Ernests Blanks
Encyclopedia
Ernests Blanks was editorial writer of Dzimtenes Atbalss (Fatherland's Echo). At a time when others discussed Latvia's and, the other Baltic countries
Baltic countries
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, autonomy, Ernests Blanks dared to demand sovereignty for Latvia. Already on 21. (8.) July 1917 Ernests Blanks unequivocally wrote: "Our ideal is a sovereign Latvia." After the state of Latvia had been established he reminded that the Latvians had regained their long lost freedom. For some time he was a deputy of the first Parliament Tautas Padome
Tautas Padome
Tautas padome or People's Council of Latvia was a temporary council which declared Latvia's independence in 1918 and then acted as a temporary parliament until a Constitutional Assembly was elected....
, which preceded the Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
. He wrote about the Saeima, but mostly about the Latvian National Awakening
Latvian National Awakening
The Latvian National Awakening refers to three distinct but ideologically related National revival movements:* the First Awakening refers to the national revival led by the Young Latvians from the 1850s to the 1880s,...
and its activists. He was one of them, although discreet about his own role. The author of about 700 editorials on Latvian national political issues (alone), and at least 15 books, several of which have appeared in 2nd and 3rd editions. Ernests Blanks devoted his life to defending the sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
of the state of Latvia with his pen. Thus, during Soviet Russia's occupation of Latvia, he was a persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
in his own fatherland.
Biography
Blanks was born September 13, 1894 in Braslava municipality in VidzemeVidzeme
Vidzeme is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. His parents were leaseholders until the family moved to Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
where he attended school. Starting 1914 he studied history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the Shanyavskiy University in Moscow as an unenrolled, external student. He was one of the leaders of the Latvian National Democratic Party (LNDP). In Latvia Ernests Blanks was editor of numerous newspapers and journals, and published papers in even more. Ernests Blanks was honoured with the Three-Star Order (of the 4th class) of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in 1928. In 1945 Ernests Blanks fled in exile to Germany where he continued the editorial and publishing work. He died in exile January 31, 1972 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.