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.

## 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.

### 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.

### 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)
 Roman Catholic
 Eastern Orthodox
 Jewish
 Other