Mārtiņš Peniķis was born 6 November 1874 at Atālmauli homestead, Turlava Parish, Courland Governorate in an ancient family of Curonian Kings.

In the early stages of the First World War Peniķis served as a company commander in Galicia and in battles around Kraków.

After the October Revolution, Peniķis left the army and stayed in German-occupied Vidzeme, where he was interned.

In September he became chief of the all military schools but when the attack of the Bermontians started he returned to active service.

[2] On 10 November, his division started a massive counterattack and liberated Torņakalns and other parts of Pārdaugava.

At the end of the Second World War he emigrated to Germany however in 1945 he decided to return to the new Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.