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| Latvian Riflemen | |
|---|---|
| Latviešu strēlnieki Латышские стрелки | |
 1916 uniform of the Latvian Riflemen | |
| Active | July 1915 – 1920 |
| Country |  Russian Empire(1915–1917)  Soviet Russia(1918–1920) White Movement(1918–1920) |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army Red Army White Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | ~ 40,000 |
| Part of | Russian12th Army |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Augusts Ernests Misiņš [lv] Andrejs Auzāns Jānis Francis Frīdrihs Briedis Jukums Vācietis Mārtiņš Peniķis Roberts Dambītis |
TheLatvian Riflemen (Latvian:Latviešu strēlnieki;Russian:Латышские стрелки,romanized: Latyshskie strelki) were originally a military formation of theImperial Russian Army assembled starting 1915 inLatvia in order to defendBaltic governorates against theGerman Empire inWorld 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. They were used as an elite force in the Imperial andRed armies.
Towards the end of the 19th century,Riga, the future capital of Latvia, became one of the most industrialized cities in theRussian Empire. TheLatvian Social Democratic Workers' Party (LSDRP) was well organized and its leading elements were increasingly sympathetic to theBolsheviks by the time of the1905 Revolution. When punitive expeditions were mounted by the state following this, armed resistance groups - often affiliated to the LSDRP - were set up to conductguerilla warfare against theTsarist regime. Many of these seasoned fighters were subsequently recruited into the Latvian Riflemen. At the outbreak of warIndriķis Lediņš, the Latvian chief of police inVladivostok, had called for the establishment of Latvian cavalry units.
By April 1915, when theImperial German Army was advancing into Latvian territory, some prominent Latvians, led by deputyJānis Goldmanis [lv;ru] used their position in theState Duma to call on TsarNicholas II to establish all-Latvian battalions. As the Germans were advancing into Latvia, they argued, such units would be particularly effective. Latvians knew the area and had high morale because despite the policy ofRussification, Latvian nationalist sentiments were moreanti-German.[1] AtJelgava two battalions of the Latvian Home Guard had already held back the Imperial German Army.
Following increasing German advances, the RussianStavka approved the measure and on 19 July 1915, the tsar approved the formation of the Latvian Riflemen. On the same day Latvian deputies of the State Duma, Jānis Goldmanis andJānis Zālītis [lv;ru] published a patriotic appeal "Gather under Latvian flags! [lv]" (Pulcējaties zem latviešu karogiem!) in Riga.The first volunteers started to apply on August 12 at Riga. Originally, the plan was to form two battalions, but due to the high numbers of volunteers three battalions were formed.
The departure of the first Latvian volunteers from Riga to basic training transformed into a wide national demonstration since the Riflemen units were the first Latvian military units with Latvian commanders in charge.The first battalions consisted mainly of volunteers, especially refugees fromCourland and workers from the factories evacuated to inner Russia from Riga. Later a number of Latvians from other Russian units joined or were transferred to the Latvian Riflemen.[2]
From 1915 to 1917, the Latvian Riflemen fought in the Imperial Russian Army against the Imperial German Army in positions along theDaugava river. In 1916, Latvian battalions were transformed into regiments as conscription started among the local population. Also, many new riflemen units were formed. In total, eight combat and one reserve regiment were formed.In December 1916 and January 1917, the Latvian riflemen suffered heavy casualties in the month-longChristmas Battles, which began with a surprise attack on German positions duringChristmas. Latvian riflemen managed to break the German line of defence but the effort was in vain as the attack was not followed through. The Imperial 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. This caused great resentment against the Russian generals and the Tsar among the riflemen, which led to increased support for theBolsheviks, who were advocating an end to the war. The fallen Latvian Riflemen were buried at theBrothers' Cemetery in Riga, created for this purpose.
The structure of the United Latvian Riflemen division, formed in 1917:
1. Latvian Riflemen brigade
| 2. Latvian Riflemen brigade
|
In May 1917, large parts of the Latvian regiments transferred their loyalty to the Bolsheviks. They became known asRed Latvian Riflemen (Latvian:Latviešu sarkanie strēlnieki,Russian:красные латышские стрелки,romanized: krasnye latyshkie strelki) and actively participated in theRussian Civil War. The Riflemen took an active part in the suppression ofanti-Bolshevik uprisings inMoscow (Left SR uprising) andYaroslavl (Yaroslavl Uprising) in 1918, and fought against the forces of theWhite GeneralsDenikin,Yudenich, andWrangel. After victory in theOryol-Kromy operation against Denikin in October 1919, a division of Latvian Riflemen received the highest military recognition of that time: theHonorable Red Flag of VTsIK.Jukums Vācietis, formerly a colonel in the Latvian Rifles became the first commander-in-chief of theRed Army.
The Latvian Red Riflemen were instrumental in the attempt to establishSoviet rule in Latvia in 1919. They suffered great losses of personnel due to the decreasing popularity of Bolshevik ideas among the Latvian Riflemen and Latvians generally, 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 byBaltic German volunteers under Generalvon der Goltz and newly formed Latvian units initially underColonel Kalpaks and later under ColonelJānis Balodis, who were loyal to the Latvian Republic in western Latvia; by theEstonian Army including theNorth Latvian Brigade [lv], and finally by ajoint campaign of the Polish and new Latvian army in Latgale, south-eastern Latvia.
Following the 1920peace treaty between Latvia andBolshevik 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,Communist Party, andCheka. When theUSSR occupied Latvia in 1940, many of the surviving Red Riflemen returned to Latvia.
The most famous pre-World War II Soviet Communist leaders from Latvia were all former Latvian Riflemen:Martin Latsis,Jēkabs Peterss,Arvīds Pelše,Yan Karlovich Berzin,Yan Rudzutak,Pēteris Stučka,Robert Eikhe. All of them, except for Stučka (who died in 1932) and Pelše, were later executed in the so-calledLatvian Operation of the NKVD during theGreat Purge in 1938.
In 1917, a smaller number of Latvian Riflemen, mostly officers, sided against the Bolsheviks. Officers such asKārlis Goppers andFrīdrihs Briedis tried to prevent Bolshevik ideas from spreading among the Latvian soldiers. The bloodyChristmas and January battles impeded their efforts to fight against Bolshevik ideology. Opponents of Bolshevism either left or were forced to leave military service or joined theWhite forces. During the last phase of the Civil War, two Latvian units were created in the Urals and Far East of Russia (Troitsk Battalion [lv;ru] andImanta Regiment [lv;ru]), but they did not take part in significant military action and were sent to Latvia, by then already an independent nation.
The Latvian Riflemen have been a long-lasting source of inspiration in Latvian art. Many writers, poets and painters have been inspired by the Latvian Rifles and their battles. The most notable works are:
The Latvianpagan metal bandSkyforger has the albumLatviešu strēlnieki [lv] dedicated to the Latvian Riflemen and their battles in the World War I.
A former Latvian rifleman is the protagonist of the 2007 filmDefenders of Riga, set in the final days of World War I and the subsequentLatvian War of Independence.
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