Latvian Genealogy Blog

Two Brothers, Two Different Fates This week I thought about an interesting fact that led me to read the conscription rules of the Latvian Legion. Specifically, of two twin brothers, only one was drafted into the Legion, while the other was later conscripted into the Red Army. How could this happen when both were the same age and, according to the rules, young men were conscripted as soon as they turned 18? The mentioned twin brothers were born in 1926 and turned 18 in August

In 1874, universal conscription was introduced in the Russian Empire. Prior to this, recruits were either conscripted forcibly or chosen ...