![Lithuanian cadets near War school in Kaunas 1938](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Lithuanian_cadets_near_War_school_in_Kaunas_1938.jpg)
War School of Kaunas ( lt, Kauno karo mokykla) was a military school for
junior officer
Junior officer, company officer or company grade officer refers to the lowest operational Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer category of ranks in a military or paramilitary organization, ranking above non-commissioned officers and below ...
s in
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
, the
temporary capital of Lithuania
The temporary capital of Lithuania ( lt, Laikinoji sostinė) was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius, which was part of Poland from 1920 u ...
. It was established in January 1919 during the
Lithuanian Wars of Independence
The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles ( lt, Laisvės kovos), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Berm ...
copying the example of Russian 4-month ''
praporshchik
( rus, Пра́порщик, 3=ˈprapərɕːɪk, ) is a rank used by the Russian Armed Forces and a number of former communist states. The rank is a non-commissioned officer's and is equivalent to in navies. It is usually equivalent to Warrant ...
'' schools established during World War I. Despite difficult circumstances and lack of some of the basic supplies, between March 1919 and October 1920, the school prepared three classes of 434 men who were sent to the front. 15 of these graduates were killed in action. The cadets also participated in suppressing several anti-government coups, including by the
Polish Military Organisation
The Polish Military Organisation, PMO ( pl, Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, POW) was a secret military organization which formed during World War I (1914-1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914; it adopted the name ''POW'' in Novem ...
in 1919 and by the
Voldemarininkai in 1934. As a reliable and loyal force, they were used to guard the
Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania ( lt, Steigiamasis Seimas) was the first parliament of the independent state of Lithuania to be elected in a direct, democratic, general, secret election. The Assembly assumed its duties on 15 May 1920 and w ...
when it convened in 1920 or the former Prime Minister
Augustinas Voldemaras
Augustinas Voldemaras (16 April 1883 – 16 May 1942) was a Lithuanian nationalist political figure. He briefly served as the country's first prime minister in 1918 and continued serving as the minister of foreign affairs until 1920, representing ...
during his trial.
After the wars, the length of study was extended to one year in 1920, two years in 1922, and three years in 1935. Starting in 1926, the school began
aspirant
Aspirant is a rank in the Royal Canadian Navy, Estonian Defence Forces, French military, Brazilian military, Portuguese military, Swiss military, Italian Air Force, Argentinian Armed Forces, Romanian Navy, Polish Policja and Państwowa Straż ...
courses for the
reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...
s. Courses for more senior officers were offered by the
Higher Officers' Courses
The Higher Officers' Courses ( lt, Aukštieji karininkų kursai) were military courses for senior officers of the Lithuanian Army in 1921–1940. Junior officers were prepared by the War School of Kaunas. In July 1923, the courses were named after ...
. From 1932, the school published journal ''Kariūnas'' (Cadet) every two months. Before the
occupation of Lithuania by the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in June 1940, the school prepared 20 classes of 1,631 junior officers and 14 classes of 2,585 reserve officers. The last 21st class graduated already after the occupation. The school was moved to Vilnius and reorganized into an infantrymen school for the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
.
History
Establishment
Lithuania
declared independence in February 1918, but began forming the
Lithuanian Army
The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (wh ...
only in December 1918 at the outbreak of the
Lithuanian–Soviet War
The Lithuanian–Soviet War or Lithuanian–Bolshevik War ( lt, karas su bolševikais) was fought between Act of Independence of Lithuania, newly independent Lithuania and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian Socialist Feder ...
. Officers of the new military units were mostly Lithuanians who had served in the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. After the
Uprising of 1863
The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
, Russian government considered Lithuanians to be unreliable and would not admit them to Russian military academies or promote them to commanding officers. During World War I, due to lack of officers, these restrictions were relaxed and a number of Lithuanians graduated from temporary 4 to 5-month military courses and were promoted to junior officers (usually to ''
praporshchik
( rus, Пра́порщик, 3=ˈprapərɕːɪk, ) is a rank used by the Russian Armed Forces and a number of former communist states. The rank is a non-commissioned officer's and is equivalent to in navies. It is usually equivalent to Warrant ...
'') though only a few managed to get to more senior positions. Mobilization of these former Imperial Russian officers was announced on 15 January 1919, but only about 400 responded instead of the expected 800 to 1,000.
On the same day, daily ''Lietuva'' announced admission procedures to the war school in Kaunas, but at that time the school had neither staff nor premises. Its first director,
polkovnik
''Polkovnik'' (russian: полковник, lit=regimentary; pl, pułkownik) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandin ...
, was appointed only ten days later. His deputy, Pranas Tvarionas, copied the curriculum from a 4-month ''praporshchik'' school he attended in
Chistopol
Chistopol (russian: Чи́стополь; tt-Cyrl, Чистай, ''Çistay''; cv, Чистай, ''Çistay'') is a town in Tatarstan, Russia, located on the left bank of the Kuybyshev Reservoir, on the Kama River. As of the 2010 Census, its p ...
, found premises on Donelaitis Street near the
St. Michael the Archangel Church, hired lecturers and staff, and acquired supplies from kitchen utensils to textbooks to
national coat of arms
A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally c ...
. British and French Military Representatives provided some limited support; for example, French captain René Cohendet taught physical education while British colonel Henry Rowan-Robinson and General
Frank Percy Crozier
Frank Percy Crozier (1 January 1879 – 31 August 1937) was a British military officer. His first military experience was in the Second Boer War (1899–1902) and with the Royal West African Frontier Force in Nigeria. During World War I, he com ...
attended tactical practices. The cadets were initially referred to by a Russian–German term
junker
Junker ( da, Junker, german: Junker, nl, Jonkheer, en, Yunker, no, Junker, sv, Junker ka, იუნკერი (Iunkeri)) is a noble honorific, derived from Middle High German ''Juncherre'', meaning "young nobleman"Duden; Meaning of Junke ...
until philologist
Kazimieras Būga
Kazimieras Būga (; November 6, 1879 – December 2, 1924) was a Lithuanian linguist and philologist. He was a professor of linguistics, who mainly worked on the Lithuanian language.
He was born at Pažiegė, near Dusetos, then part of the Russi ...
proposed Lithuanian equivalent ''kariūnas'' which was officially adopted in May 1922.
First three classes
![Graduation insignia of the War School of Lithuania with Vytis (Waykimas), 1919](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Graduation_insignia_of_the_War_School_of_Lithuania_with_Vytis_%28Waykimas%29%2C_1919.jpg)
The school began operations on 8 March and on 1 April had an official opening ceremony attended by many officials, including Chairman of the
Council of Lithuania
The Council of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Taryba, german: Litauischer Staatsrat, pl, Rada Litewska), after July 11, 1918 the State Council of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Valstybės Taryba) was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place betwe ...
Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual and journalist and the first President of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 to 1940, before its occupation by the Soviet Union. He was one of the m ...
and Minister of Defence
Antanas Merkys
Antanas Merkys (; 1 February 1887 – 5 March 1955) was the last Prime Minister of independent Lithuania, serving from November 1939 to June 1940. When the Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding that it accept a Soviet ga ...
. Its first class had 124 cadets who each received a monthly salary of 10
German marks
The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...
and later 50
Lithuanian auksinas. This class was the youngest: cadets were mostly 17–19-year-olds. Cadets could choose their specialty: infantry, machine gun, artillery, cavalry,
pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
. In addition to their studies, the cadets also guarded various strategic objects if needed and participated in ceremonial events (e.g. inauguration of the first president). 96 of them graduated on 6 July and later were promoted to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
s. The class was sent to the front in the
Lithuanian Wars of Independence
The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles ( lt, Laisvės kovos), refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces (December 1918 – August 1919), Berm ...
where five of them died and 28 were awarded the
Order of the Cross of Vytis
The Order of the Cross of Vytis ( lt, Vyčio Kryžiaus ordinas) is a Lithuanian presidential award conferred for heroic defence of Lithuania's freedom and independence. November 23 is a holiday in honour of the Order of the Cross of Vytis. His ...
.
The second class of 300 cadets began their studies on 31 July 1919. They were chosen from some 800 candidates. Due to particularly difficult situation in the front, the cadets guarded and patrolled Kaunas and participated in the liquidation of the
coup d'état attempt by the
Polish Military Organisation
The Polish Military Organisation, PMO ( pl, Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, POW) was a secret military organization which formed during World War I (1914-1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914; it adopted the name ''POW'' in Novem ...
. Upon graduation on 16 December, 200 men were promoted to lieutenants and 24 to sub-lieutenants. Ten men of the second class died in the front, 15 were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis, and 23 received the
Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas
The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices. Foreign nationals may also be awarded this O ...
. The second class was joined by 34 cadets of the Military Aviation School. It was the only class of aviation students as the Military Aviation School was liquidated on 18 December.
The third class of 152 cadets began their studies on 16 January 1920. At the time, there was a lull in the front and the lack of officers was less urgent. Therefore, the length of study was extended to one year. A new school statute was adopted in March which made the school a direct subordinate of the General Staff. When soldiers of Kaunas garrison, affected by poor living conditions and socialist revolutionary moods, began a mutiny on 21–23 February 1920, cadets were a reliable force that the government could use against the garrison. They also guarded the
Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania ( lt, Steigiamasis Seimas) was the first parliament of the independent state of Lithuania to be elected in a direct, democratic, general, secret election. The Assembly assumed its duties on 15 May 1920 and w ...
when it convened on 15 May. After
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
handed
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
to Lithuania according to the
Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty
The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty, also known as the Moscow Peace Treaty, was signed between Lithuania and Soviet Russia on July 12, 1920. In exchange for Lithuania's neutrality and permission to move its troops in the territory that was reco ...
, the school relocated to Vilnius on 25 September. There it took the abandoned building of the former
Vilnius Military School
Vilnius Military School (russian: Виленское военное училище) also known as the Vilnius Junker Infantry School (russian: Виленское пехотное юнкерское училище) was a military school for the non ...
of the Russian Empire. However, just two weeks later, it was forced to hastily evacuate back to Kaunas due to the
Żeligowski's Mutiny
Żeligowski's Mutiny ( pl, bunt Żeligowskiego, also ''żeligiada'', lt, Želigovskio maištas) was a Polish false flag operation led by General Lucjan Żeligowski in October 1920, which resulted in the creation of the Republic of Central Lithuan ...
leaving much of its supplies and equipment behind. In order to stop the Polish advance, 75 lieutenants and 7 sub-lieutenants from the third class were sent to the front on 17 October.
Post-war curriculum
The fourth class was hastily assembled and classes commenced on 15 November 1920. At 400 men it was the largest incoming class, but only 209 graduated on 18 December 1921. Among the graduates were several aviators including
Steponas Darius
Steponas Darius (known as Stephen Darius in the US; born Steponas Jucevičius-Darašius; January 8, 1896 – July 17, 1933) was a Lithuanian American pilot, who died in a non-stop flight attempt in the ''Lituanica'' from New York City to Kaunas ...
. Since Lithuania was no longer engaged in any active conflicts, the education curriculum was expanded to include greater variety of military specialties and extended to two years starting in 1922. The school reoriented itself from catering to urgent needs of the front to more long-term strategic goals. In December 1922, the school was relocated from the city center to
Panemunė
Panemunė (; ) is a town in Lithuania. It is situated on the banks of the Nemunas River opposite Sovetsk, south from Pagėgiai, in Tauragė County. It is a border checkpoint for traffic to and from Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast).
The magnificent ...
which was better suited to military needs. Two companies of cadets of 81 and 69 men participated in the
Klaipėda Revolt
The Klaipėda Revolt took place in January 1923 in the Klaipėda Region (also known as the Memel Territory or ). The region, located north of the Neman River, was detached from East Prussia, German Empire by the Treaty of Versailles and became a ...
in January 1923.
![Antanas Smetona visiting the War School of Kaunas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Antanas_Smetona_visiting_the_War_School_of_Kaunas.jpg)
To eliminate inconsistencies and contradictions in the curriculum, the War School was temporarily for about two years subordinated to the
Higher Officers' Courses
The Higher Officers' Courses ( lt, Aukštieji karininkų kursai) were military courses for senior officers of the Lithuanian Army in 1921–1940. Junior officers were prepared by the War School of Kaunas. In July 1923, the courses were named after ...
in November 1923. Due to the chaotic first years, the curriculum was not well planned and depended for most part on the instructor. As some cadets had only three or four years of prior education, they lacked some basic knowledge of mathematics and other general subjects to master the more specialized military topics such as artillery or
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
. Therefore, in 1924, the school began a 3-year preparatory course for those with less than six years of prior education. In 1928, this preparatory course was eliminated reserving admissions only to those with an 8-year school diploma. To gain admission, men had to take and pass exams in
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian ( ) is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 millio ...
and
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
as well as pass medical examination. Therefore, only a small number of candidates would be admitted. For example, in 1928, out of approximately 150 applicants only 52 were admitted.
![Lithuanian Army uhlan officers of the 7th edition of the Lithuanian Military School, 1925](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Lithuanian_Army_uhlan_officers_of_the_7th_edition_of_the_Lithuanian_Military_School%2C_1925.jpg)
Initially, the curriculum lacked such basic classes as
military history
Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships.
Professional historians norma ...
or
military geography
Military geography is a sub-field of geography that is used by the military, as well as academics and politicians, to understand the geopolitical sphere through the military lens. To accomplish these ends, military geographers consider topics fro ...
due to lack of qualified instructors. However, the curriculum was continuously improved and by 1927–1928 it was comparable to those of similar military schools in other countries. Many officers of the General Staff were assigned a teaching position. In 1924, classes included religious education, tactics, military equipment, machine guns, mortars, shooting range, military administration, military law, military history, topography, fortifications, artillery, Lithuanian language and literature, knowledge of the homeland, physics and chemistry, algebra, trigonometry, typology, hygiene, world history, French and German languages, physical education (gymnastics). In 1932, classes included religious education, general tactics, infantry tactics, military history, military law, military psychology, military organisation, commissariat, topography, pioneer subjects, chemistry, artillery, cavalry, aviation, mortars, heavy machine guns, communications, German language, physical education, dance and singing.
As part of a broader military reform was initiated by
Stasys Raštikis
Stasys Raštikis (September 13, 1896 – May 3, 1985) was a Lithuanian military officer, ultimately obtaining the rank of divisional general. He was the commander of the Lithuanian Army from September 21, 1934, to April 23, 1940.
During World War ...
, a new school statute was adopted in July 1935. The studies were extended to three years. After an initial 2–3 week training in school, the men would be sent for a 7-month in-the-field training in various regiments. There they familiarized with realities of the armed forces, learned weapons, and participated in field practices. Then they returned to the school to study military history, tactics (general, infantry, artillery, cavalry), military engineering (pioneer), topography, communications, military law, shooting, hygiene, explosives, chemical weapons, physical education, horse riding, religious education, German and Russian languages, dancing and singing, etiquette. During all three years, cadets participated in
foot drill
Foot drill is a part of the training regimen of organized military and paramilitary elements worldwide. "Foot drill" or "Drill" stems from time since antiquity when soldiers would march into battle, be expected to gather in a formation, and reac ...
s. In January 1940, the school had 55 instructors.
Aspirant and other courses
![Graduation ceremony of Kaunas War School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Graduation_ceremony_of_Kaunas_War_School.jpeg)
Starting in 1926, the school began
aspirant
Aspirant is a rank in the Royal Canadian Navy, Estonian Defence Forces, French military, Brazilian military, Portuguese military, Swiss military, Italian Air Force, Argentinian Armed Forces, Romanian Navy, Polish Policja and Państwowa Straż ...
courses for the
reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...
s. The first aspirant class started its studies on 15 January 1926 and 14 men graduated on 1 December. Initially, the aspirant courses lasted for 12 months (two months of initial training in units, 6.5 months of theoretical courses at the War School, and 3.5 practice in units). In spring 1937, the aspirant courses were extended to 15 months. Starting with the fifth class which graduated in November 1930, the number of aspirant students grew substantially to account for the military needs in case of a mobilization. Graduates of aspirant courses were promoted to reserve junior lieutenants or reserve lieutenants. They were offered additional training which could lead to higher rank (up to captain). However, aspirants were criticized for their lack of skills and knowledge – the practical training was too short and skills atrophied few years after leaving the school. If called to serve, they would not be able to capably command their units. There were several discussions and proposals how to reform and improve the aspirant courses.
The school organizer special courses for weapons specialists. Four classes completed this course: 10 men graduated in July 1932, 17 men in 1933, about 30 men in December 1937, and 17 men in May 1940. Topics covered included
ballistics
Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing and a ...
,
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
, functions and maintenance of all the different weapons used by the Lithuanian military. In 1934, after the
unsuccessful coup d'état attempt by the
Voldemarininkai, the school organized a special 10-month course for aspirant course graduates who after graduation were promised an active military position. Over 300 men applied, but only 110 were admitted. The curriculum, in essence, was the same as the regular 2-year course for cadets, only shortened to 10 months, which did not take into account the previous experience and education of these men. 103 of them graduated on 10 May 1936.
Cultural life
The school emphasized discipline. The cadets were always required to wear clean and orderly uniforms, more so if making a trip to the city as the school wanted to maintain its reputation among the city residents. , cadet in 1920 and future opera singer, organized singing lessons for the cadets. Each Sunday, the men attended a Catholic mass at the
St. Michael the Archangel Church and then marched back to the school singing mainly songs by
Maironis
Maironis (born Jonas Mačiulis, ; – 28 June 1932) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and the greatest and most-known Lithuanian poet, especially of the period of the Lithuanian press ban. He was called the Bard of Lithuanian National Reviv ...
and attracting public attention. When the school was moved out of the city center in December 1922, it became less noticeable by the city residents. Nevertheless, the cadets attended every more significant state event and organized annual parades on 16 February (Independence Day) and 23 November (Day of the Lithuanian Army). The school also commemorated 9 October (the start of the
Żeligowski's Mutiny
Żeligowski's Mutiny ( pl, bunt Żeligowskiego, also ''żeligiada'', lt, Želigovskio maištas) was a Polish false flag operation led by General Lucjan Żeligowski in October 1920, which resulted in the creation of the Republic of Central Lithuan ...
in 1920) and 17 December (the
military coup d'état in 1926) – alarm was sounded in the middle of the night and the cadets had to dress in full gear to showcase their readiness.
The main event celebrated by the school was the graduation and the promotion of cadets to officers. The first ceremonies were rather simple. They included a Catholic mass, reading of the order promoting cadets to officers, congratulatory speeches by officials, and an official lunch. The first more elaborate graduation ceremony took place in October 1923. After congratulatory speeches, the cadets returned to school where they dressed in their new officer uniforms. President
Aleksandras Stulginskis
Aleksandras Stulginskis (26 February 1885 – 22 September 1969) was the second President of Lithuania (1920–1926). Stulginskis was also acting President of Lithuania for a few hours later in 1926, following a military coup that was led ...
then presented each new officer with a ceremonial sword telling them ''Do not lift
he sword
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
without reason, do not lower
twithout honour'' (). The swords were engraved with the
Lithuanian coat of arms
The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is als ...
and the dates of the major victories of the Lithuanian military since the
Battle of Saule
The Battle of Saule ( lt, Saulės mūšis / Šiaulių mūšis; german: Schlacht von Schaulen; lv, Saules kauja) was fought on 22 September 1236, between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and pagan troops of Samogitians and Semigallians. Betwe ...
in 1236. Later ceremonies added kneeling on one knee when receiving the sword, the president touching one shoulder with the sword, the graduate kissing the sword, and a speech by the
valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
. Graduating aspirants did not receive the swords.
In 1929, celebrating the school's 10th anniversary, the school was officially renamed as the War School of the First President of Lithuania ( abbreviated as ) and President
Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona (; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual and journalist and the first President of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 to 1940, before its occupation by the Soviet Union. He was one of the m ...
became the school's chief. Since then, school's officer and cadet parade uniforms included
monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
AS after the initials of Smetona. The president also presented the school with a flag with his image. The flag became a part of the graduation ceremony – the graduating class would transfer the flag for protection to the younger class.
In September 1932, cadets started publishing their own illustrated journal ''Kariūnas'' (Cadet). It was published every two months. School director
Kazys Musteikis
Kazys Musteikis (November 22, 1894 – June 6, 1977) was a Lithuanian military brigadier general, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence in 1938–1940.
Biography
On September 1939 in the beginning of the Invasion of Poland and the World War ...
was particularly supportive of the publication.
Liquidation
World War II started on 1 September 1939 and Lithuania declared partial
mobilization
Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...
on 17 September. The third-year cadets were given orders to report to various units. However, soon the army was demobilized and cadets returned to their studies. In May 1940, the graduating cadets successfully passed final exams and were sent for training to a
proving ground
A proving ground (US) is an installation or reservation in which technology such as weapons, military tactics and automobile prototypes are experimented with or tested. Proving grounds can be operated by government bodies or civilian industries. ...
north of
Pabradė
Pabradė (; pl, Podbrodzie; yi, פּאָדבראָדז ''Podbrodz'') is a town in Lithuania, in Švenčionys district municipality, on Žeimena river, 38 km south-west of Švenčionys.
Pabradė is a busy place as the Vilnius– Daugavpil ...
. The training included 502 men who were armed with seven field artillery guns, two
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models emplo ...
s, two mortars, 12 heavy and 14 light machine guns. On 15 June, the morning after the
Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania
The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania before midnight of June 14, 1940. The Soviets, using a formal pretext, demanded that an unspecified number of Soviet soldiers be allowed to enter the Lithuanian territory and that a new pro-So ...
, the men returned to Kaunas by train via Vilnius. The army, including the War School which had some 600 men, was ordered not to resist the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
that was entering the country.
The Soviet Union began the gradual process of turning the Lithuanian Army into units of the Red Army. On 14 August, the
Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (, abbreviated: ), or Politburo ( rus, Политбюро, p=pəlʲɪtbʲʊˈro) was the highest policy-making authority within the Communist Party of the ...
adopted a secret resolution to turn the Lithuanian Armed Forces to the
29th Territorial Rifle Corps
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and the War School to an infantrymen school for the Red Army. However, changes were evident earlier. Already on 19 June, the school's name and symbols were changed to remove references to President Antanas Smetona. The school also received a
political commissar. The graduation ceremony of the 21st class on 15 July was attended by officials, including acting President
Justas Paleckis
Justas Paleckis ( – 26 January 1980) was a Lithuanian author, journalist and politician. He was nominal acting president of Lithuania after the Soviet invasion while Lithuania was still ostensibly independent, in office from 17 June to 3 Au ...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius
Vincas Mickevičius (pl. ''Wincenty Mickiewicz'', October 19, 1882 – July 17, 1954), better known by his pen name Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius, was a Lithuanian writer, poet, novelist, playwright and philologist. He is also known as Vincas Krė ...
, and Minister of Defence
Vincas Vitkauskas
Vincas Vitkauskas (4 October 1890 – 3 March 1965) was a Lithuanian general. He became commander of the Lithuanian Army after the resignation of Stasys Raštikis in January 1940. In this capacity, Vitkauskas opposed armed resistance to the Sovi ...
, but was rather simple. There were no
masses or parades, the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
was replaced by
The Internationale
"The Internationale" (french: "L'Internationale", italic=no, ) is an international anthem used by various communist and socialist groups; currently, it serves as the official anthem of the Communist Party of China. It has been a standard of th ...
, the ceremonial swords and Lithuanian insignia on uniforms were removed. Officially, 72 graduates were promoted to junior lieutenants and assigned to various units on 19 August 1940.
On 30 August, the
Council of People's Commissars of the Lithuanian SSR The Council of Ministers of the Lithuanian SSR ( lt, Lietuvos TSR Ministrų Taryba) or Council of People's Commissars in 1940–46 ( lt, Lietuvos TSR Liaudies Komisarų Taryba) was the cabinet (executive branch) of the Lithuanian SSR, one of the rep ...
officially ordered the reorganization of the War School into the infantrymen school. On 12–14 September, the school relocated to Vilnius. Two days later, it officially adopted the statute that was copied from Red Army schools. Cadets showed dissatisfaction with the new regime; for example, they sand ''
Tautiška giesmė
"" (; literally "The National Hymn") is the national anthem of Lithuania, also known by its opening words, "" (official translation of the lyrics: "Lithuania, Our Homeland", literally: "Lithuania, Our Fatherland"), and as "" ("The National Anthem ...
'' or tossed communist posters. Therefore, the Soviets started removing politically unreliable cadets. The school hastened the completion of studies for the 22nd class (69 cadets were assigned to the 29th Territorial Rifle Corps on 15 September). The 23rd class was enlarged by 52 cadets on 8 September only to be dispersed in November. The Russian curriculum did not provide for
aspirant
Aspirant is a rank in the Royal Canadian Navy, Estonian Defence Forces, French military, Brazilian military, Portuguese military, Swiss military, Italian Air Force, Argentinian Armed Forces, Romanian Navy, Polish Policja and Państwowa Straż ...
s and the last class of the reservists graduated on 2 October. On 13 November 1940, the school was officially transferred to the jurisdiction of the Red Army thus marking the official termination of the War School.
On 20 September, Russian ''
polkovnik
''Polkovnik'' (russian: полковник, lit=regimentary; pl, pułkownik) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandin ...
'' Georgij Sokurov became the school director. This foreshadowed massive changes in school's personnel: out of 45 officers on 1 September only 18 were left by the end of December. During that time, 56 Lithuanian officers, including General
Stasys Raštikis
Stasys Raštikis (September 13, 1896 – May 3, 1985) was a Lithuanian military officer, ultimately obtaining the rank of divisional general. He was the commander of the Lithuanian Army from September 21, 1934, to April 23, 1940.
During World War ...
, were temporarily reassigned from their units to the school. In November, two batches of 601 (all Russians) and 454 (about 90% Lithuanians) students were admitted. Lithuanian cadets had to have at least four years of primary education and had to present a reference from the
Communist Party of Lithuania
The Communist Party of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos komunistų partija; russian: Коммунистическая партия Литвы) is a banned communist party in Lithuania. The party was established in early October 1918 and operated clan ...
,
Lithuanian Komsomol, or trade unions. Their length of study was reduced to two years and they were taught by mostly Russian instructors. In early 1941, the school had about 1,000 students, 200 instructors, and 50 political commissars.
This Red Army infantry school evacuated to
Vitebsk
Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
when
Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. On the way, a few times the cadets engaged with the advancing Germans. Many Lithuanian cadets deserted and on occasion joined the anti-Soviet
June Uprising. A report from 15 July stated that 403 men could not be accounted for. Based on incomplete data, three Lithuanian officers and 12 cadets died during the retreat. There is some evidence that three men were executed by the Soviets (Alfonsas Gricius, Vytautas Cijūnėlis, Vaclovas Levūnas). The school later moved to Stalinsk (
Novokuznetsk
Novokuznetsk ( rus, Новокузнецк, p=nəvəkʊzˈnʲɛt͡sk; literally: "new smith's", cjs, Аба-тура, ''Aba-tura'') is a city in Kemerovo Oblast (Kuzbass) in south-western Siberia, Russia. It is the second largest city in the obla ...
) and continued to train the remaining cadets. The graduates later joined the
16th "Lithuanian" Rifle Division.
School directors
School directors were:
* 1919:
* 1920–1921: Pranas Tvaronas
* 1922–1926: Jonas Galvydis-Bykauskas
* 1926–1928: Pranas Kaunas
* 1928–1930: Petras Jurgaitis
* 1930–1934: Jonas Jackus
* 1934:
Jonas Černius
Jonas Černius (6 January 1898, Kupiškis, Kovno Governorate – 3 July 1977, Los Angeles) was a Lithuanian general and Prime Minister. When Lithuania declared independence in 1918, he joined the army as a volunteer and participated in the Freed ...
* 1934: Albinas Čepauskas
* 1934–1939:
Kazys Musteikis
Kazys Musteikis (November 22, 1894 – June 6, 1977) was a Lithuanian military brigadier general, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence in 1938–1940.
Biography
On September 1939 in the beginning of the Invasion of Poland and the World War ...
* 1939:
Kazys Skučas
Kazys Skučas (3 March 1894 in Mauručiai, Marijampolė district – 30 July 1941 in the Butyrka prison) was a Lithuanian politician and General of the Lithuanian Army. Skučas was the last Minister of the Interior of independent Lithuania. He wa ...
* 1939–1940: Jonas Juodišius
* Post-occupation:
** 1940: Vincas Kiršinas
** 1940: Izidorius Kraunaitis
** 1940: Georgij Sokurov
Notable alumni
*
Jonas Černius
Jonas Černius (6 January 1898, Kupiškis, Kovno Governorate – 3 July 1977, Los Angeles) was a Lithuanian general and Prime Minister. When Lithuania declared independence in 1918, he joined the army as a volunteer and participated in the Freed ...
, Prime Minister
*
Steponas Darius
Steponas Darius (known as Stephen Darius in the US; born Steponas Jucevičius-Darašius; January 8, 1896 – July 17, 1933) was a Lithuanian American pilot, who died in a non-stop flight attempt in the ''Lituanica'' from New York City to Kaunas ...
, pilot who died in the attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean
*
Jonas Noreika
Jonas Noreika (8 October 1910 – 26 February 1947), also known by his post-war nom de guerre Generolas Vėtra (), was a Lithuanian anti-Soviet partisan, military officer, and Nazi collaborator.
In July 1941, he was the leader of the Lithua ...
,
Lithuanian partisan
The Lithuanian partisans () were partisans who waged a guerrilla warfare in Lithuania against the Soviet Union in 1944–1953. Similar anti-Soviet resistance groups, also known as Forest Brothers and cursed soldiers, fought against Soviet rule ...
*
Adolfas Ramanauskas
Adolfas Ramanauskas (March 6, 1918 – November 29, 1957), code name Vanagas, was a prominent Lithuanian partisan and one of the leaders of the Lithuanian resistance. Ramanauskas was working as a teacher under the Nazi administration when Lithu ...
, Lithuanian partisan
* , historian
*
Jonas Žemaitis
Jonas Žemaitis (also known under his '' nom de guerre'' ''Vytautas''; March 15, 1909 in Palanga – November 26, 1954 in Moscow) was one of the leaders of the Lithuanian partisans, armed resistance against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, and ...
, Lithuanian partisan, posthumously recognized as President of Lithuania
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{coord, 54, 51, 30, N, 23, 57, 07, E, region:LT_type:edu, display=title
Military schools
Military education and training in Lithuania
1919 establishments in Lithuania
Educational institutions established in 1919
1940 disestablishments in Lithuania
Educational institutions disestablished in 1940
Schools in Kaunas
Defunct military academies
History of education in Lithuania