Jānis Čakste
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Jānis Kristaps Čakste | |
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In office 17 December 1918 – 14 March 1927 Acting: 17 December 1918 – 14 November 1922 | |
Prime Minister | Kārlis Ulmanis Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Jānis Pauļuks Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Voldemārs Zāmuēls Hugo Celmiņš Kārlis Ulmanis Arturs Alberings Marģers Skujenieks |
Succeeded by | Pauls Kalniņš (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | 14 September 1859 Sesava Parish, Courland Governorate, Russian Empire (now (Viesturi Parish, Bauska Municipality, Latvia) |
Died | 14 March 1927 (aged 67) Riga, Latvia |
Political party | Kadets (1906) Latvian Farmers' Union (1917–1919) Democratic Centre (1922–1927) |
Jānis Kristaps Čakste (14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the
Youth
Čakste was born in the Lielsesava (now
Career and entry into politics
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After graduating from St. Petersburg State University, he worked at the legal department of the
In 1906 he was elected to the First
In 1915 Čakste moved to
In the autumn of 1917 Čakste worked in the foreign department of the Provisional Latvian National Council, where he prepared addresses to foreign governments protesting against the German occupation of Baltic territories. On 17 November 1918 at the first session of the Latvian
In 1919 Čakste travelled to the
First head of state of an independent Latvia
For the presidential elections of 1925, Čakste's name was proposed by his Democratic Centre party, while Rainis was put forward by the Social Democrats and Kārlis Ulmanis – by the Latvian Farmers' Union. In the first round, the incumbent president finished third, with 29 votes, against 33 for Rainis and 32 for Ulmanis. When the Social Democrats decided to withdraw Rainis's candidacy, much against the latter's will, Čakste won the election with 60 votes.
Death
Jānis Čakste died in Riga on 14 March 1927 before the expiration of his second three-year term, and was buried at the Forest Cemetery in Riga. He is the only President of Latvia to die in office.[4]
Family
He was married to Justīne Čakste, born Vesere, and they had nine children.[1] His son, Junior Lieutenant Visvaldis Čakste, died from wounds received in the defence of Jelgava in 1915. Another son, Konstantīns Čakste (1901–1945), a lawyer like his father, became one of the leaders of the Latvian national resistance during World War II and the Chairman of the Latvian Central Council, set up in February 1943 as the underground Latvian national government. Konstantīns Čakste was arrested by the Gestapo and died in a forced march from Stutthof concentration camp in February 1945.
References
- ^ OCLC 61227165.
- ^ a b c d e Švābe, Arveds. Latvijas Encyclopēdija. Trīs Zvaigznes, Stockholm. 1950–1951
- ^ Establishment of Latvian Riflemen Battalions in the Summer of 1915[permanent dead link] Tēvijas Sargs accessed 29 March 2009
- ^ Jānis Čakste: The First President of Latvia, 1922–1927