Figure 1.--The Latvian Government before the War conducted a land reform program that allowed peasant farmers to mown their lamd. The Soviets did not get very far with collectivization after annexing Latvia (June 1940) before the Germans struck (June 1941). Here peasant farmers, probably who owned their land are fleeing the advancing Red Army (Fall 1944). The Swedish press caption reads, 'Kvinnor oh barn lämnar sina estniska hem hösten 1944 med i all hast hoprafsat bogage.' That translates as Women and children leave their Estonian homes in the fall of 1944 with their possessions in haste.
The Soviet drive into the Baltics led to a mass of Latvians turned into refugees and fled West. There is no exact accounting, but probably some 0.2 million fled west toward the Reich. That was about 10 percent of the pre-War population of aboutb2 millionnpeople. The population was also reduced by NAZI killing programs and Soviet arrests and deportations. Having experienced Soviet occupation once (1940-41), Latvians had a good idea what would happen when the Red Arny returned. A lot of the refugees were educated middle-class people. But there were also Latvian peasants, many of whom pwbed land that left. The NKVD not only targeted groups like middle-class and land owners, but had orders to furthr reduce the Latvian ethnic population. Latvians were afraid of were afraid of further repressions. They had no reason to think that Soviet begaviir had changed for the better. There were Latvians that cooperated with the Germans, but it was not all a matter of having worked with the NAZIs that drive the refugees to the Reich. The problem as there was no where else to go. Most of the refugees fled by sea. The German ships landed the refugess and wounded German soldiers in Danzig. Thus after the War, many Latvians were located in the displaced person (DP) camps. This included Lativians that the NAZIs had rounded up for war work. Most did not want to return to a Communist Latvia. As it turned out, the NKVD looked susoiously at any who dis returrn, The Soviets did not trust the Latvians and other Balts so during the Sovier era, Russian emigratiin was encouraged. The Soviets were especially distrustful of Latvians who had fled to Western countries. They were seen as anti-Communists hich was basically true. As a result, there were strict limitations and contacts with relatives in the West were closely monitored.
