The Provisional Government of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Laikinoji Vyriausybė) was a temporary government aiming for independent Lithuania during the last days of the Soviet occupation and the first weeks of German Nazi occupation in 1941. It was secretly formed on 22 April, 1941, announced on 23 June, 1941, and dissolved on 5 August, 1941.[1] It was formed from the members of the Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF) in Kaunas and Vilnius.
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History
It was confirmed on June 22, at the start of June uprising. However the leader of the LAF, Kazys Škirpa, who was supposed to become the Prime Minister, was in Germany at the time, hoping to get recognition for Lithuania (he was also former Lithuanian envoy to Germany and therefore continued to live there). Since the Nazi regime in that country saw Lithuania as a future part of Greater Germany, it was therefore not interested in Lithuanian independence. Kazys Škirpa was not allowed to leave Germany and return to Lithuania to join the government; instead, he was put under house arrest. Rapolas Skipitis, another planned minister who was also in Berlin was also prevented from leaving.
The planned government had other losses as well: Vytautas Bulvičius, who was Minister of Defence, was arrested by the Soviet forces on June 2. His place was therefore taken by General Stasys Raštikis. On June 21, 1941 (just one day before Germany declared war on the Soviet Union), 4 members of the planned government were arrested by the Soviets: (Vladas Nasevičius, Vytautas Statkus, Jonas Masiliūnas and Jonas Vainauskas); they were imprisoned in Gorkiy prison in Moscow. The tribunal started on November 26, 1941 (after the uprising had ended, and while Lithuania was still occupied by Germany). The sentence was pronounced on November 28: Bulvičius was executed, while Masiliūnas, Nasevičius, and Statkus were exiled to Siberia, along with other people arrested at the same time.
The government, however, still came to the power after the June uprising, and ruled during the Lithuanian 1941 independence, until dissolving itself upon the Nazi occupation of the country.
The cabinet
The people who were meant to be in the government, prior to the arrests:[2]
- Prime Minister: Colonel Kazys Škirpa (was put under home arrest in Berlin)
- Defense: Major Vytautas Bulvičius (arrested by Russians on June 2, executed in November), later General Stasys Raštikis
- Foreign affairs: Rapolas Skipitis (was not able to leave Berlin)
- Internal affairs: Vladas Nasevičius (arrested by Soviets on June 21, later exiled to Siberia)
- Education: Professor Juozas Ambrazevičius (served as prime minister after Lithuania was liberated in June uprising)
- Finance: Jonas Matulionis
- Trade: Vytautas Statkus (arrested by Soviets on June 21, later exiled to Siberia)
- Industry: Doctor engineer Adolfas Damušis
- Agriculture: Professor Balys Vitkus
- Social security: Doctor Jonas Pajaujis
- Infrastructure: Engineer Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis
- Communication: Jonas Masiliūnas (arrested by Soviets on June 21, later exiled to Siberia)
- Controller of state: Jonas Vainauskas (arrested by Soviets on June 21)
See also
References
- ^ (Lithuanian) Jegelevičius, Sigitas (11 June 2004). "1941 m. Lietuvos laikinosios vyriausybės atsiradimo aplinkybės". Voruta 11 (557). ISSN 1392-0677. http://www.is.lt/voruta/article.php?article=604.
- ^ (Lithuanian) Zemlickas, Gediminas (February 11, 1998). "Pasaulyje — kaip savo namuose". Mokslo Lietuva 3 (161). ISSN 1392-7191. http://ic.lms.lt/ml/161/zemlickas.htm.
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