Independent Student Company I Wars of Independence

The separate student company was founded on December 20, 1918. The creation of the student company is a significant event in the history of Latvia. It was a time when the Latvian state had just been founded. With patriotism in their hearts, students and young people united to defend their country.

Although the independence of Latvia was declared on November 18, 1918, the real power in Latvia belonged to the German occupation authorities, who did everything to hinder the work of the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government was weak, it had no money, nor any other material resources. In mid-November 1918, units of the Red Army began advancing westward to gain control over Eastern Europe.

The Latvian student corporations "Selonija" and "Talavija" began to take active action with the aim of defending the Provisional Government of the newly formed Latvian state and the idea of their own state. On November 23, 1918, a meeting of Latvian students convened at the Vilnius Olava Commercial School in Riga. The goal of this meeting was to ensure that all Latvian students placed themselves at the disposal of the Provisional Government. During one of the subsequent discussions, the student Reinholds Muške proposed creating a joint student combat unit. His idea found receptive ears. At the initiative of the corporations "Selonija" and "Talavija", a Separate Student Company was established on December 20, 1918, which was subordinated directly to the Ministry of Security. The company consisted of more than 210 men. Approximately half of the company's personnel were members of the five oldest Latvian student corporations Lettonia, Selonija, Lettgallia, Tālavija and Fraternitas Lettica. Students from outside the fraternities, as well as high school seniors, also joined the company. Captain Nikolajs Grundmans was appointed company commander.

This unit was manned, minimally trained, and when the Bolshevik troops were approaching Riga, it went to guard the Provisional Government in Liepāja. There, a thorough training process took place to turn a civilian student into a soldier. At the same time, they guarded railway bridges, as the railway ensured the movement and supply of troops. In February 1919, they were sent to the Latvian Separate Battalion commanded by Colonel Kalpaks, joining it and participating in the battles for the liberation of Courland in the spring of 1919. The Latvian Separate Battalion was reorganized into a brigade and the Student Company was renamed the Separate Student Battalion. There were many battles in the spring of 1919. The Student Company lost 12 officers in the Freedom Fights. After the liberation of Riga, the student battalion was transferred to various military institutions and headquarters.

During the Bermont army's attack on Riga on October 9, 1919, a student battalion was re-established. Its formation was led by Captain Fridrihs Sommers. The student battalion included some of the soldiers of the former Separate Student Company, students of the Latvian University of Applied Sciences, as well as civil servants and schoolchildren. Together with the Latgale Division regiments, the Student Battalion participated in the pursuit of the Bermontites to Dobele and Auce. After returning to Riga, the volunteers from the battalion demobilized. The war was over for them, and their study and working lives began.