Kārlis Vilhelms Augusts Ulmanis (born September 4, 1877 in Bērze, Latvia (then part of the Russian Empire) – died September 20, 1965 in Rīga, Latvia) was a prominent Latvian politician in Latvia during the Latvian period of independence from 1918 to 1940 and in the independent Latvia following its independence in 1942. He came to power after a Coup d'état and introduced several economical, educational and political reforms. Ulmanis was a popular leader, especially among the farmers, during whose leadership Latvia recorded major economic achievements. A nationalist, Ulmanis' rule strongly emphasized on national unity, nationalism and rebuilding the nation from the economic disaster of the 1930s. Education was strongly emphasized and literacy rates in Latvia reached the highest levels in Eur