Changes

== Modern History ==

== Modern History ==

Latvia was subject to German occupation during WWI. It was independent again until WWII, where it was incorporated into the Soviet Union.

Latvia was subject to German occupation during [[World War I]]. It was independent again until [[World War II]], where it was incorporated into the [[Soviet Union]].

The first signs that the harsh Soviet rule of Latvia was relaxing came in the late 1980s, when [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] started to encourage [[glasnost]] (openness) and [[perestroika]] (restructuring). Decades of pent-up bitterness emerged along with mass demands for self-rule. In 1987, Latvian government members joined public meetings and rallies Latvia eventually declared independence in 1991, and joined the [[European Union]] (EU) in 2003.

The first signs that the harsh Soviet rule of Latvia was relaxing came in the late 1980s, when [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] started to encourage [[glasnost]] (openness) and [[perestroika]] (restructuring). Decades of pent-up bitterness emerged along with mass demands for self-rule. In 1987, Latvian government members joined public meetings and rallies Latvia eventually declared independence in 1991, and joined the [[European Union]] (EU) in 2003.