The Latvian Riflemen were a military battalion of the Imperial Russian Army when first founded in 1915. The purpose of this battalion was to defend the Baltic territories against the Germans during World War I. Initially, the Riflemen were made up of volunteers, but from 1916 onwards, the battalion was formed by conscription. Around 40,000 troops were drafted into the Latvian Riflemen Division. The battalion was used as an elite force in both the Imperial and Bolshevik armies. Despite suffering from heavy casualties, they managed to break the German line of defense….
