Page 141 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

THE HIST OR Y OF LA T VIA  139

spread ing education in the Latvian German control of many businesses
language throughout the coun try. and farms. The 1905 uprisings in
Under Gustav Adolphus (r.1611–32), Russia found a sympathetic echo in
Sweden conso lidated its hold Rīga and across the Latvian country­
over Livonia, which was then side, where over 100 manor houses
under Polish rule. Around the Jakob Kettler, Duke of were burned down.
same period, the Duchy of Courland
Courland flourished under Jakob The Fight for Freedom
Kettler (r.1642–81), who built a powerful navy When World War I broke out in 1914, Latvia
at Ventspils and also founded Latvia’s only became the main battleground between
colonies, on the Caribbean island of Tobago Germany and Russia, neither ever seizing its
and on the Gambia river in West Africa. entire territory. Latvia’s national aspirations
took a blow as many Latvians were forced
The Russian Empire to join the Russian army. The Latvians, who
In 1710, during the Great Northern War were permitted to form their own army in
(see p37), the Swedes surrendered Rīga to 1915, put up a spirited fight against the
Peter the Great of Russia. The Russians Germans at the Battle of Christmas, which
introduced 200 years of stability. Serfdom began on 23 December 1916. However, the
was abolished in 1819, which enabled Latvians were ultimately defeated and the
farmhands to migrate to the towns as Germans captured Rīga. The Allied victory in
industriali zation and the railways created a 1918 forced the German troops to withdraw.
wide range of new employment. Power Within a few days, on 18 November, Latvian
and money would, however, stay firmly in independence was declared.
German and Russian hands.
German mer chants still
enjoyed the privileges that
they had secured from the
Swedish rulers.
Towards the end of the
19th century, the Russians
attempted to replace
German with Russian as the
national language. This
infuri ated the Latvian intelli­
gentsia, who saw it as a sign
of oppression. They began
organizing political move­
ments hostile to the Tsarist
regime and continuing A 19th-century oil painting of ships at a Latvian port

1621 Rīga seized by King King Gustav Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632) 1905 Socialist rev­
Gustav Adolphus of Sweden olution demands
1822 First independence
1680 Rīga’s first 1873 First
newspaper, in Latvian Latvian Song
German, started newspaper Festival held 1917 Russian
printed Revolution
1500 1600 1700 1800 1900
1536 First 1689 Bible 1710 Rīga 1850s National 1918 Formal
record of translated into conquered 1817 Serfdom Awakening 1914 German declaration of
Jewish Latvian by Peter outlawed Movement occupation of Latvian
merchants 1629 Sweden the Great in Kurzeme formed Latvia begins independence
in Rīga colonizes Latvia

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