Russian Anti-Bolshevik Detachments in Latvia at the end of 1918

Abstract

The article is a study on the creation of Russian anti-Bolshevik detachments in Latvia at the end of 1918. After the November revolution in Germany and the decay of the German occupation forces on territories of the former Russian Empire, the Soviet Russia decided to occupy the Baltic region. Latvia, barely declared its independence and not yet formed its national armed forces, was forced to defend itself against the advancing Red Army. Under these conditions, an agreement was reached between the Latvian government of K. Ulmanis, the German command and persons wishing to take part in the fight against the Red Army (Baltic Germans, Latvians, Russians and representatives of other nationalities) on the creation of the Baltic Landeswehr, which according to the Agreement of December 7, 1918 was supposed to be officially considered as the Latvian armed forces. As part of the Baltic Landswehr, German, Latvian and one Russian (commanded by Captain K. I. Dydorov) companies began to form. In addition to the Russian company of Landeswehr, at the very end of December 1918 a separate detachment, the Libau volunteer detachment, was formed in Libau. Having existed for a little over a week, in early January 1919 the detachment was disbanded by its commander General P. N. Simanskiy due to the absence of funding sources. However, the business was resuscitated by the Prince A. P. Liven, who created a new unit on the basis of the disbanded detachment — the Libau Rifle Detachment, which saw its first order on January 15, 1919.