Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (1918–1919)

Coordinates: 56°N 24°E / 56°N 24°E / 56; 24
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the later republic, see Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
  • Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika (Lithuanian)
  • Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика (Russian)
1918–1919
Flag of Lithuanian SSR
Flag
Emblem of Lithuanian SSR
Emblem
Yiddish[1]
GovernmentSocialist republic
Chairman 
LegislatureProvisional revolutionary government (Lithuania)
Historical eraWorld War I
• Provisional revolutionary government formed
8 December 1918
• Republic established
16 December 1918
• Recognised by Soviet Russia
22 December 1918
• Capture of Vilnius
5 January 1919
• Merged with SSR Byelorussia
27 February 1919
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Lithuania
Lithuanian–Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic

The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR) was a short-lived

socialist revolution supported by local residents, it was largely a Moscow-orchestrated entity created to justify the Lithuanian–Soviet War. As a Soviet historian described it as: "The fact that the Government of Soviet Russia recognized a young Soviet Lithuanian Republic unmasked the lie of the USA and British imperialists that Soviet Russia allegedly sought rapacious aims with regard to the Baltic countries."[3] Lithuanians generally did not support Soviet causes and rallied for their own national state, declared independent on 16 February 1918 by the Council of Lithuania
.

Background

Main article: Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919

Germany had lost

Compiègne Armistice on 11 November 1918. Its military forces then started retreating from the former Ober Ost territories. Two days later, the government of the Soviet Russia renounced the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which had assured Lithuania's independence.[4] Soviet forces then launched a westward offensive against Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine in an effort to spread the global proletarian revolution and replace national independence movements with Soviet republics.[5] Their forces followed retreating German troops and reached Lithuania by the end of December 1918.[6]

Formation

Soviet front line in January 1919 (red line). The goal of the Soviet offensive was to follow retreating German troops and create Soviet republics in the regions they had vacated.

In Lithuania, the communists were not active until late summer 1918. The

Zigmas Aleksa-Angarietis, Pranas Svotelis-Proletaras, Semyon Dimanstein, Kazimierz Cichowski, Aleksandras Jakševičius, Konstantinas Kernovičius and Yitzhak Weinstein (Aizikas Vainšteinas).[8] Modern historians doubt if the provisional government really met in Vilnius as claimed by the Soviet sources;[7][9] it is more likely that the government followed the advancing Red Army. Between 16 December 1918 and 7 January 1920 the government resided in Daugavpils, which had been captured by the Red Army on 9 December 1918.[7]

The government issued a manifesto, printed with a 16 December date, declaring the establishment of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Stalin and the Russian Communist Party, eliminated references to the union with Russia and replaced the slogan with "Long live freed Soviet Lithuanian Republic!"[7] Kapsukas did not want to establish an independent Soviet republic as he had campaigned for many years against social patriotism, separatism and Lithuanian independence. Influenced by Rosa Luxemburg, he had rejected the idea of self-determination.[11]

The newly formed LSSR asked for assistance from the

Lithuanian Army, in its infancy, was unable to offer resistance to the Soviet advance. On 5 January 1919 the Red Army captured Vilnius and, by the end of January 1919, the Soviets controlled about two-thirds of Lithuania's territory.[6]

Similar republics were established in Latvia (the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic) and Estonia (the Commune of the Working People of Estonia).

Government

The LSSR was new, weak and had to rely on Russian assistance.

revolutionary committees and councils based on Russian models.[1]

The Soviets demanded large war contributions from captured cities and villages. For example, Panevėžys was required to pay 1 million rubles, Utena 200,000 rubles, while 10 rubles were demanded from villages.[13] They nationalized commercial institutions and large estates, assigning land for use in collective farming rather than redistribution to smaller farms.[13] Economic difficulties and cash shortage was illustrated by a decree published in January 1919 prohibiting financial institutions to pay more than 250 rubles per week to any resident.[15] In a country of staunch Catholics and determined nationalists, the Soviet promotion of internationalism and atheism alienated the local population and contributed, ultimately, to the Soviets' eventual withdrawal.[1][13]

Members of the Council of People's Commissars

Members of the Council of People's Commissars
Position As of 6 January 1919[16] As of 22 January 1919[16]
Commissar of foreign affairs Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas (also chairman)
Commissar of internal affairs
Zigmas Aleksa-Angarietis
(also deputy chairman)
Commissar of food Aleksandras Jakševičius M. Slivkin
Commissar of labor Semyon Dimanstein
Commissar of finance Kazimierz Cichowski
Commissar of transport Pranas Svotelis-Proletaras Aleksandras Jakševičius
Commissar of agriculture
Yitzhak Weinstein-Branovski
 Vaclovas Bielskis
Commissar of education Vaclovas Biržiška
Commissar of communications – Pranas Svotelis-Proletaras
Commissar of military affairs – Rapolas Rasikas
Commissar of the people's economy –
Yitzhak Weinstein-Branovski
Commissar of trade and industry –
Yitzhak Weinstein-Branovski

Dissolution and aftermath

Between 8 and 15 February 1919, Lithuanian and German volunteers stopped the Soviet advance and prevented them from taking

Communist Party (bolsheviks) of Lithuania and Belorussia. However, that had little effect and Polish forces took Vilnius in April and Minsk in August 1919 during the Polish–Soviet War.[19]
Litbel was also dissolved.

A 1968 Soviet stamp dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the first Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

When the tide turned in the Polish–Soviet War, the Soviets captured Vilnius on 14 July 1920. They did not transfer the city to the Lithuanian administration, as agreed in the

Soviet propaganda described the occupation as the "restoration of Soviet power by revolutionary masses".[3]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-312-22458-3
    .
  2. Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-912760-17-6
    .
  4. ISBN 90-04-13754-8
    .
  5. ISBN 0-06-097468-0
    .
  6. ^
    LCCN 55020366
    .
  7. ^
    ISBN 5-89957-012-1
    .
  8. ISSN 0038-5859
    .
  9. ISBN 9955-423-23-4
    .
  10. ISBN 9986-09-055-5
    .
  11. ISSN 0966-8136
    .
  12. ^
    ISBN 5-430-01059-6
    .
  13. ^
    ISBN 0-415-26731-5
    .
  14. ISBN 9955-423-23-4
    .
  15. ISSN 1392-0456
    .
  16. ^
    ISBN 0-8371-7780-4
    .
  17. ISBN 0-520-02600-4
    .
  18. ISBN 978-1-933648-15-6
    .
  19. ^
    ISBN 0-300-10586-X
    .
  20. ISBN 0-312-22458-3
    .
  21. S2CID 156378406
    .

56°N 24°E / 56°N 24°E / 56; 24

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