[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 181 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7036-S7037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LATVIA'S INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, the people who have called themselves 
Latvians have been in existence for centuries and centuries, but the 
nation state that we call Latvia has only existed for 100 years. So I 
come to the floor to express the fact that on Saturday, the Republic of 
Latvia celebrates 100 years as a country.
  As cochair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, I recognized the 
centenary of Estonia and Lithuania in February, and I mentioned that I 
would be back this November to talk about Latvia's 100th anniversary, 
like I did Estonia and Lithuania back in February.
  On November 18, 1918, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed 
independence. However, the establishment of a separate Latvian state 
did not come out of the blue. The movement toward an independent Latvia 
was a process of continuous historical development going back to the 
Latvian national awakening in the 1850s.
  At that time, between local German-speaking nobles and the Russian 
Imperial Government, and divided by the internal political boundaries 
between the Russian Empire, Latvians did not control their political 
fate. However, Latvians increasingly began to focus on promoting unity 
around their distinct language and culture.
  With the collapse of the tsarist government in Russia, Latvians began 
to push for a united autonomous territory, although independence did 
not yet seem feasible. When the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia and 
attempted to consolidate control of Latvia, the time came to declare 
independence. However, as we Americans know well, declaring 
independence means being prepared to defend that decision of 
independence.
  Much as our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and 
their sacred honor to the cause of American independence, the Founding 
Fathers of Latvia knew they would have to defend their independence 
with the force of arms. In fact, they had to fight invasions by both 
Soviets and Germans.
  If this sounds familiar, it is because it is pretty much the same 
story I described in February with the Estonian War of Independence. In 
fact, the Latvians and Estonians coordinated closely and fought side by 
side.
  Latvia also received help from Lithuania and Poland. Soviet Russia 
ultimately signed a peace treaty recognizing the independence and 
sovereignty of Latvia and renouncing forever all claims to the 
territory that is

[[Page S7037]]

now Latvia. Sadly, it wasn't long before the treaty was violated.
  Hitler and Stalin agreed to divide up their neighbors between them in 
the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
  The Soviets annexed Latvia and the other Baltics in the lead-up to 
World War II. Then, of course, Hitler broke his end of the bargain and 
invaded. At the end of the war, Stalin had taken back the Baltics and 
made clear he was there to stay.
  Despite courageous resistance of the Latvian forest brothers for many 
years while Latvians held out hope of assistance by the United States 
and the Western allies, Latvia remained occupied by the Soviet Union 
for the next 50 years after World War II. However, the United States 
never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of Latvia.
  Throughout the Cold War, we maintained diplomatic relations via 
Embassy staff who had been accredited to the United States by Latvia 
before the Soviet occupation.
  I should note that if anyone is interested in learning more about the 
Latvian or Baltic history, there are books on the subject written by a 
professor emeritus at Iowa State University. The professor's name is 
Andrejs Plakans.
  After World War II, Latvians who had fled the Soviets or otherwise 
found themselves outside their country were unable to go home to a 
country under foreign occupation.
  The Displaced Persons Act allowed refugees to come to the United 
States, provided they had a sponsor, and about 700 of them came to my 
home State of Iowa. There is a Latvian-American community in Iowa to 
this very day.
  In fact, the first Latvians to come to the Des Moines area were the 
family of the current pastor of the Iowa Latvian Evangelical Lutheran 
Church congregation, Leo Pelds.
  After his family's initial arrangements for a job at a creamery in 
Birmingham, AL, fell through, they heard that Iowa would be a good 
choice as the climate would be what they were used to. So that family 
moved to Des Moines. Other Latvians soon arrived, and they sponsored 
further Latvians until there were 300 to 400 just in the Des Moines 
area.
  The Latvian Society of Iowa was formed in 1950, and the Latvia 
Lutheran congregation was formed in 1952 after the arrival of the 
Latvian pastor. Like in other Latvian diaspora communities around the 
world, cultural events were organized to keep the Latvian culture 
alive, and a Saturday school was established to teach Latvian language, 
history, geography, and folk dances. Song festivals have played an 
important role in the preservation of Latvian culture going back to the 
national awakening, so naturally there was also a choir.
  The Latvian Society of Iowa was part of the larger effort of the 
Latvian, Estonian, and Lithuanian American communities to keep the 
plight of the Baltics on the radar of our American political leaders.
  Then, in 1991, thanks in part to the external pressure from the 
United States, as well as the courageous efforts of Latvians themselves 
and others in the Soviet Union demanding their freedom, the ``Evil 
Empire'' collapsed. Latvia is now back in the family of free democratic 
European nations, where it belongs.
  Latvia is a member of NATO in excellent standing, both in terms of 
meeting its financial commitment of 2 percent of GDP and in terms of 
its soldiers fighting shoulder to shoulder with Americans and other 
allies in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
  Even while Latvia is looking toward a bright future, its large 
neighbor to the east is ruled by a man who sees the fall of the Soviet 
Union, including losing Latvia, as, in his words, the ``major 
geopolitical disaster of the century.''
  Those are the words of Vladimir Putin. He appears to be stuck in an 
old-fashioned way of thinking that assigns smaller countries to the 
Russian sphere of influence. He bullies neighbors that do not toe the 
Russian line. In fact, he has even occupied the Ukrainian region of 
Crimea, which the United States does not recognize, just as we didn't 
recognize the Soviet occupation of the Baltics.
  Vladimir Putin resents the fact that Latvia and the other Baltics 
naturally choose to align with fellow European countries to their west, 
with which they share a common European history, culture, and outlook.
  Given their past and current experience dealing with KGB thugs like 
Putin, the Latvians can provide invaluable insight as we grapple with 
how to combat Russian disinformation. In fact, it is appropriate that 
Riga is home to NATO's StratCom Centre of Excellence, which provides 
analysis and solutions for NATO on strategic communications and 
countering disinformation.
  So, as I conclude, I look forward to continuing the strong 
partnership between Latvia and the United States, and I offer my best 
wishes to all the Latvians as they celebrate 100 years of Latvian 
statehood.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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