Latvia parts of the Russian Empire, which may have been influenced by the Protestant religion of the inhabitants. World War I devastated the territory of what became the state of Latvia, and other western parts of the Russian Empire. Demands for self-determination were initially confined to autonomy, until a power vacuum was created by the Russian Revolution in 1917, followed by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Russia and Germany in March 1918, then the Allied armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918. On 18 November 1918, in Riga, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed the independence of the new country, with
Libraries of the University of Latvia include fragments of medieval manuscripts, manuscripts of prominent figures of Latvian culture, reproductions and books from the 13th century up until our day. The Library has received several collections donated by outstanding world scientists: Embriks Strands, Ernests Felsbergs, Pēteris Šmits, Helmut Winter, Samuels Knohs and others. Access to aggregate information of the results of academic and research activities at the University of Latvia is available via bibliographic databases created at the Library: University of Latvia research publications and history; University of Latvia graduation thesis and a database of dissertations elaborated and defended at the University. Resources may be accessed via