latvia was incorporated into the soviet union on august 5, 1940.
latvia was incorporated into the soviet union on august 5, 1940.
when was latvia incorporated into the soviet union?
august 5, 1940
seven months later, the soviet foreign minister vyacheslav molotov accused the baltic states of conspiracy against the soviet union. on june 16, 1940, threatening an invasion, soviet union issued an ultimatum demanding that the government be replaced and that an unlimited number of soviet troops be admitted. knowing that the red army had entered lithuania a day before, that its troops were massed along the eastern border and mindful of the soviet military bases in western latvia, the government acceded to the demands, and soviet troops occupied the country on june 17. staged elections were held july 14–15, 1940, and the results were announced in moscow 12 hours before the polls closed; soviet documents show the election results were forged. the newly elected "people's assembly" declared latvia a socialist soviet republic and applied for admission into the soviet union on july 21. latvia was incorporated into the soviet union on august 5, 1940. latvian diplomatic service continued to function in exile while the republic was under the soviet control.
history of latvia
the declaration "on the restoration of independence of the republic of latvia" () was adopted on 4 may 1990, by the supreme soviet of the latvian ssr. the declaration stated that, although latvia had "de facto" lost its independence in 1940, when it was annexed by the soviet union, the country had "de jure" remained a sovereign country as the annexation had been unconstitutional and against the will of the people of latvia. therefore it resolved that the molotov–ribbentrop pact and the soviet occupation of latvia in 1940 were illegal, and annulled the declaration on the accession of latvia to the soviet union of 21 july 1940, re-instituted the constitution of latvia of 1922, which was thereupon partly suspended, and set a period of transition to "de facto" independence, which would end upon the first session of saeima. it also ruled that during the transitional period the constitution of the latvian ssr and other laws would remain applicable as long as they did not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of the constitution of latvia, which were reinforced by the declaration. it was provided that a committee to elaborate a new edition of the constitution of latvia should be created. social, economic, cultural, and political rights were granted to citizens and residents of latvia in accordance with international human rights. the declaration also stated that latvia would form its relationship with the soviet union on the basis of the latvian–soviet peace treaty of 1920, in which the soviet union had recognized the independence of latvia as inviolable "for all future time". the 4th of may is a national holiday in latvia.
on the restoration of independence of the republic of latvia