Lithuania's first prime minister, later leader of the far-right Iron Wolf
A historian who taught ancient history at St Petersburg University, he joined the Lithuanian Council in 1917 and on 11 November 1918 became prime minister and foreign minister of the first cabinet. Declaring that 'Lithuania has no enemies', he delayed creating an army and resigned in December as the Red Army approached, but as foreign minister he then fought the Vilnius question at the Paris Peace Conference and the League of Nations. Prime minister again after the coup of December 1926, he dissolved parliament in 1927 and led the far-right Iron Wolf, but broke with Smetona and was dismissed in 1929, imprisoned after an attempted coup in 1934 and expelled from the country. Returning just after the Soviet occupation of 1940, he was arrested and died in a Moscow prison in 1942.
Related historical events
- 1918–1922The Civil War and Foreign InterventionLithuania’s first prime minister and foreign ministerHeaded the first cabinet in 1918 and served as foreign minister during the independence wars. Prime minister again after the 1926 coup, he later broke with Smetona and died in Soviet imprisonment.
- 1918.11–1920.10Baltic wars of independence and border settlementsLithuania’s first prime minister and foreign ministerFirst prime minister from November 1918, he delayed creating an army and resigned, then as foreign minister fought the Vilnius question in Paris and at the League of Nations.
Revolution and independence wars
Headed the first cabinet in 1918 and served as foreign minister during the independence wars. Prime minister again after the 1926 coup, he later broke with Smetona and died in Soviet imprisonment.