On November 18, 1918, the Latvian republic was declared and to understand the preceding events that enabled this momentous event to take place, we recommend a viewing of this short documentary produced by VFS Films for Latvian Television to mark the country's memorable centenary in 2018.
Proclaiming independence after centuries of domination by various foreign powers was no simple matter, with several rival political forces wanting to go down in history as the ones that did it. It took an extraordinary diplomatic mission to Stockholm and London by a young man named Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics to help the process move forward.
But even then, there were battles to be fought both in trenches and in diplomatic meetings to make the fact of Latvia's independence stick.
Latvia declared de facto independence on November 18, 1918 but it wasn't until January 26, 1921 that the Entente powers responsible for drawing up Europe's post-war borders approved the new country's existence de jure in international law.
Throughout the years of illegal Soviet occupation, the notion of the continuity of Latvian statehood was preserved, not least by diaspora organizations around the world. When the Soviet Union finally collapsed, Latvia officially restored the independence it had originally won in 1918.
Happy birthday, Latvia!
