Relations Between Latvia and Soviet Russia: The State Border Factor (1920–1921)

The article offers an analysis of relations between Latvia and Soviet Russia in 1920–1921, with particular attention to the events on the border during the peace negotiations, and in the first months after the Peace Treaty of 11 August 1920. Despite the formal conclusion of peace, the border remained a zone of high tension, where military incidents, provocations, espionage, and persecution of civilians occurred regularly. The author argues that the border practices established in 1920–1921 significantly influenced the nature of these relations and highlight the limited options available to a small country under pressure from a powerful neighbour.