Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia^[a] was a proposed client state of the German Empire during World War I which did not come into existence. It was proclaimed on 8 March 1918 in Jelgava (German: Mitau), the capital city of the German-occupied Courland Governorate, by a council composed of political representatives of Baltic Germans, who offered the ducal crown to German emperor Wilhelm II, thus bypassing the old ducal House of Biron, that previously ruled over the historical Duchy of Courland and Semigallia until 1795. Although the German Reichstag supported national self-determination for the peoples of Baltic lands (modern Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), while the German High Command favored the policy of attaching these territories to the German Reich by relying on the local Baltic Germans.^[1]

On 15 March (1918), Germany recognized the creation and independence of the Duchy, but already during the spring of the same year new political solutions were proposed, aimed to create the United Baltic Duchy that would include not only Estonia and Livonia, but also Courland and Semigallia. By September 1918, various efforts were made in order to implement those plans, but already in October 1918, the Chancellor of Germany, prince Maximilian of Baden, proposed to have the German military administration over the Baltic lands (Ober Ost) replaced by civilian authorities. On 18 November 1918 in Riga, the capital city of the neighboring Governorate of Livonia, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed the creation of Latvia as an independent state, and on 7 December the German military handed over authority to the Latvian Provisional Government.^[2]

In 1795, the historical Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was annexed into the Russian Empire and organized as the Courland Governorate. In 1915, during the First World War, almost entire territory of the Governorate, including its capital city of Jelgava (German: Mitau), was occupied by German forces, that incorporated those regions into the wider militarily-administered province known as the Ober Ost.^[3]

Under the German military administration, political leaders of local Baltic Germans began a process of forming provincial councils, and also proposing plans for future forms of governance over Courland and other Baltic regions, based on close ties with Germany. By September 1917, German imperial forces also captured Riga, the capital city of the neighboring Governorate of Livonia, but major part of that governorate still remained under the control of the Russian Provisional Government. In those regions, the Latvian Provisional National Council was created on 16 November 1917, and already on 30 November, it proclaimed Latvia as an autonomous province, within the ethnographic boundaries of the Latvian people. On 15 January 1918, they proclaimed Latvia as independent republic. Thus, two political options emerged, in Livonia and Courland: one advocating for independent Latvia, and the other (led by leaders of local Baltic Germans) advocating for close political ties with Germany.^[4]

In February 1918, German forces captured the rest of the Governorate of Livonia and also the Autonomous Governorate of Estonia. By the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3 March 1918), Soviet Russia accepted the loss of all lands to the west of the agreed demarcation line, thus effectively accepting the loss of Courland. Taking initiative, leaders of local Germans met in Jelgava on 8 March and proclaimed the re-establishment of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, offering the ducal crown to the German emperor.^[5]

Kaiser Wilhelm recognised the creation of Courland, as a German vassal by writing to Courland's Landesrat on March 15, 1918 (in German):

Wir Wilhelm, von Gottes Gnaden Deutscher Kaiser, König von Preußen etc. beauftragen hiermit Unseren Reichskanzler, den Grafen von Hertling, dem Kurländischen Landesrat zu erklären, daß Wir auf den Uns durch seine Vertreter übermittelten Wunsch und auf den Bericht Unseres Reichskanzlers im Namen des Deutschen Reiches das Herzogtum Kurland als freies und selbständiges Staatswesen anerkennen und bereit sind, im Namen des Deutschen Reiches diejenigen Staatsverträge mit Kurland abzuschließen, die eine enge wirtschaftliche und militärische Verbindung beider Länder gewährleisten. Gleichzeitig beauftragen Wir Unseren Reichskanzler, den Abschluß dieser Verträge vorzubereiten. Urkundlich haben Wir diesen Auftrag Allerhöchst Selbst vollzogen und mit Unserem Kaiserlichen Insiegel versehen lassen.

Gegeben ................ , den 15. März 1918

Wilhelm

Graf von Hertling.

We, Wilhelm, by the grace of God German Emperor, King of Prussia, etc., herewith command Our Chancellor, Count von Hertling, to inform the Government of Courland, that, upon the wish communicated to Us by its ambassador, and upon the report of Our Chancellor, in the name of the German Empire, We recognize the Duchy of Courland as a free and independent state; in the name of the German Empire, to negotiate such treaties with Courland as will guarantee a close economic and military relationship between both lands. At the same time, we command Our Chancellor to prepare for the negotiation of these treaties. Our Majesty has commanded that this order be documented, and affixed with Our Imperial Seal.

Given at [unknown], the 15th of March 1918

[signed] Wilhelm

Count von Hertling.

By the Treaty of Berlin (27 August 1918), Russia reaffirmed its earlier renunciation of all claims on Lithuania and Courland, and also additionally relinquished all claims on Livonia and Estonia.^[2]

The Duchy of Courland was absorbed on September 22, 1918, by the newly proclaimed United Baltic Duchy. Neither state, however, had any recognition other than by the German Empire.

In October 1918, the Chancellor of Germany Prince Maximilian of Baden proposed to have the military administration in the Baltic replaced by a civilian authority. The new policy was stated in a telegram from the German Foreign Office to the military administration of the Baltic: The government of the Reich is unanimous in respect of the fundamental change in our policy towards the Baltic lands, namely that in the first instance policy is to be made with the Baltic peoples.^[2]

On 18 November 1918, Latvia proclaimed its independence. On 7 December 1918, the German Military handed over authority to the Latvian national government headed by Kārlis Ulmanis.^[2]

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