Livonia

Livonia (German and Scandinavian languages: Livland, Latvian and Lithuanian: Livonija, Estonian: Liivimaa, Russian: Liflyandiya, Polish: Inflanty, Livonian: Līvõmō) is a country in Eastern Europe.
Livonia was established in 1919 after Baltic-German military forces overthrew the Latvian provisional government that had been established in 1918. The name Livonia was officially adopted in 1920.
Baltic-German forces under the Baltische Landeswehr and West Russian Volunteer Army fought a brief war in 1919 against Estonian and Latvian forces following their coup of the Latvian government. It eventually secured support from the United Kingdom and the Russian White movement. Estonia subsequently signed a ceasefire and joined forces with the Baltic-Germans to fight the Bolsheviks, and the Latvian government collapsed. After securing lost territories and signing a peace with the Bolsheviks in 1920, Livonia would resume its conflict with Estonia. With the help of Freikorps forces that had fled from the German Civil War, Livonia emerged victorious, annexing much of Southern Estonia and establishing a puppet state in the north.
Livonia does not officially have any specific form of government, and it has no constitution. In practice it is a military dictatorship, and although it holds elections to the Senate, its power is mostly ceremonial. While previously the government was legally referred to as a ducal regency in official documents, such references disappeared after 1926.
== Etymology ==
The usage of the term "Livonia" is rooted in the medieval Livonian Confederation that encompassed most of the modern territories of Livonia. The term Livonia also refers to the northern portion of the country, which was called the Governorate of Livonia under the Russian Empire. The word Livonia itself is derived from the Livonian ethnic group.
== History ==
== Demographics ==
=== Ethnic Groups ===
The territory that constitutes Livonia was, in 1919, primarily inhabited by Latvians and Estonians, with a substantial Jewish, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian and German minority. However, the demographics changed radically with a mass influx of German refugees and soldiers fleeing the German Civil War. Between 1919 and 1921, an estimated 400,000 Germans migrated to Livonia. Only around 180,000 of the 627,460 current German inhabitants are native Baltic-Germans. This migration has narrowly made Germans the second largest ethnic group in Livonia, constituting about 1/5th of the population, far behind Latvians but slightly ahead of Estonians. They are especially numerous in rural areas, where many have settled on farms, many of which were seized from native Balts.
Ethnic Populations of Livonia (1931)
Ethnicgroup	Riga 	Riga 	Livland	Livland	Lettgallen	Lettgallen	Semgallen	Semgallen	Kurland	Kurland	Pernau 	Pernau 	Dorpat 	Dorpat 	Total 	Total
Ethnicgroup	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	% 	Number 	%
Germans 	111,250	21.2 	107,320	20.5 	77,620 	12.3 	112,460 	27.1 	123,310	30.8 	54,760 	17.9 	40,740 	10.7 	627,460 	19.8
Latvians 	322,410	61.4 	323,820	61.9 	321,400 	51.0 	265,450 	63.9 	243,680	60.9 	1,860 	0.6 	1,770 	0.5 	1,480,390	46.7
Estonians 	240 	0.1 	4,520 	0.9 	2,070 	0.4 	60 	0.0 	40 	0.0 	237,790	77.5 	279,680	73.6 	524,400 	16.5
Russians 	17,270 	3.3 	71,780 	13.7 	148,300 	23.5 	8,290 	2.0 	6,840 	1.7 	5,530 	1.8 	51,210 	13.5 	309,220 	9.8
Belarusians	110 	0.0 	130 	0.0 	25,720 	4.1 	1,370 	0.3 	50 	0.0 	120 	0.0 	180 	0.1 	27,680 	0.9
Poles 	10,530 	2.0 	2,270 	0.4 	32,920 	5.2 	5,740 	1.4 	2,180 	0.6 	870 	0.3 	920 	0.2 	55,430 	1.8
Lithuanians	410 	0.1 	4,840 	1.0 	1,700 	0.3 	15,320 	3.7 	210 	0.1 	80 	0.0 	60 	0.0 	22,620 	0.7
Jews 	58,220 	11.1 	5,670 	1.1 	15,800 	2.5 	5,220 	1.2 	11,250 	2,8 	2,890 	0.9 	3,780 	1.0 	102,830 	3.2
Roma 	2,140 	0.4 	430 	0.1 	170 	0.0 	360 	0.1 	220 	0.1 	130 	0.1 	250 	0.1 	3,700 	0.1
Swedes 	110 	0.0 	10 	0.0 	0 	– 	0 	– 	50 	0.0 	2,120 	0.7 	830 	0.2 	3,120 	0.1
Livonians 	0 	– 	50 	0.0 	0 	– 	0 	– 	1,130 	0.3 	0 	– 	0 	– 	1,180 	0.0
Finns 	10 	0.0 	0 	– 	0 	– 	0 	– 	0 	– 	60 	0.0 	80 	0.0 	150 	0.0
Others 	2,340 	0.4 	2,210 	0.4 	4,530 	0.7 	1,430 	0.3 	1,560 	0.4 	670 	0.2 	530 	0.1 	13,270 	0.4
Total 	525,040	525,040	523,050	523,050	630,230 	630,230 	415,700 	415,700 	400,520	400,520	306,880	306,880	380,030	380,030	3,171,450	3,171,450
=== Languages ===
Aside from the legally established usage of German as the government language there are no language recognitions or protections. Ethnic groups within Livonia generally speak their associated native language as their main language, though a number of Latvians in Latgale speak Russian as a secondary language. Through government-run education, many non-Germans have also been required to learned German as a secondary language. Non-German speakers are often left at a disadvantage in Livonian society because of its German-centric structure.
Language 	Est. %
Primary Languages 	Primary Languages
Lettish 	50
German 	30
Estonian 	18
Russian 	12
Minority Languages	Minority Languages
Yiddish/Hebrew 	3
Polish 	2
Belarusian 	1
Lithuanian 	1
Romani 	0.1
Swedish 	0.1
Finnish 	<0.1
Livonian 	<0.1
Ukrainian 	<0.1
=== Religion ===
Livonia is mostly Protestant (primarily Lutheran with a minority of Calvinists), with a significant minority of Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Jewish believers.
The religious makeup of Livonia is shaped around its ethnic groups. Germans and Estonians are overwhelmingly Protestant, Latvians have a slight majority Protestant population with a significant minority of Roman Catholics, Slavic groups are primarily Eastern Orthodox, and most ethnic Jews adhere to Judaism.
Religion in Livonia (1931)
Religion 	% 	Population
Protestant 	55.4	1,756,980
Roman Catholic 	24.2	767,490
Eastern Orthodox	16.6	526,460
Jewish 	3.2 	101,490
Other 	0.6 	19,030
Total 	100 	3,171,450
Category:Countries
Category:Military Dictatorships
Category:Capitalist States
Category:German States