Cooperation or collaboration : Latvia under German occupation 1941-1945 / Astra M. Apsitis

This thesis addresses the topic of Latvia under German occupation between 1941 and 1945, showing conditions under Nazi rule and the consequent effects. It examines the various positions held by the Latvian population regarding the occupation, and how opinions changed as conditions within Latvia worsened over the course of the war. Research into this subject reveals the confused nature of resistance to the Nazi regime in Latvia. A certain percentage of the population worked with the Germans from the very start of the occupation believing collaboration to be the only chance for national survival. These people later came to find that their nationalistic intentions served only to strengthen German control in Latvia. Later attempts at resistance were complicated by Latvian participation in the German armed forces and in the German controlled puppet government. By the end of the war, all struggles had proved fruitless, as the Soviets reoccupied Latvia.