Non-governmental assistance to Latvian refugees after 1918: The involvement of the Latvian diaspora

About 500,000 Latvians left the territory of Latvia as refugees or were evacuated during World War I. The dire situation of refugees deteriorated further after the Russian Revolution of 1917, when assistance to refugees was almost completely cut off. The difficult situation among refugees led to a natural desire to return to their homeland, which became possible after an agreement facilitating the return of refugees was signed on 12 June 1920. Governmental initiatives were insufficient to care for the thousands of returning refugees and several non-governmental organizations joined in the effort. The aim of the chapter is to analyze the most prominent non-governmental initiative to provide assistance to the returning refugees in Latvia, namely the Society for Reevacuation of the Refugees, with a more in-depth focus on the assistance provided by the Latvian diaspora through this organization and the relative importance of diaspora involvement. After the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia in 1918, a marked increase in activity was discernible among diaspora Latvians (mostly in the USA, but also Canada, South America, and elsewhere) to interact with their homeland and to help it. One of the forms this interaction took was the gathering and sending financial and material aid to relieve the sufferings of Latvian refugees and war victims in Latvia.