Keywords:
Latvian War of Independence, coup d’état of 16 April, British Foreign Office, Temporary Government, Herbert Grant-Watson
Abstract
The first half of the Latvian War of Independence, from November 1918 to the summer of 1919, was particularly difficult, with the interests of all neighbouring countries and the divided Latvian society (Baltic Germans, Latvians, Bolsheviks, etc.) clashing in the midst of a brutal war in Latvia. In this situation, the representatives of the Western powers, with Britain being the most widely represented, had a presence in Latvia from the end of 1918, with British naval vessels, the Military Mission and the Political Mission from the spring and summer of 1919. From March 1919 – an unofficial representative of the Foreign Office, Herbert Adolphus Grant-Watson, was very active in Latvia, hence, the study of his activities is particularly important. The aim of this article is to establish the circumstances and results of Grant-Watson’s activities in Liepāja and Riga in March–August 1919, examining them chronologically. This task is accomplished on the basis of the materials acquired in British National Archives and other sources.
Author Biography
Ēriks Jēkabsons, University of Latvia
Ēriks Jēkabsons ir Latvijas Universitātes Vēstures un filozofijas fakultātes Vēstures un arheoloģijas nodaļas profesors, vēstures doktors (LU, 1995). Latvijas Zinātņu akadēmijas īstenais loceklis. Vairāk nekā 30 Latvijā un ārvalstīs izdotu grāmatu un vairāk nekā 300 zinātnisku rakstu autors (apmēram puse rakstu publicēti 13 ārvalstīs). Latvijas Zinātnes padomes eksperts, Polijas un Rumānijas Nacionālās zinātnes padomes ārzemju eksperts, piecu Latvijas un 17 ārvalstu zinātnisko žurnālu redkolēģiju loceklis. Viesprofesors Polijas un Ukrainas universitātēs. Apbalvots ar Polijas Zelta Nopelnu krustu un III šķiras Triju Zvaigžņu ordeni. Zinātniskās intereses: Latvijas un reģiona politiskā un militārā vēsture 20. gadsimta pirmajā pusē.
Ēriks Jēkabsons is a professor at the Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia. Doctor of History (University of Latvia, 1995). A full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. An author of more than 30 books published in Latvia and abroad and more than 300 scientific articles (about a half of them published in 13 countries). An expert at the Latvian Council of Science, a foreign expert at Polish and Romanian National Councils of Science. He is a member of editorial board of 5 Latvian and 17 foreign scientific journals, a visiting professor at universities in Poland and Ukraine. Decorated with Poland’s Gold Cross of Merit. A Commander of the Order of the Three Stars. His research interests include political and military history of Latvia and the region in the first half of the 20th century.
How to Cite
Jēkabsons, Ēriks. (2023). Activities of Herbert Grant-Watson, British Foreign Office Representative in Latvia in March–August 1919. Journal of the University of Latvia. History | Latvijas Universitātes Žurnāls. Vēsture, (16), 15–38. https://doi.org/10.22364/luzv.16.01
Section
Raksti | Articles
