Latvian Riflemen
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Monument to the Red Latvian Riflemen in Riga, Latvia |
Latvian riflemen (
Latvian:
Latviešu str"lnieki,
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 batallions were formed by volunteers, from
1916 by conscription among Latvian population. A total of about 40,000 troops were drafted into the Latvian Riflemen Division.
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 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.
In
1917, a large number of Latvian riflemen sided with the Bolsheviks. They became known as
Red Latvian Riflemen ((
Latvian:
Latviešu sarkanie str"lnieki,
Russian:
красные латышские стрелки) and actively participated in the
Russian civil war. The riflemen took active part in 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. Latvian red riflemen were also a part of the attempt to establish Soviet rule in Latvia in 1919. They were defeated by
Baltic German volunteers in Western Latvia and then by the Polish and new Latvian army in Eastern Latvia.
11,395 former Red Riflemen returned to Latvia after the
1920 peace treaty between Latvia and
Bolshevist Russia. Other former riflemen stayed in Russia and took positions in the Red Army, Bolshevik party,
Cheka. Many of them were arrested or executed during the
Great Purges, when ethnically Latvian Communists became one of the groups particularly targeted by the Purges.
How to describe the red riflemen is still a hot issue in Latvia. There has been disagreement over whether the statue (pictured) should be demolished or kept. 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. The building now housing the Latvijas Okupacijas Muzejs (Occupation Museum of Latvia) originally was the Latvian Red Riflemen's Museum.
*
Aftermath of World War I*
Freikorps in the Baltic*
Latvian War of Liberation*
Estonian Liberation War*
United Baltic Duchy*
Ober Ost
