NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona (August 10, 1874 - January 9, 1944) was probably the most important Lithuanian political figure during the period between World War I and World War II. He was the first president of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920. He was also the last president of the country from December 19, 1926 to June 15, 1940 before its occupation by the Soviet Union, after seizing power in the 1926 coup. He was also one of the famous ideologists of Nationalism in Lithuania. Image File history File links AntanasSmetona. ... Image File history File links AntanasSmetona. ... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...

Biography

Born on 10 August 1874 in the village of Užulėnis, Taujėnai rural district of Ukmergė county, Antanas Smetona was sent to Taujėnai Primary School, had private tuition in Ukmergė and Liepaja(Latvia). Graduating from Palanga Pro-Gymnasium in 1893, he passed entrance examinations to the Samogitian Diocesan Seminary in Kaunas but soon thereafter changed his mind and enrolled at Mintauja Gymnasium in Latvia. Here together with Jonas Jablonskis, Vincas Kudirka and others he belonged to a secret Lithuanian organization. In the autumn of 1896 he organized the resistance of students against the obligatory attendance of the Orthodox church and was expelled from gymnasium, but some time later he was allowed to study at Gymnasium No. 9 in St. Petersburg. UkmergÄ— on the map of the Lithuania UkmergÄ— (Polish WiÅ‚komierz) is a town in Vilnius County, Lithuania, situated north-west of Vilnius. ... UkmergÄ— on the map of the Lithuania UkmergÄ— (Polish WiÅ‚komierz) is a town in Vilnius County, Lithuania, situated north-west of Vilnius. ... Liepāja. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Location Ethnographic region AukÅ¡taitija County Kaunas County Municipality Kaunas city municipality Elderate Number of elderates 11 Coordinates 54Â°54â€²N 23Â°56â€²E General information Capital of Kaunas County Kaunas district municipality Kaunas city municipality Population (rank) 361,274 in 2005 (2nd) First mentioned 1361 Granted city rights 1408... Jonas Jablonskis (pseudonym RygiÅ¡kiÅ³ Jonas; 1860-1930), distinguished Lithuanian practical linguist, founder of Standard Lithuanian. ... Vincas Kudirka in the 500 litas banknote Vincas Kudirka (PaeÅ¾eriai, 31 December (O.S. 19 December) 1858 - Naumiestis, 16 November (O.S. 4 November) 1899) was a Lithuanian poet and doctor, author of the Lithuanian national anthem, TautiÅ¡ka giesmÄ—. He begun by studying history and philosophy in Warsaw... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...

After graduating from the St. Petersburg Gymnasium in 1897, A.Smetona entered the Faculty of Law of the University of Saint Petersburg. He joined the activities of the secret Lithuanian Student Organization, was its chairman, got concerned with the publishing and dissemination of Lithuanian books. On two occasions he faced the threat of being expelled from the University, experienced an arrest and short imprisonment. After graduation from the University in 1902, he worked at the Agricultural Bank of Vilnius. Two years later he got married to Sofija Chodakauskaitė. Categories: Russia-related stubs | Universities and colleges in Russia | Saint Petersburg ... Location Ethnographic region DzÅ«kija County Vilnius County Municipality Vilnius city municipality Elderate Number of elderates 20 Coordinates General information Capital of Lithuania Vilnius County Vilnius city municipality Vilnius district municipality Population (rank) 540,318 in 2005 (1st) First mentioned 1323 Granted city rights 1387 Vilnius ( (helpÂ· info), Belarusian: , Polish...

From the very first days while in Vilnius Smetona got actively involved in the activities of Lithuanians, belonged to the Lithuanian Democratic Party, which he represented in the Great Seimas and was elected into its Presidium. In 1904 and 1907 he was on the staff of Vilniaus Zinios (The Vilnius News), in 1905-1906 edited the weekly Lietuvos ukininkas (The Lithuanian Farmer). In I907 he together with Rev. J. Tumas established a venture for publishing the newspaper Viltis (The Hope) and started publishing it. In Viltis A.Smetona advocated national unity: he was also one of the incorporators of the Ausra (Dawn) company for the publishing of Lithuanian books, a member of the Lithuanian Mutual Aid Society of Vilnius, the Lithuanian Learned Society, the Vilniaus ausra (The Dawn of Vilnius) and Rytas (The Morning) education societies, the Ruta Art Society and many other societies, taught the Lithuanian language at Vilnius schools. In 1914 he started publishing Vairas (The Rudder), a new bi-weekly magazine. Location Ethnographic region DzÅ«kija County Vilnius County Municipality Vilnius city municipality Elderate Number of elderates 20 Coordinates General information Capital of Lithuania Vilnius County Vilnius city municipality Vilnius district municipality Population (rank) 540,318 in 2005 (1st) First mentioned 1323 Granted city rights 1387 Vilnius ( (helpÂ· info), Belarusian: , Polish...

On 4-5 December 1905, Antanas Smetona participated in the Lithuanian Congress in Vilnius.

During the First World War, he was the 1st Vice-Chairman, and later Chairman of the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Relief Society for helping victims of the war. In the summer of 1916 A. Smetona, together with other Lithuanians from Vilnius, presented a memorandum to the German Chief Commander of the Eastern War, in a short while the other one, in which he demanded the right to the Lithuanian nation to have an independent state. On September 6, 1917, he started publishing the newspaper Lietuvos aidas (Lithuania's Echo), worked as its publisher and editor-in-chief. In the first issue of the newspaper A. Smetona wrote that the most important goal of the Lithuanian nation was the reestablishment of an independent Lithuanian state. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

On 18-22 September 1917, he participated in the Lithuanian Conference in Vilnius, was elected Chairman (1917-1919) of the Council of Lithuania (later Council of the State). On 16 February 1918, Antanas Smetona signed the Declaration of Independence of Lithuania.

In December 1918 - March 1919 he mostly lived in Germany, the Scandinavian countries, solicited loans for Lithuania. On April 4, 1919, the State Council of Lithuania elected Smetona the first President of the Republic of Lithuania. On April 19, 1920, the Constituent Seimas elected Aleksandras Stulginskis President. Aleksandras Stulginskis (February 26, 1885 in Kutaliai, Lithuania-September 22, 1969) was the second President of Lithuania (1920-1926). ...

Not elected to the Seimas, from 1921 throughout 1924 he edited several periodicals. In November 1923, authorities imprisoned Smetona for several days for publishing an article by Augustinas Voldemaras in Vairas, which he then edited.

For some time he worked as a commissioner of the government in the Klaipeda Territory, but due to disagreements with Prime Minister Ernestas Galvanauskas he resigned from his post. In 1923-1927 he performed the duties of the Assistant Professor at the University of Lithuania - at first at the Chair of Art Theory and History and later at the Philosophy Chair. He lectured on ethics, antique philosophy, gave lectures on Lithuanian stylistics, etc. He became a senior lecturer at Vilnius university in 1926. In 1932 at the Vytautas Magnus University he was awarded the degree of an honorary doctor of philosophy.

Smetona participated in the activity of the Lithuanian Riflemen Union. More than once he was elected to its central board. From 1924 through to 1940 he was the Vice-Chairman of the Board of the International Bank, founder and one of the leaders of a number of societies and companies.

Antanas Smetona was one of the leaders of the coup d'état and became President on 17 December 1926. On May 15, 1928, with the approval of the government, he promulgated a new constitution of the Lithuanian state with more extensive presidential powers. He was re-elected President in 1931 and 1938 and remained in office until 15 June 1940. In the summer of 1940, after the USSR presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, Smetona proposed armed resistance against the USSR. With no approval of the major part of the government and the commander of the army, Smetona turned his duties over to Prime Minister Antanas Merkys, and on June 15 he and his family retreated secretly to Germany and then to Switzerland. At the beginning of 1941 he and his family came to the USA, started residing in Cleveland with his son Julius' family. While here, he wrote many articles, started to write a work on the history of Lithuania, extensive memoirs. Antanas Merkys was President of Lithuania (1940). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Antanas Smetona died in a fire in Cleveland on 9 January 1944 and was buried in the Cleveland cemetery. His wife Sofija died in Cleveland on 28 December 1968. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

References

Biography GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

References

See also

Biography