A Brief History of Latvia
Riga became an important trading hub between the early and late ages and established close cultural ties with Europe's west coast. By the 1290s, the Livonian Order had conquered all of Courland, Livonia, and Semigallia. German conquests in the modern Baltic region were largely complete. The Land of Livonia became a loose confederation of five principalities, four bishoprics, and the state of the Livonian Order. Estonia was under the rule of the Danish Kingdom, but was soon purchased by the Order.
German knights became landowners and retained their privileges for a very long time, while the Germans themselves, as a people, became ruling elements in the cities. After this, the native population of Livonia could be seen mainly working in the fields, and its role in politics ultimately proved insignificant.
Although trade with the Principalities and later the Russian Kingdom of the Hanseatic League (an organization of German merchants) brought prosperity to the cities. After numerous foreign policy setbacks, the Livonian Confederation was unable to resist the onslaught of Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich, who claimed the region for access to the sea after Livonia failed to pay tribute. The last Landmeister of the Teutonic Order in Livonia, Gotthard Kettler, appealed to King Sigismund II Augustus of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and concluded the Treaty of Vilnius in 1561. Under the Treaty, in exchange for Kettler's protection of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, his former state was divided into three: Courland proper, which became a hereditary duchy nominally under Lithuanian suzerainty, the Duchy of Transvaal, and Estonia. It was then that the administrative division that existed until 1917 was established. Except that Estonia was ceded to Sweden, and Ösel (also known as Saaremaa) to Denmark.
The Duchy of Zadvinia (also known as Livonia), with its capital Riga, became a Lithuanian puppet state. German laws and administration were retained. The nobility and magistrates of the free cities retained their privileges. In 1592, the Baltic lands became the subject of a dispute between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden. Most of Livonia, including Riga, was ceded to Sweden in 1629. The southeastern part, Latgale, remained part of Lithuania.
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