The Battle of Jelgava was an operation of the

Latvian Army The Latvian Land Forces () together with the Latvian National Guard form the land warfare branch of the Latvian National Armed Forces. From 2007 to 2024, the Land Forces were organized as a fully professional standing army until the re-introduct ...

from 15 to 21 November 1919 during the

Latvian War of Independence The Latvian War of Independence (), sometimes called Latvia's freedom battles () or the Latvian War of Liberation (), was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaimed Republic of Latvia was invade ...

against the Western Russian Volunteer army. Throughout the summer and autumn months the city of Jelgava was the headquarters of the paramilitary German-Russian forces under Colonel Prince Bermondt-Avalov. After the Bermondtian Affair, where German paramilitary forces laid siege to Riga until November 10, 1919, the Latvian Army conducted an offensive to force the units of the Western Russian Volunteer army subordinated to the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

to leave Jelgava.''On the night of 19 November, Colonel Bermondt-Avalov placed his forces under the protection of General

Eberhardt Eberhardt is a Germanic surname. It may refer to: People * Andrei Eberhardt (1856–1919), Russian naval officer * Charles Eberhardt (1871–1965), American diplomat * Cliff Eberhardt (b. 1954), American contemporary folk singer and songwriter * Er ...

, the successor to Count von der Goltz, who sought an early truce.'' from Andrew Parrot
The Baltic States from 1914 to 1923: The First World War and the Wars of Independence
Baltic Defence Review N8 Vol. 2/2002 The main battle took place in Ozolnieki district. Due to the disorganized retreat from Riga, the Bermondtian defenses were quickly breached and the city taken with minimal damage to the city. Because of this attack, the German Government's intention to start ceasefire talks and reach agreement on the further political status of

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

and

Zemgale Semigallia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located to the south of the Daugava and to the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. The territory is split between Latvia and Lithuania, previously inhabited by the Semigallian Baltic trib ...

with

Latvian Provisional Government The Latvian Provisional Government () was formed on November 18, 1918 by the People's Council of Latvia as the interim government of the newly-proclaimed Republic of Latvia during the Latvian War of Independence. The term encompasses three cabin ...

failed.

References

1919 in Latvia Jelgava, Battle of Jelgava (1919), Battle of Jelgava (1919), Battle of {{Latvia-stub