In August of that year. brave Latvia disappeared from the ranks of independent nations and was forcibly annexed as a Soviet republic. Anniversaries like this one give us much to remember about Soviet methods in dealing with its neighbors and with other nations. In contrast to the independence that took root in Latvia on November 19. 1918. the period since June 1940 has seen mass deportations. Russian colonization. suppression of Latvian art. literature. and music. an education system which makes Communist Party membership a prerequisite for eventual success. and calculated harassment of the Latvian Lutheran Church. Despite their brutal efforts. the Soviet Union has failed to extinguish the national spirit of Latvia.
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deportations