ABSTRACT
The 1989-1990 revolution in Latvia was a peaceful one, grounded in the tradition of nonviolence. Indeed, the drive to Latvian independence has become known as the Singing Revolution since mass demonstrations were combined with national songfests. Latvian history, unlike that of the rest of Europe, is not marked with images of historical battles and famous generals protecting or liberating "local natives" from foreign enemies. The evolution of the military and the role it will play vis-a-vis the local police, militia, home guard, and local gangs characterized as "mafia," is in only taking shape. Latvians have been subjected to continual foreign domination, and are hence literally a people "without a history." The environmental demonstrations provided a means of challenging the Soviet bureaucracy and the associated police structures. The larger protests were within the context of a Soviet Union where there was an increasing recognition of the devastating environmental fallouts which had occurred from many large, centrally planned projects.
