390:, Valters expressed criticism for the foreign policies which both were pursuing. In Valter's opinion, the deepest failure and tragedy of Latvia's diplomacy was their pursuit of a policy of neutrality which included a cleavage from France and Great Britain, for which he held Munters chiefly responsible, under whose leadership "neutralism became a German-Russian expediency, uninvolved in anyone's, even one's own, affairs". Since Valters had already reached retirement age, Munters repeatedly urged Ulmanis to grant Valters his pension and appoint some younger diplomat in his place. Ulmanis finally relented, that after envoy J. Lazdiņš in Belgium retired, Valters should be transferred from Warsaw to the less important posting of Brussels. Valters was appointed envoy in Brussels, in which position he remained until the Nazi occupation in May, 1940. Belgium was among the nations which never recognized the USSR's annexation of Latvia.
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After 1940, Valters lived in
Switzerland and France, practiced law and journalism, and continued to serve Latvia's sovereign interests in his diplomatic capacity until his death, on March 26, 1968, in Nice, France. His remains were buried in Nice's East Cemetery and subsequently exhumed on August 11,
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On April 16, 1919 a putsch took place in Liepāja, western Latvia, against Kārlis
Ulmanis' Provisional Government. Two of the government ministers were arrested, while the rest fled aboard the Saratov steamboat stationed at the port. For two-and-a-half months, the Republic of Latvia would be governed
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Shortly thereafter, in
November 1918, Valters was one of the founders and members of the People's Council, and participated in the proclamation of the Latvian State on November 18, 1918. After the establishment of the Latvian Provisional Council he was appointed the first Minister of the Interior of
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The provisional government of Latvia (Liepāja, April 1919). 1st row from left: Spricis Paegle, Miķelis
Valters, Kārlis Ulmanis, Teodors Hermanovskis, Kārlis Kasparsons; 2nd row from left: Jānis Blumbergs, Eduards Strautnieks (Minister of Justice), Dāvids Rudzītis (State Chancery Director), Jānis
226:. Valters luckily managed to cross the border with the German Empire at Palanga, subsequently settling in Switzerland. He studied at the University of Berne, and in 1907 completed his doctorate in political science at the University of Zurich. He then continued studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
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After the
February Revolution, he returned to Latvia in May 1917 and was elected to the Vidzeme Land Council, and was one of the founders of the Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS). At this time, he cut himself off from the social-democrats and formed a closed friendship with
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In 1906, Valters fled into exile through
Finland back to Switzerland, then on to London. Along with his revolutionary oriented activities, he also busied himself with writing, publishing several collections of poetry: "Tantris" (1908), "Ēnas uz akmeņiem" (1910,
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into the family of dockworker Pēteris
Valters and wife Zane. He received his basic education at Liepāja's Church of St. Anne elementary school, subsequently at the Liepāja City School, while working as a typesetter's apprentice. In 1889 he began working at the
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from the ship in an era sometimes referred to as the "Republic on the Sea". The territory of the fledgling
Latvian state had shrunk to the ship and a couple of parishes that the Estonian army had freed at northern Vidzeme, the other end of the country.
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intellectual movement, lawyer, politician, diplomat, social activist, and one of the authors of the
Latvian Constitution. He was the first social activist who publicly advocated for a sovereign Latvian state. In the 1903 journal "Proletārietis"
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recognition by the
Entente Supreme Council in 1921. 1st row from the left, Miķelis Valters, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, Jānis Lazdiņš; 2nd row from the left: Oļģerds Grosvalds, Georgs Bisenieks, Jānis Tepfers.
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in Russia, Valters, Rolavs and Skubiķis lead the party wing which pushed national interests to the forefront, with proletarian-related interests relegated to a secondary role.
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generalizations and simplifications he felt had come to characterize Jaunā Strāva, and dedicated himself while in jail to more serious philosophical and political studies.
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On May 21, 2009, the Latvian Ministry of the Interior held Dr. Miķelis Valters' 135th anniversary observation and unveiled his memorial plaque.
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In the latter half of the 1930s, in the press but mainly in personal correspondence with Kārlis Ulmanis and the Minister of Foreign Affairs
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prior to the meeting of the Great Powers, emphatically protesting against the occupation and annexation of Latvia by the USSR.
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Valters returned to Latvia during the 1905 Revolution to become the editor of the journal "Revolucionārā Baltija" (
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Toward the end of WWII, on January 27, 1945, envoys still representing Latvia's sovereign interests
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Valters is also credited with formulating the clause in Article I of the Latvian Constitution (the
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the Republic of Latvia. He also became co-publisher of the newspaper "Latvijas Sargs" (
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Andrievs Ezergailis. Valters' correspondence with Kārlis Ulmanis and Wilhelms Munters.
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267:). From 1903 through 1904, Valters published the Union's newspaper, "Proletārietis" (
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During the German's April putsch (1919), Valters was briefly arrested on April 16.
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587:, Miķeļis Valters street, including a memorial plaque, is unveiled (in Latvian)
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2020, returned to Latvia, and his ashes reburied in Rīga's I Forest Cemetery.
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Alfreds Bērziņš. Labie gadi. Grāmatu draugs: New York, 1963., pg. 174-176.
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546:"Meža kapos svinīgi pārapbedī valstsvīru un diplomātu Miķeļi Valteru"
263:, he founded Vakareiropas latviešu sociāldemokrātu savienība (the
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Latviešu mākslas teorija 1900-1940: ideju un ietekmju kartējums
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In September 1918, Valters began working at the newly founded
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On May 7, 2021, Valters' birthday, Miķelis Valters Street (
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Valters Miķelis - Vēstures terminu skaidrojošā vārdnīca
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Agnis Balodis. Atmiņas, sapņi un politika. - recenzija
149:(May 7, 1874 – March 25, 1968) was the first Latvian
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recognition internationally and its admission to the
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Vakareiropas latviešu sociāldemokrātu savienība,VLSS
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Revolutionary Socialist Party of Latvia politicians
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383:Valters left the Farmer's Union Party in 1925.
397:(Switzerland), Miķelis Valters (Belgium), and
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585:Liepājā svinīgi atklāta Miķeļa Valtera iela
521:"Zunda A. Zem politisko lielvaru riteņiem"
480:Klišāns V. Latvijas vēsture, III, 66. lpp.
46:19 November 1918 – 31 August 1919
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636:Members of the People's Council of Latvia
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164:Off with the Monarchy! Off with Russia!
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376:—national community) and of state (
255:In 1900, along with his associates
170:Commander Grand Cross (1st class).
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360:) rather than the Latvian people (
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178:Valters was born May 7, 1874, in
616:People from Courland Governorate
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16:Latvian politician (1874–1968)
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153:(1918–1919), member of the
136:Politician, Diplomat, Writer
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335:Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics
174:Early life and education
168:Order of the Three Stars
151:Minister of the Interior
239:Zālītis, Kārlis Puriņš.
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89:25 April 1874 O.S.
403:Winston Churchill
374:Volksgemeinschaft
343:League of Nations
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304:Esvards Traubergs
288:Shadows on Stones
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213:New Current
209:Daily Sheet
205:Dienas Lapa
185:Jaunliepāja
155:New Current
595:Categories
552:2020-09-27
531:2010-02-02
456:2010-02-02
433:References
308:Maximilian
189:Realschule
133:Profession
87:7 May 1874
350:Satversme
224:gubernias
201:socialism
42:In office
292:Eternity
107:, France
339:de jure
249:de jure
217:Marxist
180:Liepāja
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