1 This paper in large part is based on my book The 1917 Revolution in Latvia (published by East European Quarterly and distributed by Columbia University Press, 1974).Google Scholar

2 Schapiro, Leonard, “The Political Thought of the First Provisional Government,” in Richard Pipes, ed., Revolutionary Russia: A Symposium. (Cambridge: 1968), pp.123–144. Bertram D. Wolfe's contribution to the topic also must be noted. See the above symposium for Wolfe's approach to the problem and his essays in his recent work Ideology and Power.Google Scholar

3 Lidums, March 4.Google Scholar

4 Lidums, March 5.Google Scholar

5 The regulation about the establishment of the temporary militia was. issued on March 22. The law providing for a permanent militia came out April 17. Looking upon the problem from the localities' view, these regulations came too late, after the crisis was over. Browder, P. R. and Alexander F. Kerensky, The Russian Provisional Government 1917 Documents (Stanford, 1961), pp. 218–221.Google Scholar

6 The shortcomings of the Riga militia were frequently discussed during the year. Some of the complaints can be found in Baltija vestnesis, May 3,6, and 20. A plan that was discussed in order to lessen the influence of the military in the city involved attaching a civilian to each soldier on duty. Dzimtenes vestnesis, May 9. About corruption of the militia also see Jaunais laiks, July 3.Google Scholar

7 The directives regulating the election of the Vidzeme Land Council received final approval from the Government on June 22. Laukstradnieku cina, July 21.Google Scholar

8 Lidums, August 15.Google Scholar

9 The government also used other arguments for the need to keep Russia's state united. In the Appeal to the Ukrainian People, the government argued: “Brother Ukrainians! Do not take the perilous course of splitting up the forces of emancipated Russia. Do not divorce yourself from our common native land. Do not break up our common army at a time of grave danger. Do not introduce fratricidal dissent into the ranks of the people at the very time when all the strength of the people must be concentrated on defending the country against military defeat and on overcoming internal obstacles. In your impatience to secure immediately the (desired) form of government for the Ukraine, do not inflict a fatal blow on the whole state and on yourself, for the ruination of Russia will spell the ruination of your cause as well.” Browder, p.386.Google Scholar

10 Lidums, June 30.Google Scholar

11 The article was signed U., which would indicate that it was penned by Karlis Upits. Upits was one of the radical writers for Dzimtenesatbalss, but usually the articles signed with his full name were not quite as sharply worded. Dzimtenes atbalss, April 5.Google Scholar

12 For the proceedings of the Kadet Congress, see Browder, pp. 1289–1294. For the resolutions accepted at the Congress, see Lidums, May 18.Google Scholar

13 Lidums, May 18.Google Scholar

14 The call for an independent Latvia also began to be articulated during the summer of the year, but that particular theme will not be discussed in this study because it belongs to a different syndrome of political philosophy.Google Scholar

15 Dzimtenes atbalss, March 8 and 18.Google Scholar

16 Dzimtenes atbalss, April 22.Google Scholar

17 Lidums, June 4.Google Scholar

18 Dzimtenes atbalss, May 19.Google Scholar

19 Dzimtenes atbalss, July 5.Google Scholar

20 Ibid.Google Scholar

21 Dzjmtenes atbalss., June 17.Google Scholar

22 Dzimtenes atbalss, July 5. The liberals were pushed towards a revolutionary solution by reasons other than the intransigence of the Provisional Government. It was also argued that only through radicalism could the hold of the Bolsheviks be broken in Latvia. Lidums, June 21.Google Scholar

23 Dzimtenes atbalss devoted a special editorial to the question, entitled “The Revolutionary Resolution of the Latgale Question,” July 5.Google Scholar

24 Jaunais laiks, July 31 to August 3, gives a rather detailed protocol of the Autonomy Conference.Google Scholar

25 This theme is also noted by Germanis, Jauna gaita, No. 60, p. 34. For the various attempts to internationalize the Latvian Question, see Andersons, pp. 136–152.Google Scholar

26 Dzimtenes atbalss, July 1. Blanks' comments on the issue appeared in the issue of July 8.Google Scholar

27 Andersons, p. 244.Google Scholar

28 Lidums, July 25.Google Scholar

29 Browder, p. 372.Google Scholar

30 Dzimtenes atbalss, April 8.Google Scholar

31 Lidums, September 23.Google Scholar

32 Lidums, September 6Google Scholar

33 Lidums, September 24. The Congress passed a resolution especially pertaining to Latvia, which communicated to the Provisional Government that all Latvian regions must be unified in one democratic and autonomous Latvia by a special decree of the Government. Germanis, Jauna gaita, No. 61, p. 41.Google Scholar

34 Lidums, November 5.Google Scholar

35 For instance, in Germanis, op.cit., Jauna gaita, No. 60, p. 32. Kalnins, p. 187.Google Scholar

26 Dzimtenes vestnesis in 1917 evaluated the work of the conference very negatively: “The negative side of this conference casts a shadow on its positive one, and therefore it seems that the conference would have accomplished much more for the national cause if it had decided to convene Latvia's Constituent Assembly. But that was not done, which multiplies the mistakes.” Dzimtenes atbalss, August 5. A similar conclusion is reached by Klive: “The conference does protest against determination over Latvia without Latvian participation and knowledge, but it does not say who should speak for Latgale: plebiscite, Latvia's Constituent Assembly, or some Latvian central organ, or even Russia…” p. 193. Also see an article “Ko laiks prasa no Latvijas” in Lidums, Septeber 15 by A. Kroders.Google Scholar

37 Jaunais laiks, August 3.Google Scholar

38 The Bolsheviks received 60% of the votes.Google Scholar

39 Liberals found the work in the Vidzeme Land Council impossible and consequently fifteen of them walked out of it. Lidums, October 6 and October 17. The conflict was brought about by the Council's vote against the participation in the organizational meeting of Latvia's Provisional National Council in Petrograd October 2.Google Scholar

40 Klive, pp. 223–228.Google Scholar