Founder of the Lithuanian Communist Party who headed Soviet Lithuania and Litbel
Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas, an activist of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, passed through exile and emigration after 1905, joined the Bolsheviks in 1917 and led the founding of the Lithuanian Communist Party in October 1918. Proclaimed head of the Soviet government of Lithuania on 16 December 1918 as the Red Army advanced, he entered Vilnius in January 1919 and in February headed the government of the Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet Republic, Litbel. Its policy of turning the large estates into state farms won no peasant support, and when Polish troops took Vilnius in April the government withdrew to Minsk and then to Russia. He later handled Baltic affairs on the Comintern executive and directed the underground Lithuanian party, and died in Moscow in 1935. Under Soviet rule his name was given to a university and a city; after 1990 it was removed.
Related historical events
- 1918–1922The Civil War and Foreign InterventionLeader of Soviet Lithuania and LitbelA Lithuanian communist, he led the governments of Soviet Lithuania and the Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet republic in 1918–1919. After military defeat he moved to Soviet Russia and worked in the Comintern.
- 1918.11–1920.10Baltic wars of independence and border settlementsLeader of Soviet Lithuania and LitbelHead of the Soviet government of Lithuania from December 1918, he entered Vilnius in January 1919 and led Litbel from February, withdrawing to Russia after the Poles took Vilnius in April.
Revolution and independence wars
A Lithuanian communist, he led the governments of Soviet Lithuania and the Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet republic in 1918–1919. After military defeat he moved to Soviet Russia and worked in the Comintern.