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Caught between two vicious totalitarian regimes, Lithuania suffered terribly durng the War. Lithuania was targeted by the NAZIs from an early stage because under the terms of the Versailles Treaty ending World War I, the people of Memel had voted in a plebecite to join the new nation of Lithuania. Hitler accompanied a naval transport reclaiming Memel even before launching World War II (March 1939). NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Non-Agression Pact (August 23, 1939). This essentially gave Hitler a free hand to invade Poland, thus launching World War II (September 1). The NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact carved up Eastern Europe. Lithuania was initially to be in the NAZI sphere of influence. Lithuanis refused, however. to join the NAZIs in their attack on Poland. After the successful invasion of Poland, NAZI and Soviet diplomats in Moscow hammered out a more detailed agreement over Eastern Europe and economic cooperation (September 27). Further NAZI-Soviet negotiations shifted Lithuania to the Spviet sphere. Stalin targeted Lituania because as a former part of the Russian Empire, he wanted to make it a part of the Soviet Union. Before the Soviets could seize control, Hitler ordered the ethnic Germans in Lithuania and the other Baltic states back to the Reich. The Soviets returned Vilinus to Lithuania (October 10). They thun begun a series of move to take over Lithuania and the other Baltic Republics. The Red Army occupied Lithuanian (June 15, 1940) as French resistance was collaspsing in the West. The Soviets began mass deportations (June 14, 1941). The first deportations totaled about 35,000 people. NAZI Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941). Within only a few days, the Germans had occupied Lithuania. Lithuanians attempted to reinstitute an independent republic, but the NAZIs did not permit the reserection of indepedent Lithuania. The NAZIs immediately begun a massive operation to destroy the country's substantial Jewish population. About 0.2 million Jews perished in the Holocaust. After the Soviets inflicted massive defeats to the Wehrmact, the Red Army reached Lithuania (Summer 1944). The NAZI invasion was so rapid, that little damage occurred. Lithuania was, however, the location of bitter combat between the NAZIs and Soviets as the Red Army pushed toward Brlin. With the seizure of Klaipeda, Lithuania was again in Soviet hands (January 1945). The Soviets treated Lithuania as an integral part of the Soviet Union. The United States and Britain, however, did not recognize this, although they were powerless to prevent the Soviet annexation.
Lithuania was part of the Tsarist Empire until World War I. The Germans occcupied Lithuania early in the War and Lithiania becme the major part of Ober Ost. Lityhuania was able to achieve independence from Russia in the aftermath of World War I. Caught between two vicious totalitarian regimes with emense power, Lithuania suffered terribly durng the World War II and for a time disappeared from the European map. Lithuania was targeted by the NAZIs from an early stage because under the terms of the Versailles Treaty ending World War I, the people of Memel had voted in a plebecite to join the new nation of Lithuania. Even after gaining Memrl, the Germans wanted the rest of the country as part of their overall plans for the East. And as it had formerly been part of the Tsarist Empire, the Soviet Union also wanted Lithuania back. The first attempt by the Blosheviks was defeated with Western assistance after World War I.
Lithuania within the Tsarist Empire was a multi-ethnic province which included Poles, Jews, and Belarussians. The large Jewish population, mostly located in the cities, spoke Yiddish or Russian. Only about 3 percent of Vilnius/Wilno in the southeast was historically associated with Lithuania, but by 1920 had only a small Lithuanian population, although Lithuanians were predominant in many rural areas around Vilinus, especially to the north and west of the city. Many Lithuanians wanted a new state with its capital at Vilinus. The border between Lithuania and Poland was not well defined. The two couyntries had lived in close association for centuries, both as part of a loose confederation and as part of the Tsarist Empire. Determining the border after World war I became difficult and led to a war. Lithuania immediately after World War I achieved control over Vilinus, making it the country's capital despite the fact that the city had arimarily Polish and Jewish population. The Lituanian claim to Vilinus was based on historical criteria rather than the ethnic population at the time. The Lithuanian constitution named Vilnius as the capital of the country. Vilinus was initially occupied by Lituanians after World War. There was a insurection (April 21, 1919). The Red Army took the city during the independence war (July 14, 1920). Polish General Lucjan Zeligowski led a military force into Vilinus to seize it for Poland (Octtober 9, 1920). Vilnius and the lands to the south thus became part of Poland. Lithuanians had to form a state based on Kaunas as its capital, but the major goal of Lithuanian foreign policy became to regain Vilinus above all else.
The dispute over Vilnius poisoned Lithuanian-Polish relations and made it impossible for the two countries to cooperate in the security threat from Germany and the Soviet Union. It also made it difficult for the Baltic Republics to form any common front against the Soviets.
World War II for the Lituanians began about a year early. First their was a crisis with Poland (March 1938)
and then with Germany (March 1939). Lithuania's small armed forces were powerless to resist. The world's attention was focused on the Anchhluss (March 1938). Poland used the occassion to present a series of demands on Lithuania.
Relations between the two countries had remained acrimonious since Poland had seized Vilinus. The Lithuanians had closed the border. Extensive negotiations ensued for several years with no progress. Faced with Polish military action, the Lithuanians finally agreed to the Polish demands, including recognition of the existing border, meaning Polish possession of Vilinus (March 16). The Lithuanian capitulation effectively ended the crisis (March 19). Problems with Germany proved more serious. Lithuania had seized Memel/Klaipėda from German East Prussia (1923). The Government spent major sums were spent in building a modern port there. There was a substantial ethnic-German population in Memel. As in the Sudetenland, they began strongly pr-NAZI, hopething that Hitler would seize the city nd return it to the Reich. Hitler ordered them to cause trouble as he had instructed the Sudetens. As a resuklt, the Lithuanian authorities had increasing trouble maintaining order in the city and were hesitant to use real force against the Germans as it might provide a pretext for a German invasion. As a result, the Lithuanians had largely lost control of the city (late-1938). Only days after seizing Czechoslocakia, Hitler moved on Memel. A Lithuanian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Juozas Urbšys traveled to Berlin. There he was forced to sign an agreement presented him by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop (March 23, 1939). The Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany transferred the Memel to the Reich. The Lithuanians were granted a free trade zone, access to the port facilities they had built at considerable cost. Hitler accompanied a naval forece sent to reclaim Memel. This action probably would have ben accepted as part of British Primeminister Chamberlain's appeasement policy because Memel had a large German populstion. Hitler had, however, fundamentally changed European power politics by seizing what remained of Czechoslovakia a few days earlier.
NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Non-Agression Pact (August 23, 1939). This essentially gave Hitler a free hand to invade Poland, thus launching World War II (September 1). The NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact carved up Eastern Europe. Lithuania was initially to be in the NAZI sphere of influence, but the Soviets had other ideas..
The NAZIs launched their invasion of Poland (September 1). Britain and France demanded that the Germans withdeaw and when they refused, declared war (September 3). The Germans more than any other military, correctly assessed the lessons of World War II. The War in Europe began in 1939 when the German blitzkrieg smashed Poland in only a few weeks. The invasion was made possible the preceeding week when Stalin signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler. The Panzers crossed the Polish frontier on September 1 along with a devestating strike by the Luftwaffe. The Polish Army and Air Force was shattered. Over 1 million German soldiers surged into Poland. Hitler emerged from the Reich Chancellery in a new grey uniform with his World War I Iron Cross. In a speech at the Reichstag before cheering NAZIs he declared, "I myself am today, and will be from now on, nothing but the soldier of the German Reich." Whithin 6 days Cracow, the center of Polish nationhood, fell. Pincer movements began on September 9 to encirle the major remaining Polish forces. Once certain of Polish defeat, Stalin ordered the Red Army to attack from the East. German and Russian forces met at Brest-Litovsk on September 18. Warsaw fell a few days later after a ruthless bombing assault. The Blitzkrieg tactics that were to prove so devestaing in the West during 1940 were all on display in 1939. Neither the British or French showed much attention, abscribing Polish defeat to military incompetance. The French had promissed the Poles an offensive in the West. It never came. [Fest, pp. 602-603.]
Lithuanis refused, however. to join the NAZIs in their attack on Poland. After the successful invasion of Poland, NAZI and Soviet diplomats in Moscow hammered out a more detailed agreement over Eastern Europe and economic cooperation (September 27). Further NAZI-Soviet negotiations shifted Lithuania to the Spviet sphere. Here Hitler was willing to acede to Stalin, because he was already conceiving of a an invasion of the Soviet Union in the not all to distant future. talin targeted Lithuania because as a former part of the Russian Empire, he wanted to make it a part of the Soviet Union. Before the Soviets could seize control, Hitler ordered the ethnic Germans in Lithuania and the other Baltic states back to the Reich.
NAZI Germany and the Soviet Union shocked the world by signing a Non-Agressioin Pact (August 23, 1939) A secret memorandum to the Pact involved an agreement on how to draw the borders between Soviet and NAZI control not only in Poland, but in the Baltics as well. Lithuania was allocated to the NAZIs. Stlalin's delay in invading Poland meant that the Wehrmacht had moved into areas of central Poland that had been allocated to the Soviets. As a result, Stalin demanded Lithuania in subsitution for central Poland. Stalin was surprised with the German successes in the West. Embolded by France's impending collapse and mindful of the need to create a buffer between Soviet and German forces, Stalin proceeded to take cover the Baltics. The first step toward seizing Lithuania was to demand that the Lithuanian Government accept Communist muinisters. The Lituanians saw no alternative to accepting and did so (June 10, 1940). The Soviets then immediately demanded that the Government dissolcve (June 14). Ppresident Smetana understanding what was coming went into exile. A new Communist-led government was organized. The new Government proclaimed Lithuania to be a Soviet Republic and requested that the country be admitted into the Soviet Union. This was accepted (August 3). The arrests and deportations (1940-41) had targeted groups that might harbor anti-Soviet attiutudes. With the deportations beginning after the Soviets had reestablished control were aimed at changing the ethnic ballance in Lithuania. The hoal was to Russify Lithuania. Many did not suyrvive. br>
NAZI Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941). Within only a few days, the Germans had occupied Lithuania. Lithuanians attempted to reinstitute an independent republic, but the NAZIs did not permit the reserection of indepedent Lithuania.
Sempo Sugihara, the Japanese Consul in Kaunaus (the inter-war capital of Lithuania), issued over 1,600 transit visas to Jewsish refugees fleeing Poland, allowing them to transit the Soviet Union. The NAZIs occupied Lithuania in June 1941 in the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa--the invasion of the Soviet Union. The NAZIs immediately begun a massive operation to destroy the country's substantial Jewish population. The specialized killing units the Eizenstazgrupen were deployed with chilling effiency. Almost at the inception of NAZI occupation ther were mass executions of Jews. The first was the killing of about 1,000 Jews at Vilijampole (June 25-26, 1941). Lithuanian collaborators enthusiastically embraced NAZI anti-Semitic propaganda. The attempted to identify Jews with Communism and the attrocities committed by Stalin during the Soviet occupation (1940-41). Many insisted that undoing Soviet rule and Communism required liquidating Jews. They began the same process persued in Poland by the NAZIs. While the NAZIs were unavle to find collaborators in Polnd, they were able to do so in Lithusnia. The local authorities subjected the Jews to a series of repressive measure designed to humiliate them, marginalize them. steal their propery, and ultimately kill them. Those not likked immeiately after the NAZI invssion were hearded into gettos like those formed in Poland. Most of the country's 240,000 Jews were killed. This was 90-95v percent, the highest mortality rate in NAZI occupied Europe.
ovier annexed Lithuania nordered German East Prussia. Thus at the onset of Barbarossa (June 22, 1941), the country was overan by the Germans in about a week. The Soviers mounted a conter-attack--the Battle of Raseinial, but were heavily defeated (June 23). The Germans entered both Kaunas and Vilnius without a fight (June 24). The mnain attacking force was Army Group North. The left wing of Army Group Center passed through eastern Lithuania (Vilnius). After that first week the fighting passed to the East where the War would be determined. Fighting did not resume until the reserected Red Army launched the massive Bagration Offensive (June 1944).
After the Soviets inflicted massive defeats to the Wehrmact, the Red Army reached Lithuania (Summer 1944). The NAZI invasion was so rapid, that little damage occurred. Lithuania was, however, the location of bitter combat between the NAZIs and Soviets as the Red Army pushed toward Brlin. With the seizure of Klaipeda, Lithuania was again in Soviet hands (January 1945).
The first Lituanian refugees were created at the onset of World War II. Hitler after seizing Poland (September 1939) ordered ethnic Germans in the Baltics Home to the Reich. There wre negotiarions with the Soviets which as aesult of the NAZI-Soviet Pact had become allies. The Soviets began to opressure the Baltics and Hitler wanted the ethnic Germans out. He also wanted thge Sioviets to comopensate them fir lost pressure. A refugee flow into Lithuania began as the the Germans after sizing Poland began horific attricities against the Jews. Another refugee flow was created when the Soviets seized the country (June 1940). The NKVD was as brutal as the Germans, but without the NAZI Jewish mannia. The Siviets laubched a cmoaign to crush Lithuania ntinlism. Thisuads were arested and executed and many more were deported under apauling to Central Asia and Siberia where maby more died. German-Soviet control of the Baltic meant that few Lithuanians could escape to Scandavia and thide countries were not welcoming to refugees--seeking nothing more than to avoid confrontations and remining neutral. The only place to flee was west into NAZI Germany. Some 40,000 Lithuanians fled into the Reich. Some who could claim German citizenship (meaning ethnic Germans) were sent back to Lithuania for a colonisation effort. Ethnic lithuanians remained in Germany throughout the war, not allowed to leave. They were ill-treated by the Germans and used for forced labor. Unknown at the time was that the Germans had slated the Lituanians and other Balts for death under the guidelines of Generalplan Ost. Unlike the Jews, killing actions were delayed so as not to disrupt the war effort. We know of no other refugee flow during the German occupation until the German occupation until a resurgent Red Army began to approach the Lithuanian border (June 1944). Again the only route was west into the Reich. The Germans, howevr, did not ant to deal with Lithuania refugees. Some attempted to crioss the Baltic to Sweden. By this time Swesen was more hospitalable to refugees. Denmark and Norways were still occupied by the Germans. Crossing the Baltic was nearly impossible. The German and Soiviet navies did not permit a Lithuanian refugee flow out if the country. Sovier sunmarines were sinking German ships, but they were oprimarikly filled with German civilians and wounded soldiers. Only a few hundred Lithuanians refugees suceeded in crossing the Baltic. German naval vessels seized some ships and the refugees ended up in forced labour or concentration camps. Small numbers made it to Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, and even Yugoslavia. The vast majority of the refugees made it into Germany the only land border not in Soviet hands. The Germans did not want Lithuania refugees, but by the end of the War the German military was destintegrating and thus no nonger able to control despeate refufgees terrified with the return of the Soviets. There is no exact count, but by the end of the War there were some 70,000 Lithuanians in the Reich which after the end of the War were cared for in DP camps. Most did not want to return to Soviet Lithuania. Many Lithuanians migrated to the United States. One reoports sugfest that some 30,000 Lithuanian DPs went to America, mostly cities in the East and the Midwest. Chicago was the most popular destination. Other destinations included: Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand. Many Lithuanian Jewish survivors attemoted to get to British Mandatory Palesistine. That was difficult, but after Israel declared independence that became possible (1948). We note a group of children still called Liuthuanian refugees in 1966, but we are not sure where they came from. A HBC reader thinks they may hav come from Norway.
The Soviets treated Lithuania as an integral part of the Soviet Union. The United States and Britain, however, did not recognize this, although they were powerless to prevent the Soviet annexation. The Allies primary concern was Poland with had first confronted the NAZI menace. Failing to save Poland from Soviet dictatorship. America and Britain had little chance of effectively aiding Lithuania.
After the Red army expelled the Germans, Lituanian again became a Soviet SSR. The Soviets assgined Vilinus to Lithuania. The United States and other Allies did not recognoze the Soviet annexation of the country and comntinued to treat Lithuanian as an independent nation as it was before the Soviet 1940 and German 1941 invasions. The Soviets also renewed their claim on eastern Poland, essentialy shiftging Poland west by compensating Poland with lands seized from the Germans in the west. As part of that redrawing of the Polish border, the Polish people were deported from the eastern terrigories. This included Vlinus and the surrounding territory which was assigned to the Lithuanian SSR. A Lithuanian Repatriation Commission was established for this purpose. Lithuanian had been a multi-ethnic country with many Jews and Poles and some Russians. Stalin upon seizing control of Lithuania in 1940 began moving Russians in to create a more compliant population. The Germans had murdered the Jews, but there were still many Poles in Lithuania and Stalin considered them politically unreliable. He wanted them deported to Poland. The deportations began (1946).
The Lithuanian Repatriation Commission was, however, not scrupulous about this. They generally did so in the cities, but were much less insistent in the countryside. An exception here was Vilinus. Not only were poles deported from the city proper, but also from the countryside. Every Pole had to register and 80 percent were deported/repatriated. [Snyder, p. 92.] Thus heavily Polish Wilno (the province around Vilinus) was emtied of Poles.
The Polish Communist authorities in Warsaw complained about this because there were so many farms wihout any one to tend them. This was especually true in the west after the Germans were expelled from areas of eastern Germany. In Lithuania, Stalin renewed the Russification process began during 1940 in earnest.
Fest, Joachum. Hitler (Vintage: New York, 1974), 844p.
Snyder, Timothy. The Reconstruction of Natiions: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999.
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