 This caused the second "Latvian National Awakening", leading ultimately to the proclamation of an independent Latvia in 1918.On 15 May 1934, Kārlis Ulmanis seized power in a coup d'etat and established an authoritarian regime, which lasted only until the outbreak of World War II and Soviet occupation in 1939–40.In cultural terms, however, this period is seen as a "golden age" for Latvia.