Southern Latvian Brigade or Separate Latvian Brigade
I Wars of Independence
The Southern Latvian Brigade or the Separate Latvian Brigade was part of the Latvian army of the Landeswehr (National Guard), which, after winning the battles of Cēsis and the Strazdumuiža armistice on July 10, 1919, merged with the Northern Latvian Brigade and the German Baltic National Guards to form the Latvian Armed Forces.
On March 21, 1919, in Liepāja, the Minister of Defense of the Provisional Government of Latvia Jānis Zālītis issued Order No. 21. Jānis Balodis was assigned to command the brigade and was promoted to colonel on March 14.
The Southern Latvian brigade continued to participate in the liberation of Kurzeme and Zemgale from the Bolsheviks. On May 18, 1919, in the battle with the captain of Kaugurciems, Pauls Zolta's company, two regiments of the Bolsheviks were forced to resign, and as a result of victory, the Latvian separate brigade liberated the present territory of Jūrmala and on May 22, After the liberation of Riga, new units continued to join the brigade. The brigade did not participate directly in the battles of Cēsis.
In July 1919, when a unified Latvian army was formed, the Southern Latvian Brigade was transformed into the Kurzeme Division.
More information sources
Order of the Minister of Defense of the Provisional Government of Latvia J. Zālītis (No. 21) on the approval of Capt. https://web.archive.org/web/20070531202113/http://www.historia.lv/alfabets/L/la/lat_atsev_bat/dok/1919.03.21.htm
Southern Latvian Brigade. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast Latvia_brig%C4%81de
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
The Struggle for Freedom: The War of Independence of Latvia (1918–1920) in the Documents of the State Historical Archives of Latvia, Part 1, November 18, 1918–1919. 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.
Related objects
LKOK captain Pauls Zolta's individual burial in Mazsalaca cemetery
The cemetery of Mazsalaca is located
The individual burial of Captain Paul Zolt (1880-1919) can be seen.
On September 9, 1934, a black granite tombstone with a text was unveiled on Zolta's grave.
The name of Captain Zolt is also engraved in a monument in Kaugurciems, where a total of six soldiers of the 2nd or Student Zolt Company of the Separate Student Battalion fell in the battle of May 18, 1919.
Captain Paulis Zolts, commander of the 2nd Company of the Separate Student Battalion of the Latvian Separate Battalion, who fell on Kaugurciems on May 18, 1919, was initially buried in the Brothers' Cemetery near the Ķemeri Lutheran Church. On May 18, 1920, his remains were exhumed and transported to Mazsalaca, where the family was buried in a cemetery on May 25.
Karosta, the Military port of Liepāja (tour)
The Karosta is the largest historical military territory in the Baltics and occupies almost one third of the entire territory of Liepāja. The Karosta is a unique compound of military and fortification buildings on the shores of the Baltic Sea with a special meaning in the history and architecture of Latvia and the world. The Karosta features such military heritage sites as the North Pier and forts, the Redan, Karosta Prison, Karosta Water Tower, St. Nicholas Orthodox Maritime Cathedral, Oskars Kalpaks Bridge and others.
Monument to Captain Zolt and student soldiers
Located in the town of Sloka in Jurmala by the Gulf of Riga in the dunes of Kaugurciems.
The memorial was erected in 1934, destroyed during the Soviet occupation, and restored in 1989. In the morning of May 18, 1919, a battle took place in Kaugurciems between the Latvian national force, the company led by Captain Paul Zolt (~ 145 men) and the Red Army troops. The event is special in that the fight took place in the most unfavorable conditions, demonstrating military courage and faith in the Latvian state.
During the night before the battle, a storm broke out and the positions and weapons were blown up with sand. In addition, inappropriate ammunition was received. As the opponent attacked, Captain Zolta's soldiers counterattacked at a crucial time, using rifles and winning the victory.
Zolt was an experienced Latvian officer who participated in the Russian-Japanese, World War I and Latvian War of Independence. His brother was also a soldier, while his son was a paramedic in the Latvian Legion of the German Army during World War II and fell, removing a severely wounded soldier.
Today you can see a memorial site created on the battlefield. It is surrounded by a beautiful seaside forest and the sea, allowing you to explore history in a pleasant environment.
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The beginning, course and end of the battles of Cēsis
The victory in the battles of Cēsis was destined to become a turning point in the struggle of Latvians and Estonians for the independence of their country. This victory crossed the line between Andriev Niedra's government and German General Riediger von der Goltz's plans to conquer the Baltics. Instead, the Provisional Government of Kārlis Ulmanis resumed its activities in Liepāja.
For the first Commander-in-Chief of the Latvian Army David Simanson
The essays of the book "Latvian Army Commanders" convince that history is significantly influenced by specific people. Although at the epicenter of the most important historical events for a short time, the true Latvian patriots, with their rich military experience, managed to accomplish a lot in the formation and strengthening of the Latvian army and the turn of historical events.
This story is about the first commander-in-chief of the Latvian army, David Simanson (1859-1933).