Gustavs Zemgals (August 12, 1871–January 6, 1939) was a Latvian politician and the second president of Latvia.
Zemgals was born in Dzukste, Latvia. He graduated from Moscow University in 1899 with a degree in law. He then returned to Latvia and was a lawyer, a newspaper editor and a political activist. In 1918, he became the second deputy of the chairman of Tautas Padome (People`s Council), a representative body (council) of Latvian political parties and organizations. He chaired the November 18, 1918 meeting of Tautas Padome, which declared the independence of Latvia.
Later, he was a member of Latvian parliament (Saeima) from the Democratic Center Party (Demokratiska Centra Partija) and a minister in several goverments. In 1927, he was elected the president of Latvia. He served as president until 1930, when his term expired, and he decided not to run for a second term. He was a member of the Latvian academic unit "Austrums ".
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