The name of the Powder Tower dates back to the 17th century when apparently gunpowder was stored in it. It is linked to a section of reconstructed wall that looks impressive but for us what is inside is also interesting as it holds the free to visit War Museum.
We are greated by guns right in the entrance hall but then the museum starts from medieval times with the first period of Riga greatness.
Riga was an important Hanse port city and has become quite rich because of it. As such it was at the center of a tussle of war between multiple interested parties with Russia being the latest in a long line of conquerors.
World War 1 was another one of the many wars fought on Latvia territory between Germany and the Russian Empire with the frontline for many years right next to Riga. Neither army was that well provisioned with German soldiers forced to carve wooden shoes as the provided shoes left them with frozen feet.
As the war continued the Russian Empire collapsed leading to a German advance taking over Riga and to a peace treaty that left the Baltic countries to Germany.
Soon however Germany itself was knocked out of the war and a four way for Latvia’s future begun, between remnants of the German army made administrators by the Entente, Latvian independence forces, Bolsheviks and the White Russians. After a few months where the Latvian and German forces were almost beaten they pushed back the Russians and with some Estonian help finally liberated the whole country.
And then after 25 years of freedom another two dictators decided it would be great to kill millions of people in a senseless war and at the end of it all Latvia was again part of Russia and had to suffer through another 40+ years of oppression.
Now as part of NATO and the EU the hope of Latvia is that it can protect itself from any future conquest attempts from Russia which quite actively is trying to recreate its empire. Who knows what the future holds?
