The Latvian armed forces and members of the Home Guard organisation used British “Ross-Enfield” carbines in the 1920s and 1930s. This carbine was rebuilt by Didrihs Nāckalns for use in partisan warfare in the late 1940s. He was arrested on 21 December 1948. The carbine was obtained by the Museum from his widow Zelma Margarita Fridrihsone. Armed resistance against the Soviet occupation power continued until 1956. Altogether some 20,000 partisans participated; the total number of those involved in the partisan war is estimated at 80,000. >> HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

National Partisans During 1944-1945 Soviet forces occupied Latvia for the second time. The Latvian nation's resistance to the Soviet occupation powers started in the very first days of the occupation. The national partisans were the most significant resistance force. The first national partisan groups in Latgale and Vidzeme, the eastern part of Latvia, were organised as early as late summer 1944. The movement was joined by those who were in danger of being arrested, as well as by patriotss. After Nazi Germany's capitulation on 8 May 1945, the core of the partisan movement was made up by former Latvian Legion soldiers. During 1944-1956, the national partisan movement involved about 10 000 persons in 900 partisan groups. Approximately 20 000 of Latvia's population, mostly in rural areas, actively supported the partisan movement, providing food and shelter. The largest partisan organisations were "Latvijas Tēvijas sargu (partizānu) apvienība" in Latgale and Augšzeme, "Latvijas Nacionālo partizānu apvienība" in northern Latgale and Vidzeme, "Latvijas Nacionālo partizānu organizācija" in Kurzeme and Zemgale and "Tēvijas Sargu (partizānu) apvienība" in southern Kurzeme. The Soviet occupation authorities used Ministry of the Interior armed units assigned to the State Security Ministry, as well as special units known as "destroyer battalions", which consisted of sympathisers of the occupation regime and which operated in all townships and districts of Latvia. All together, the partisans killed about 3 000 chekists, "destroyer battalion" members and communist activists. About 2 500 national partisans perished in various confrontations. Several thousand partisans were arrested and imprisoned by the State Security authorities. During the Soviet mass deportations of 25 March 1949, more than 10 000 national partisan supporters and family members were deported. Nevertheless, national partisans continued their resistance until the mid1950s. <<BACK