Journal:Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis
Volume 45 (2024): Fighting for Freedom in the Eastern Baltic, 1918–1920 = Kovos už laisvę Rytų Baltijos regione 1918–1920 metais, pp. 307–319
Abstract
Significant changes in the social position of women in Europe, including Latvia, began in the 19th century, and peaked during the First World War. In Latvia, however, the momentum intensified during the War of Independence following the Great War, as women became increasingly involved in political, social and even military activities. They not only joined medical services and took on administrative roles, but also actively supported the Latvian army through their work with the Latvian Women’s Relief Corps (LWRC). Established in September 1919, the LWRC quickly became the most prominent and the largest women’s organisation in Latvia, earning recognition as the country’s first mass women’s association. This article discusses the founding and the activities of the LWRC during the Latvian War of Independence, including its contributions to supply, catering, sanitation, soldiers’ entertainment, social work, and more.
Journal:Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis
Volume 45 (2024): Fighting for Freedom in the Eastern Baltic, 1918–1920 = Kovos už laisvę Rytų Baltijos regione 1918–1920 metais, pp. 39–58
Abstract
When the People’s Council of Latvia gathered in Riga on 18 November 1918 to proclaim Latvia’s independence, the Latvian Provisional Government did not yet have an army capable of defending it, and the entire territory claimed for the future Latvia was still under the control of German troops. In late 1918 and early 1919, the subsequent building up of the first army formations of the Republic of Latvia took place under extremely challenging circumstances. The government lacked financial resources, weapons, equipment and ammunition, while the Red Army advanced rapidly from the east. Initially, the armed forces were formed based on a compromise reached with Germany and according to the principle of ethnic division. After the loss of Rīga and the withdrawal to Liepāja in January 1919, a new line of division emerged: Latvian military units loyal to the Provisional Government were simultaneously formed in two distant regions, in the Liepāja area and in Estonia. The article aims to analyse the impact of both these factors on the development of the Latvian armed forces and the course of the Latvian War of Independence.
This article presents an analysis of the nicknames of the residents of the eastern part of Šilalė district, mainly Kaltinėnai, Bijotai and Upyna country-side districts. The nicknames are being classified according to some motivational personal features. The motivation groups of the nicknames are reviewed and described in details; moreover, it is established which personal features are mostly paid attention to by people from the Šilalė district. Specific cases of the nicknames’ formal structure are noticed and being discussed as well. After reviewing statistics of the examined districts nicknames motivation, it is compared to other nickname motivation of the whole Lithuania or separate ethnographic regions.
This article is the analysis of Jurgis Šaulys’s letters to Morta Zauniūtė which are held in the Vilnius University library. These letters represent a lot of new details on all of their lives, personalities and creations. This article discusses the impact J. Šaulys had on all of their lives by analysing their correspondence. This article shows initial stages of J. Šaulys life as a cultural figure who will eventually be viewed as one of the most influential organisators of the literary life of the beginning of the 20th century.