Still the political activities were quite strong in Courland. Some landowners supported Poland, some Russia. In fact, the further fate of Courland was decided, when Russia with its allies began the third division of Poland. Having a "nice recommendation" of Russia, duke Peter Biron gave up his rights to Russia in 1795. By signing the final document in March 28, 1795, the Duchy of Courland ceased to exist.
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Courland as part of Russia and Soviet Union
The land was mostly owned by nobles of German descent. In 1863, laws were issued to enable Latvians, who formed the bulk of the population, to acquire the farms which they held, and special banks were founded to help them. By this means some farms were bought by their occupants; but the great mass of the population remained landless, and lived as hired labourers, occupying a low position in the social scale.
On the large estates agriculture was conducted with skill and scientific knowledge. Fruit grew well. Excellent breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs were kept. Libau and Mitau (Jelgava) were the principal industrial centres, with ironworks, agricultural machinery works, tanneries, glass and soap works. Flax spinning was mostly a domestic industry. Iron and limestone were the chief minerals; a little amber was found on the coast. The only seaports were Libau, Windau (Ventspils) and Polangen, there being none on the Courland coast of the Gulf of Riga.
After World War I, Courland became a part of the newly formed nation of Latvia. In 1940, it was annexed by the USSR, briefly conquered by Germany during World War II. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Courland became part of independent Latvia once more and it remains so to this day.
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Courland during World War II
At the start of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Courland, along with the rest of the Baltic area belonging to the Soviet Union, was overrun by Army Group North headed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. In 1944, the Red Army lifted the siege of Leningrad and re-conquered the Baltic area along with much of Ukraine and Belarus. However, some 200,000 German troops held out in Courland. They were besieged with their backs to the Baltic Sea. They were senselessly stuck there; the Red Army naturally did not pay attention to them because the Soviets were putting forth all their men and weapons into the attacks on East Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania, and ultimately Berlin. Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, the Chief of the German General Staff, insisted to Adolf Hitler that the troops in Courland should be evacuated by sea and used for the defense of the Reich. However, Hitler refused and ordered the German forces in Courland to hold out. On January 15, 1945, Army Group Courland (Heeresgruppe Kurland) was formed under Colonel-General Dr. Lothar Rendulic. Until the end of the war, Army Group Courland including division of Latvian Freiwiliger SS Legion succesfully defended the Latvian peninsula. It held out until May 8, 1945, when it surrendered under Colonel-General Carl Hilpert, the army group's last commander.