 During World War II Bauska was occupied by Soviet forces and heavy fighting destroyed many of the structures of the main town.The Jewish Latvian population of the area were largely exterminated by Nazi forces and several thousand residents of the district were deported in 1941 and 1949 during political unrest.Reoccupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II resulted in creation of the Bauska District () in 1949.