian Riflemen

Monument to the Red Latvian Riflemen in Riga

In 1917, a large number of Latvian riflemen sided with the Bolsheviks. They became known as Red Latvian Riflemen (Latvian: Latviešu sarkanie strēlnieki, Russian: красные латышские стрелки) and actively participated in the Russian Civil War. The Riflemen took active part in the suppression of anti-Bolshevik uprisings in Moscow and Yaroslavl in 1918. They fought against Denikin, Yudenich, and Wrangel. In 1919 the division received the highest military recognition of that time: the Honorable Red Flag of VTsIK. Latvian Red Riflemen officer Jukums Vācietis became the first commander-in-chief of the Red Army.

The Latvian Red Riflemen were instrumental in the attempt to establish Soviet rule in Latvia in 1919. They suffered great losses of personnel due to the decreasing popularity of Bolshevik ideas among the Latvian Riflemen, and the majority were re-deployed to other fronts of the Russian Civil War. The remaining forces of the Red Army in Latvia were defeated by Baltic German volunteers in western Latvia, by Estonian Army in northern Latvia, and then by a joint campaign of the Polish and new Latvian army in eastern Latvia.

Following the 1920 peace treaty between Latvia and Bolshevist Russia, 11,395 former Red Riflemen returned to Latvia.^{[citation needed]}

Other former Riflemen remained in Soviet Russia and rose to leadership positions in the Red Army, Bolshevik party, and Cheka. Many, however, were later executed or imprisoned (often dying in GULag camps) during the Great Purges, when most "old guard" Bolsheviks and high-ranking military and intelligence officers (as well as many intellectuals) were persecuted by Stalin as potential rivals or traitors. Latvian Communists were among the most persecuted groups.^{[citation needed]} When the USSR occupied Latvia in 1940, many of the surviving Red Riflemen returned to Latvia.

It should be noted that the most famous pre-World War II Soviet Communist leaders from Latvia were not from the Red Riflemen: Martin Latsis, Yakov Peters, Arvīds Pelše, Jānis Bērziņš, Yan Rudzutak, Pēteris Stučka, Robert Eikhe. All of them, except for Stučka (who died in 1932) and Pelše, perished in the Great Purges of 1937–1940.

[edit] White Latvian Riflemen

In 1917, a smaller number of Latvian Riflemen (mainly officers and intellectuals) did not side with the Bolsheviks. Some were very active (Kārlis Goppers, Frīdrichs Briedis, etc.) in trying to prevent Bolshevik ideas from spreading among the Latvian soldiers, but the physical and moral exhaustion after the bloody Christmas and January battles was fruitful ground for Lenin's ideology. Opponents left, or were forced to leave, military service or joined the White forces. During last phase of the Civil War, two Latvian regiments were created in Far East of Russia (Troickas and Imantas), but they did not take part in military action, and were sent to Latvia, by then already an independent nation.

[edit] Post-Soviet views

How to describe the Red Riflemen is a hot issue in Latvia after the fall of the Soviet Union.^{[citation needed]} There has been disagreement over whether the statue (pictured) should be demolished or kept.^{[citation needed]} Some see the Red Riflemen as pro-communists and want the statue removed, while others see them as pro-Latvian and want the statue to remain.^[who?] The building now housing the Latvijas Okupacijas Muzejs (Occupation Museum of Latvia) originally was the Latvian Red Riflemen's Museum.