Northern Latvian Brigade I Wars of Independence
The Northern Latvian Brigade was a Latvian military formation during the Latvian War of Independence, which was formed in February and March 1919 by an agreement between the representatives of the governments of Latvia and Estonia in the territories of North Vidzeme liberated by the Estonian army.
On February 3, the Minister of Defense of Latvia Jānis Zālītis appointed Jorģis Zemitāns as the organizer and commander of the entire Latvian army in Estonia and Northern Latvia, and the engineer Marks Gailīte as his authorized representative in civil matters. In a short time, the 1st Valmiera Infantry Regiment was formed and at the end of March it went to the front. On March 31, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Army, a Northern Latvian brigade was established under the command of Colonel Zemitāni, with its headquarters in Tartu. Zemitāns appointed Lieutenant Colonel Edvards Kalniņš as his assistant, who at the same time commanded the artillery. The Chief of Staff was Lieutenant Colonel Voldemārs Ozols. Until July 1919, the brigade was subordinate to the Estonian Armed Forces Headquarters and the Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Army in terms of supply and operations.
At the end of May 1919, the Northern Latvian Brigade consisted of the 1st Valmiera Regiment with 1,100 soldiers, the 2nd Cesis Regiment with 1,700 soldiers, the Partisan Regiment with 200 soldiers, one squadron with 50 riders, the 1st Valmiera and the 2nd Cesis Artillery Batteries with 210 soldiers and spare parts. battalion with 320 reservists. In total, it consisted of 110 officers and 3,400 soldiers. The brigade lacked weapons, many soldiers initially wore civilian clothes and shoes, or walked barefoot.
From the beginning of April 1919, the Northern Latvian Brigade and the Estonian Army fought against the Bolshevik Red Army to liberate Vidzeme. In June, the Northern Latvian Brigade took part in the battles of Cēsis against the Baltic Landesver and the Iron Division, in which they won together with the Estonian Army. After the conclusion of the Strazdumuiža ceasefire on July 3, the Northern Latvian Brigade entered Riga on July 6.
In July 1919, when a unified Latvian army was formed, the Northern Latvian Brigade was transformed into the Vidzeme Division.
More information sources
Eric Jacobson. Latvian War of Independence. The struggle of the Provisional Government of Latvia and its armed forces to ensure the independence of Latvia on November 18, 1918 - August 11, 1920. - National Encyclopedia: https://enciklopedija.lv/skirklis/22216-Latvijas-Neatkar%C4%ABbas-kar%C5%A1
Northern Latvian Brigade. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zieme%C4%BClatvijas_brig%C4%81de
The Struggle for Freedom: The War of Independence of Latvia (1918–1920) in the documents of the State Historical Archive of Latvia, Part 1, November 18, 1919–1919. April 16, 2006 Ē. Jēkabsons and J. Šiliņš, Riga, National Archives of Latvia, 2019.
The Struggle for Freedom: The War of Independence of Latvia (1918–1920) in the Documents of the State Historical Archive of Latvia ”Part 2. April 16-10, 1919 July, comp. Ē. Jēkabsons and J. Šiliņš, Riga, National Archives of Latvia, 2019.
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