“I do not want to make Lithuania a bolshevik country with my own hands.”
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Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist, and politician. He served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and later as the authoritarian head of state from 1926 until the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940. Referred to as the "Leader of the Nation" during his presidency, Smetona is recognised as one of the most important Lithuanian political figures between Wor…
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culture · 1st President of Lithuania (1919–1920, 1926–1940) · politician · writer · pedagogue · lawyer · journalist · editor · also Antanas Smetona, Smetona
Born 10 August 1874 · Died 9 January 1944 · Q296950
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Antanas Smetona
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2026· 1 entry
1990· 1 entry
It has taken the position that Merkys's takeover of the presidency was illegal and unconstitutional since Smetona never formally resigned
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1975· 1 entry
Smetona's remains were moved from Cleveland's Knollwood Cemetery mausoleum to a crypt (No
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1944· 1 entry
Died 1944-01-09.
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1940· 2 entries
Smetona fled to Germany and later to the United States, where he lived in exile until his death in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1944
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As a consequence of the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union
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1938· 1 entry
A third constitution was enacted that retained the general authoritarian character of the 1928 document, and declared that political power in the state was "indivisible
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1935· 1 entry
Smetona suffered a blow when farmers in southeastern Lithuania organised a strike and refused to sell their products
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1934· 1 entry
The Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania approved an order to the counties commandants to "severely punish all those who insult the German Government in any way, as well as those who deliberately agitate against Lit
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1932· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (1932).
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1931· 1 entry
And 1938, both times as the sole candidate
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1929· 1 entry
Removed Voldemaras and assumed dictatorial powers
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1926· 1 entry
Career landmark: President of the Republic of Lithuania (1926–1940).
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1919· 1 entry
Career landmark: President of the Republic of Lithuania (1919–1920).
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1918· 1 entry
On 16 February 1918, Antanas Smetona signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania.
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1916· 1 entry
In the summer of 1916, Antanas Smetona, together with other Lithuanians from Vilnius, presented a memorandum to the German Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front, in which they demanded the right of the Lithuanian nation to have an independent State.
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1914· 1 entry
Started publishing Vairas (The Rudder), a new bi-weekly magazine
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1904· 1 entry
And 1907, he was on the staff of the Lithuanian newspaper, Vilniaus žinios (The Vilnius News)
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1902· 1 entry
Moved to Vilnius and worked at the Vilnius Land Bank until 1915
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1901· 1 entry
And became a fundamental work in establishing the standard Lithuanian language
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1898· 1 entry
Smetona and his roommate, Vladas Sirutavičius, using a mimeograph, printed about 100 copies of a brief Lithuanian grammar book written by Petras Avižonis based on the German-language writings of Friedrich Kurschat
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1897· 1 entry
Smetona entered the faculty of law of the University of Saint Petersburg
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1893· 1 entry
According to his family's wishes, he passed his entrance examinations for the Samogitian Diocesan Seminary in Kaunas
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1889· 1 entry
Smetona wanted to continue his education, but gymnasiums admitted pupils only up to the age of 12 and he was already 15 years old
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1885· 1 entry
When Smetona was only 11 years old and, despite financial difficulties, a year later Smetona – the only of his siblings – was sent to the primary school in Taujėnai, where instruction was in Russian due to the Lithuanian
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1874· 1 entry
Born 1874-08-10.
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