Latvian Riflemen

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Latvian Riflemen
Latviešu strēlnieki Латышские стрелки
1916 uniform of the Latvian Riflemen
Active	July 1915 – 1920
Country	Russian Empire (1915–1917)  Soviet Russia (1918–1920) White Movement (1918–1920)
Branch	Imperial Russian Army Red Army White Army
Type	Infantry
Size	~ 40,000
Part of	Russian 12th Army
Engagements	World War I Eastern Front Defence of Nāves sala [lv] Christmas Battles Battle of Jugla Russian Civil War Estonian War of Independence Latvian War of Independence Battle of Daugavpils
Commanders
Notable commanders	Augusts Ernests Misiņš [lv] Andrejs Auzāns Jānis Francis Frīdrihs Briedis Jukums Vācietis Mārtiņš Peniķis Roberts Dambītis

The Latvian Riflemen (Latvian: Latviešu strēlnieki; Russian: Латышские стрелки, romanized: Latyshskie strelki) were originally a military formation of the Imperial Russian Army assembled starting 1915 in Latvia in order to defend Baltic governorates against the German Empire in World War I. Initially, the battalions were formed by volunteers, and from 1916 by conscription among the Latvian population. A total of about 40,000 troops were drafted into the Latvian Riflemen Division. They were used as an elite force in the Imperial and Red armies.