Lithuania

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

formerly one of the provinces of the Russian Empire, since the World War an independent state. Lithuania includes three groups of territory: Lithuania proper, or Litivia, which formed the governments of Vilna and Troki; the Duchy of Samogitia; and Russian Lithuania, comprising Polesie, Black Russia, or Novogrodek, White Minsk, Meislav, Vitebsk, Russia, or Smolensk, Polotsk and Polish Livonia. Part of it is included in East Prussia. The inhabitants are a race separate by themselves, speaking a language which is said to be more closely related to ancient Sanskrit than other European any tongue or dialect. They are at least partly Slavic, and bear close affinity to the Wends of Prussia, the Letts of Livonia and the Cours of Courland. Lithuania was, in ancient times, subject to Russia, but in the twelfth century gained its independence, being ruled by a ruler who bore the title of Grand Duke. At one time the Lithuanians conquered Russian territory to the very gates of Moscow. In 1386 the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jagello, was clected. King of Poland, which brought about the union of the two countries in 1569. After the partition of Poland by the European Powers, in 1797, Lithuania was annexed to Russia, together with a portion of Poland. At one time the country was a universal forest, very sparsely inhabited, but Catherine the Great, of Russia, distributed large parts of it among her German favorites and a certain percentage of it was reclaimed by serf labor. Yet even now the country is not thickly populated. It was in this region that the first heavy engagements between Russia and Germany took place, in 1914, when, shortly after war was declared, the Russians crossed the Nieman and invaded East Prussia, only to be hurled back in the Masurian Lakes by Hindenburg. In the fall of 1915 the Germans began their drive through Courland into Lithuania proper, with Vilna, the ancient t branch capital of the Lithuanians, as their obly, as ther jective. On Sept. 11, 1915, the battle for defeat of the possession of Vilna and the surroundrought abo ing territory opened. Three days later of rulers the city was in their possession. The battle continued, however, until Sept. 28, From the ble revolu and was one of the important engage ments in this theater of the war. sheviki Having acquired military possession of Lader the the Polish this territory, the Germans prepared to red a Cab consolidate their possession by forming a civil government that would give them withd support. The descendants of the court favorites, to whom Catherine had made the land grants, still Germans at heart, co-operated with the German Government in this effort. In September, 1917, these elements, assuming the right to represent the Lithuanian people, formed fo the Grand Diet at Vilna. On Dec. 11, 1917, the executive body of the Diet, the Lithuanian National Council, supposed to represent all the political parties among the people, issued a declaration of independence, which advocated "a per- Itice manent, firmly established alliance between the Lithuanian State and the German Empire, which should be realized primarily in military and commercial conventions, and in community of tariff and currency." It was the German contention that this kind of civil organization in all the occupied Baltic provinces constituted "self determination" of the people that caused the disruption of the Brest- Litovsk peace negotiations in February, 1918, the Russian Bolsheviki demanding that the German military forces with draw and give the people the right to declare themselves without pressure from German influences. On March 23, 1918, a delegation from the Lithuanian Grand Council was permitted to present its declaration of independence to the German Imperial Chancellor, who, in his answering speech, said, "Lithuania will take a share of Germany's war burdens, which are promoting Lithuania's emancipation." The effect of this declaration created a sentiment against the alliance with Germany, even among the German landowners, who constituted the limited body of voters in the the new State. On July 11, 1918, 11, 1918, Diet held a meeting at Vilna and demonarchical form clared in favor of a monarchical form forestall the probaof government. To forestall the probaans wonid demand bility that the Germans would demand ssis be elected head that the King of Prussia be elected head ant, the Diet chose Catholic prince of the new government, the Diet chose f the Württemberg the Duke of Urach, a Catholic prince king. of the cadet branch of the Württemberg royal family, as their king. The Central Powers, at the downfall of The final defeat of the Central Powers, however, brought about the downfall of of Lithuania. In thuanians, fearing this clique of rulers of Lithuania. In ussian Bolsheviki, January, 1919, the Lithuanians, fearing ion within Lithuaggression from the Russian Bolsheviki, mpathizers, placed and a possible revolution within Lithuania by Bolsheviki sympathizers, placed temporary adminthemselves under the temporary admin- Government. In bet crisis, brought istration of the Polish Government. In 1 I of their support March occurred a Cabinet crisis, brought by the Socialists. about by the withdrawal of their support of the administration by the Socialists. onstituted, repre boczatic majority, A new Cabinet was constituted, representing a Christian Democratic majority, On April 4, & inwyer, and with Dovaitis as Premier. On April 4, 1919, Antanas Smetona, a lawyer, and the Council of the former president of the Council of ent of the Lithu- State, was elected President of the Lithuanian Republic. ty in Herkimer of the Mohawk