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English
How Soviet “Legitimacy” Was Made: 1940 “Elections” in Occupied Latvia
Institute of National Remembrance Review, No. 5 (2023), pages: 169-184
Publication date: 2023-12-31
https://doi.org/10.48261/INRR230507
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Abstract
The Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 was “legitimized” by “People’s Saeima” which was “elected” on July 14–15, 1940. A significant role in these “elections” was carried out by The Communist Party of Latvia, which at that time was a branch of Comintern and therefore acted as a Soviet agency in Latvia. Some two dozens of candidates for MP of the “Working People’s Bloc” (which was openly backed by USSR officials) were at the same time members of various electoral commissions. “People’s Government”, which was appointed after the occupation of Latvia, Central Election Commission, local communists and their supporters were just executors in these “elections”. The real “master of puppets” who supervised whole process was Deputy Chairman of the Soviet government Andrey Vyshinsky and some other Soviet officials. These “elections” had nothing to do with elections in the common, democratic sense of that word. In fact, it was an affair of misleading, intimidation and fraud on a large scale. These events had grave consequences for Latvia – the loss of independence and establishment of extremely repressive regime in all three Baltic states.
Keywords
1940 • Communist Party • elections • Latvia • occupation • Soviet Union • Working People's Bloc
References
Act on Saeima Elections 1940: Likums par Saeimas vēlēšanām. [Act on Saeima Elections] Valdības Vēstnesis, July 5, 1940, № 149.
Bleiere, Butulis, Feldmanis, Stranga and Zunda 2008: Bleiere, Daina, Butulis, Ilgvars, Feldmanis, Inesis, Stranga, Aivars, Zunda, Antonijs. Latvija Otrajā pasaules karā (1939 – 1945). [Latvia in World War II] Rīga, Jumava, 2008.
Central Election Commission 1940a: “Centrālās vēlēšanu komisijas sastāvs” [Staff of the Central Election Commission]. Cīņa, July 5, 1940, № 18, p. 2.;
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Communist Party and Comintern files on Gulbis: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Дело № 2863. Гулбис Оскар. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. File № 2863 Gulbis, Oscar] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 2863; Коммунистическая партия (большевиков) Латвии, Центральный комитет. Отдел кадров. Дело № 188. Анкеты и автобиографии номенклатурных и других работников. Том XIX. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 188. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Nomenklatura and Other Officials. Volume XIX] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 188, pages 27-33.
Communist Party and Comintern files on Kalniņš: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Личное дело № 4208. Калнин Арвид Андреевич. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. Personnel File № 4208 Kalniņš, Arvīds] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 4208; Коммунистическая партия (большевиков) Латвии, Центральный комитет. Отдел кадров. Дело № 195. Анкеты и автобиографии номенклатурных и других работников. Том XXVI. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 195. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Nomenklatura and Other Officials. Volume XXVI] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 195, pages 193-199.
Communist Party file on Leja: Коммунистическая партия (большевиков) Латвии, Центральный комитет. Отдел кадров. Дело № 204. Анкеты и автобиографии номенклатурных и других работников. Том XXXV. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 204. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Nomenklatura and Other Officials. Volume XXXV] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 204, pages 238-239.
Communist Party and Comintern files on Neilands: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Личное дело № 1149 / 6785. Нейланд Роберт Карлович. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. Personnel File № 1149 / 6785 Neilands, Roberts] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 6785; Коммунистическая партия (большевиков) Латвии, Центральный комитет. Отдел кадров. Дело № 212. Анкеты и автобиографии номенклатурных и других работников. Том 43. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 212. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Nomenklatura and Other Officials. Volume 43] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 212, pages 53-58.
Communist Party and Comintern files on Paldiņa: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Личное дело № 7170. Палдин Ева Яновна. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. Personnel File № 7170 Paldiņa, Ieva] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 7170; Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии. Отдел кадров. Дело № 215. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 46. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 215. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 46] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 215, pages 117-125.
Communist Party and Comintern files on Paldiņš: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Личное дело № 7171. Палдин Карл. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. Personnel File № 7171 Paldiņš, Kārlis] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 7171; Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии. Отдел кадров. Дело № 215. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 46. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 215. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 46] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 215, pages 126-132.
Communist Party and Comintern files on Plāters: Исполнительный комитет Коммунистического Интернационала. Отдел кадров. Латвия. Личное дело № 1990 / 7469. Платер Карл Петрович. [Executive Сommittee of the Communist International. Personnel Department. Latvia. Personnel File № 1990 / 7469 Plāters, Kārlis] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-54, description 1, file 7469; Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии. Отдел кадров. Дело № 218. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 49. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 218. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 49] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 218, pages 29-35.; Коллекция номенклатупных дел ЦК КПЛ. Дело № 3790. Платер Карл Петрович. [Collection of the Nomenklatura files of C[entral] C[ommittee] of the C[ommunist] P[arty of] L[atvia]. File № 3790. Plāters, Kārlis] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-15500, description 2, file 3790.
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Communist Party file on Prieže; Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии, Отдел кадров. Дело № 219. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 50. [Central Committee of the C[ommunist] (b[olshevik]) P[arty] of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 219. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 50] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 219, pages 166-171.
Communist Party files on Pupurs: Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии. Отдел кадров. Дело № 220. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 51. [Central Committee of the C[ommunist] (b[olshevik]) P[arty] of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 220. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 51] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 220, pages 91-93.; Коллекция номенклатупных дел ЦК КПЛ. Дело № 4117. Пупурс Янис Карлович. [Collection of the Nomenklatura files of C[entral] C[ommittee] of the C[ommunist] P[arty of] L[atvia]. File № 4117. Pupurs, Jānis] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-15500, description 2, file 4117.
Communist Party files on Šics: Центральный комитет К[оммунистической] п[артии] (б[ольшевиков]) Латвии. Отдел кадров. Дело № 240. Анкеты и автобиографии ответственных работников. Том 71. [Central Committee of the C[ommunist] (b[olshevik]) P[arty] of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 240. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Executive Officials. Volume 71] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 240, pages 161-166.; Коллекция личных дел номенклатупных кадров ЦК КП Латвии. Дело № 6635. Шиц Карл Лаврович. [Collection of the Personnel files of Nomenklatura staff of C[entral] C[ommittee] of the C[ommunist] P[arty of] Latvia. File № 6635. Šics, Kārlis] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-15500, description 2, file 6635.
Communist Party files on Vecvagars: Коммунистическая партия (большевиков) Латвии, Центральный комитет. Отдел кадров. Дело № 181. Анкеты и автобиографии номенклатурных и других работников. Том XII. [Central Committee of the Communist (bolshevik) Party of Latvia. Personnel Department. File № 181. Questionnaires and Autobiographies of Nomenklatura and Other Officials. Volume XII] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-101, description 2, file 181, pages 129-135.; Коллекция номенклатупных кадров ЦК КП Латвии. Дело № 1377. Вецвагар Яков Кришьянович. [Collection of the Nomenklatura staff of C[entral] C[ommittee] of the C[ommunist] P[arty of] Latvia. File № 1377. Vecvagars, Jēkabs] Latvian State Archive, collection PA-15500, description 1, file 1377.
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