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131-545: Povilas Plechavičius (1 February 1890 – 19 December 1973) was a Lithuanian military officer and statesman. His military career began in the Imperial Russian Army as a yunker during World War I . Then, Plechavičius climbed the ranks of the interwar period Lithuanian Army from captain to lieutenant general . He is best known for his actions during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence when

262-597: A Christian way" and that "he [Plechavičius] had many supporters and must be honored." In 2006, a memorial stone for Plechavičius was unveiled in the memorial park created by Alfonsas Svarinskas  [ lt ] in Kadrėnai  [ lt ] . On 15 June 2008, a memorial rock was unveiled at the birthplace of the Plechavičiai family in Bukančiai and as many as 300 people came to the ceremony. On 4 October 2008, due to

393-594: A Germanisation of Prussia . The subsequent imperial Russian occupation from 1795 until 1915, with some interpositions such as the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Uprisings of 1831 and 1863 , accelerated this process of Slavicization. While under Russian occupation, Lithuanians endured Russification , which included the 40-year-long ban on public speaking and writing in Lithuanian (see, e.g., Knygnešiai ,

524-737: A Military Cabinet and exercised control through the Prussian Ministry of War and the Great General Staff . The Chief of the General Staff became the Kaiser's main military adviser and the most powerful military figure in the empire. Bavaria kept its own Ministry of War and General Staff , but coordinated planning with the Prussian General Staff. Saxony also maintained its own Ministry of War and

655-589: A Proto-Balto-Slavic stage, from which Baltic languages retain numerous exclusive and non-exclusive lexical, morphological, phonological and accentual isoglosses in common with the Slavic languages , which represent their closest living Indo-European relatives. Moreover, with Lithuanian being so archaic in phonology, Slavic words can often be deduced from Lithuanian by regular sound laws ; for example, Lith. vilkas and Polish wilk ← PBSl. *wilkás (cf. PSl. *vьlkъ ) ← PIE *wĺ̥kʷos , all meaning " wolf ". When

786-535: A gong ), sekminių ragelis ( bagpipe ) and the pūslinė , a musical bow made from a pig's bladder filled with dried peas. Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army ( German : Deutsches Heer ), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire . It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under

917-589: A state entity before the modern era . During the Late Middle Ages , Lithuania was ravaged by the Lithuanian Crusade , which ended only by the Treaty of Melno in 1422. In fact, the crusade persisted after the definite Christianization of Lithuania in 1387, when Europe's last pagan people were baptised. Simultaneously, the Lithuanian state reached its apogee under the rule of Vytautas

1048-404: A Lithuanian population revealed that Lithuanians are close to both Indo-European and Uralic -speaking populations of Northern Europe. Y-chromosome SNP haplogroup analysis showed Lithuanians to be closest to Latvians , Estonians , Belarusians and southern Finns . This is the result of Iron Age Europe . Autosomal SNP analysis situates Lithuanians most proximal to Latvians , followed by

1179-428: A decision was made, or with what we have offended Your Lordship so much that Your Lordship has deservedly been directed against us, creating hardship for us everywhere. First of all, you made and announced a decision about the land of Samogitia , which is our inheritance and our homeland from the legal succession of the ancestors and elders. We still own it, it is and has always been the same Lithuanian land, because there

1310-408: A geographical area. The corps was also responsible for maintaining the reserves and Landwehr in the corps area. By 1914, there were 21 corps areas under Prussian jurisdiction and three Bavarian army corps. Besides the regional corps, there was also a Guard Corps ( Gardecorps ), which controlled the elite Prussian Guard units. A corps usually included a light infantry ( Jäger ) battalion,

1441-537: A great significance for the local residents, as it strengthened their patriotism, united them and encouraged them to fight for freedom. In the autumn of 1918, Povilas Plechavičius went by train to Vilnius , where Council of Lithuania , the provisional government of Lithuania , was already located. Because the Germans still de facto occupying the country, the Council of Lithuania could not really do much even if it

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1572-578: A heavy Lithuanian presence. Lithuanians in the early 20th century were among the thinnest people in the developed countries of the world. In Lithuanian cuisine there is some emphasis on attractive presentation of freshly prepared foods. Lithuania has been brewing midus , a type of Lithuanian mead for thousands of years. Locally brewed beer ( alus ), vodka ( degtinė ), and kvass ( gira ) are popular drinks in Lithuania. Lithuanian traditional beer of Northern Lithuania, Biržai , Pasvalys regions

1703-400: A heavy artillery ( Fußartillerie ) battalion, an engineer battalion, a telegraph battalion, and a trains battalion. Some corps areas also disposed of fortress troops; each of the 25 corps had a Field Aviation Unit ( Feldflieger Abteilung ) attached to it normally equipped with six unarmed "A" or "B" class unarmed two-seat observation aircraft apiece. In wartime, the army corps became

1834-664: A majority of the population not only in what is now Lithuania , but also in northwestern Belarus , in large areas of the territory of the modern Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, and in some parts of modern Latvia and Poland. In 1940, Lithuania was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union , and forced to join it as the Lithuanian SSR . The Germans and their allies attacked the USSR in June 1941, and from 1941 to 1944, Lithuania

1965-562: A mobile tactical formation and four Höhere Kavallerie-Kommando (Higher Cavalry Commands) were formed from the Cavalry Inspectorate, the equivalent of corps, being made up of two divisions of cavalry. The areas formerly covered by the corps each became the responsibility of a Wehrkreis (military district, sometimes translated as corps area). The military districts were to supervise the training and enlistment of reservists and new recruits. Originally each military district

2096-443: A stuffed potato creation, is the most popular national dish. It is popular among Lithuanians all over the world. Other national foods include dark rye bread , cold beet soup (šaltibarščiai), and kugelis (a baked potato pudding). Some of these foods are also common in neighboring countries. Lithuanian cuisine is generally unknown outside Lithuanian communities. Most Lithuanian restaurants outside Lithuania are located in cities with

2227-440: A variety of influences during the country's rich history. Since shared similarities in history and heritage, Lithuanians, Jews and Poles have developed many similar dishes and beverages: dumplings ( koldūnai ), doughnuts ( spurgos ), and crepes ( lietiniai blynai ). German traditions also influenced Lithuanian cuisine, introducing pork and potato dishes, such as potato pudding ( kugelis ) and potato sausages ( vėdarai ), as well as

2358-716: Is one language and the same inhabitants. But since the land of Samogitia is located lower than the land of Lithuania , it is called as Samogitia, because in Lithuanian it is called lower land [ Žemaitija ]. And the Samogitians call Lithuania as Aukštaitija , that is, from the Samogitian point of view, a higher land. Also, the people of Samogitia have long called themselves Lithuanians and never – Samogitians, and because of such identity ( sic ) we do not write about Samogitia in our letter, because everything

2489-724: Is also known to have spoken Samogitian . Plechavičius graduated from a gymnasium in Moscow in 1908. Because Plechavičius was proud of his Samogitian background, he was disliked by the Russian teachers and thus suffered because of it. Later, he graduated from the Moscow Commercial Institute in 1911. Plechavičius then graduated from the Orenburg Cossack Yunker School  [ ru ] on May 13, 1914. During World War I , he fought in

2620-576: Is one: one country and the same inhabitants." — Vytautas the Great , excerpt from his 11 March 1420 Latin letter sent to Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor , in which he described the core of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , composed from Žemaitija (lowlands) and Aukštaitija (highlands). Term Aukštaitija is known since the 13th century. The territory inhabited by the ethnic Lithuanians has shrunk over centuries; once Lithuanians made up

2751-519: Is popular among Lithuanians in Lithuania as well as in the diasporic communities. Basketball came to Lithuania through the Lithuanian-American community in the 1930s. Lithuanian basketball teams were bronze medal winners in the 1992 , 1996 , and 2000 Summer Olympics . Joninės (also known as Rasos ) is a traditional national holiday, celebrated on the summer solstice. It has pagan origins. Užgavėnės ( Shrove Tuesday ) takes place on

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2882-408: Is well appreciated in Lithuania and abroad. Starka is a part of the Lithuanian heritage, still produced in Lithuania. Among Indo-European languages , Lithuanian is conservative in its grammar and phonology, retaining archaic features otherwise found only in ancient languages such as Sanskrit (particularly its early form, Vedic Sanskrit ) or Ancient Greek . Thus, it is an important source for

3013-591: The 1st and 2nd Cavalry Regiments . From May 1921, Plechavičius was the acting commander of the 1st Cavalry Regiment. From March 1922, Plechavičius was the colonel commanding the 1st Cavalry Regiment. His regiment was renamed to the 1st Hussar Regiment in April 1922. In 1924, Plechavičius graduated from the Higher Officers' Courses in Kaunas, in which he later taught himself. In 1926, Plechavičius graduated from

3144-948: The Bolshevik coup began and the Russian army fell apart, including in the Caucasus where the Plechavičiai brothers were involved in the campaign against the Ottoman army . While in southern Russia during the Russian Revolution , Plechavičius also fought against the Bolsheviks . On news of the outbreak of the Lithuanian–Soviet War , both brothers Povilas and Aleksandras left their regiments for Samogitia . The Plechavičiai brothers used this opportunity to return home to Lithuania. The situation in Lithuania in 1918

3275-672: The Chief of the General Staff of the Army. He wrote a textbook in 1928 called the Jojų tarnyba, divizijos eskadronas ir mišri žvalgomoji rinktinė (Cavalry service, Divisional Squadron and Mixed Reconnaissance Team). He was given the rank of lieutenant general in 1929. On February 13, 1929, Plechavičius was released to the reserve against his will. He lived as a farmer thereafter. The Tiškevičiai noble family deeply respected Plechavičius. One of their family members, Kazys Tiškevičius  [ lt ]

3406-661: The Lithuanian Wars of Independence . However, a third of Lithuania's lands, namely the Vilnius Region , as well as its declared capital, fell under Polish occupation during the Interwar . A standardised Lithuanian language was approved. In the lead-up to the World War II, the Klaipėda Region was occupied by Nazi Germany after the 1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania . "We do not know on whose merits or guilt such

3537-743: The Ministry of War of Württemberg also continued to exist. The command of the Prussian Army had been reformed in the wake of the defeats suffered by Prussia in the Napoleonic Wars . Rather than rely primarily on the martial skills of the individual members of the German nobility, who dominated the military profession, the Prussian Army instituted changes to ensure excellence in leadership, organisation, and planning. The General Staff system, which sought to institutionalise military excellence,

3668-624: The Vilnius County . Especially large Polish communities are located in the Vilnius District Municipality and the Šalčininkai District Municipality . Despite being the capital, Vilnius was not the largest city by number of Lithuanians until mid-2000s. According to the 2011 census Vilnius had 337,000 Lithuanians while Kaunas – 316,000. Russians, even though they are almost as numerous as Poles, are much more evenly scattered. The most prominent community lives in

3799-580: The Vilnius Region in 1944. While Polish historians claim that the LTDF's soldiers terrorized the local Polish-speaking population and fought only against the Polish Home Army (AK), Lithuanian historians point out that the AK also committed atrocities against Lithuanian civilians. In addition, while the Lithuanian side views eastern Lithuania as lands which Lithuanian military units had the right to defend,

3930-693: The Visaginas Municipality (52%). Most of them are workers who moved from Russia to work at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant . A number of ethnic Russians left Lithuania after the declaration of independence in 1990. In the past, the ethnic composition of Lithuania has varied dramatically. The most prominent change was the extermination of the Jewish population during the Holocaust . Before World War II, about 7.5% of

4061-562: The War College in Prague . After the Lithuanian parliamentary election in May 1926 , the political regime in Lithuania softened and the communist movement became stronger. Convinced that it was necessary to protect Lithuania from a Bolshevik coup, Plechavičius, who was freed from prison, where he was serving a 20-day sentence for a fistfight with another officer, became one of the leaders of

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4192-435: The ban against printing the Lithuanian language was lifted in 1904, various European literary movements such as Symbolism , impressionism , and expressionism each in turn influenced the work of Lithuanian writers. The first period of Lithuanian independence (1918–1940) gave them the opportunity to examine themselves and their characters more deeply, as their primary concerns were no longer political. An outstanding figure of

4323-711: The baroque tree cake known as šakotis . Traditional dishes of Lithuanian Tatars and Lithuanian Karaites like Kibinai and čeburekai , that are similar to pasty , are popular in Lithuania. For Lithuanian Americans both traditional Lithuanian dishes of virtinukai (cabbage and noodles) and balandėliai (rolled cabbage) are growing increasingly more popular. There are also regional cuisine dishes, e.g. traditional kastinys in Žemaitija , Western Lithuania, Skilandis in Western and Central Lithuania, Kindziukas in Eastern and Southern Lithuania ( Dzūkija ). Cepelinai ,

4454-540: The military coup of December 17, 1926 . The coup removed the democratically elected government, assumed power and then handed it to Antanas Smetona . On January 1, 1927, he was appointed Chief Cavalry Inspector of the Army Headquarters, and at the same time held the position of Chief of the General Staff Board. In July 1927, he was appointed Chief of Cavalry. From August 1927, Plechavičius was

4585-554: The 14th century, corresponding to the establishment of Ashkenazi settlements in response to the invitation extended by Vytautas the Great in 1388. At the end of the 19th century, the average height of males was 163.5 cm (5 ft 4 in) and the average height of females was 153.3 cm (5 ft 0 in). By the end of the 20th century, heights averaged 181.3 cm (5 ft 11 in) for males and 167.5 cm (5 ft 6 in) for females. Lithuanian settlement extends into adjacent countries that are now outside

4716-552: The 1860s, they surveyed the major European forces and decided that the Prussian system was the best one. That system was continued into the Imperial Army after 1871 and resulted in a modest cadre of professional officers and sergeants, and a large reserve force that could be quickly mobilised at the start of a war. The British could not use the system because they rejected conscription. The Japanese, however, were also observing

4847-668: The 1871 Constitution of the German Empire , an Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) was created. The Constitution of the German Empire, dated April 16, 1871, changed references in the North German Constitution from Federal Army to either Army of the Realm ( Reichsheer ) or German Army ( Deutsches Heer ). The contingents of the Bavarian , Saxon , and Württemberg kingdoms remained semi-autonomous, while

4978-515: The 5th Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Russian Army against the German Empire , Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire . During the war, he was wounded. The first time he was wounded was in the fights near Šiauliai . Some sources give the number of his wounds as three, but his biography claims that he was wounded as many as 29 times during the war. In one case, he was unconscious for three days after receiving an injury. In October 1917,

5109-638: The Aryans (1892): "Thus it would seem that the Lithuanians have the best claim to represent the primitive Aryan race , as their language exhibits fewer of those phonetic changes, and of those grammatical losses which are consequent on the acquirement of a foreign speech." The Proto-Balto-Slavic language branched off directly from Proto-Indo-European, then sub-branched into Proto-Baltic and Proto-Slavic . Proto-Baltic branched off into Proto-West Baltic and Proto-East Baltic. Baltic languages passed through

5240-830: The Automobilistai street in the Eiguliai eldership of Kaunas was renamed in Plechavičius' honour. Still, in Vilnius, the city councillors from the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania blocked the naming of one of its streets after Plechavičius in 1998. In 2001, a room-museum for Povilas Plechavičius was established in the Kaunas Garrison Officers' Club Building by the Soldiers' Union of

5371-473: The Balts, including modern Lithuania, was once inhabited by several Baltic tribal entities ( Aukštaitians , Sudovians , Old Lithuanians, Curonians , Semigallians , Selonians , Samogitians , Skalvians , Old Prussians ( Nadruvians )), as attested by ancient sources and dating from prehistoric times. Over the centuries, and especially under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , some of these tribes consolidated into

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5502-629: The Bavarian Army. These divisions were all mobilised in August 1914. They were reorganised, receiving engineer companies and other support units from their corps, and giving up most of their cavalry to form cavalry divisions. Reserve divisions were also formed, Landwehr brigades were aggregated into divisions, and other divisions were formed from replacement ( Ersatz ) units. As World War I progressed, additional divisions were formed, and by wars' end, 251 divisions had been formed or reformed in

5633-686: The Board of the Lithuanian Military Veterans' Union Ramovė in 1950–1959. He died in Chicago on December 19, 1973, and was buried at Saint Casimir Catholic Cemetery. He had three children, who were daughter Irena and sons Povilas and Norbertas, and three grandchildren. Plechavičius had five brothers and six sisters. Two of the sisters died young, two of the brothers, including Aleksandras , died in forced exile in Siberia , while

5764-571: The Bolsheviks seized control in Seda in late 1918, the two militarily experienced brothers Povilas and Aleksandras, supported by the local population, began to organize a local partisan unit. Plechavičius began organizing the partisans after first receiving weapons from the inhabitants and, later on, also from the German military units in Latvia. Plechavičius taught military drill to the partisans and

5895-434: The Bolsheviks, whose foremost enemy he became. On November 23, Plechavičius volunteered to join the Lithuanian army . In November 1918, encouraged by the Council of Lithuania, self-government structures began to form throughout Lithuania, such as parish, district and county committees, militias, self-defence groups, military volunteers, and soon even town and district military headquarters began to be created. However, most of

6026-462: The First World War, Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg increasingly set foreign policy, working directly with the emperor—and indeed shaped his decision-making—leaving the chancellor and civilian officials in the dark. Historian Gordon A. Craig says that the crucial decisions in 1914, "were made by the soldiers and that, in making them, they displayed an almost complete disregard for political considerations." The Kaiser had full control of

6157-406: The German Army during World War I. Although its name actually means something very close to the "Air Forces", it remained an integral part of the German Army for the duration of the war. The Kaiserliche Marine of the German Empire had their own, separate Marine-Fliegerabteilung maritime aviation forces, apart from the Luftstreitkräfte of the army. The German Army from 1871 to 1914 inherited

6288-465: The German Army's structure. The regiment was the basic combat unit as well as the recruiting base for soldiers. When inducted, a soldier entered a regiment, usually through its replacement or training battalion, and received his basic training. There were three basic types of regiment: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Other specialties, such as pioneers (combat engineers) and signal troops, were organised into smaller support units. Regiments also carried

6419-428: The German General Staff upon the formation of the German Empire, given Prussia's leading role in the German Army. In the German Empire, diplomatic relations were the responsibility of the Chancellor and his Foreign Minister. The German Army reported separately to the emperor, and increasingly played a major role in shaping foreign policy when military alliances or warfare was at issue. In diplomatic terms, Germany used

6550-440: The German soldiers remained in Lithuania, looting and requisitioning from it. On July 25, 1918, Povilas and Aleksandras returned to their farmstead, from where they had not heard from for a long time while serving in the Russian army. In August, the two brothers organized a Gegužinė  [ lt ] (Lithuanian version of May Day ) in Juodeikėliai  [ lt ] to celebrate the Act of Independence of Lithuania . It

6681-414: The Germans ordered Plechavičius to mobilize the country. Plechavičius responded that the mobilization could not take place until the formation of the detachment was complete. After the failed offensive against Polish Home Army due to the pre–emptive Polish surprise attack , Jeckeln ordered the detachment units in Vilnius to revert to his direct authority. All other units of the detachment were to come under

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6812-518: The Germans weakening, the Lithuanian anti-Nazi resistance supported the creation of the LTDF because it would be a way to arm Lithuanians for their self-defence. The LTDF was a volunteer military unit led only by Lithuanian officers and was supposed to stay within the borders of Lithuania to defend the country against the Red Army . Plechavičius became commander of the LTDF. The subject of the LTDF generates controversy between Lithuanian and Polish historians due to their incompatible views on its actions in

6943-425: The Great ( r.   1392–1430), when it ruled the lands between the Baltic and Black seas. Thereafter, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania continued existing until 1795, however, since the Union of Lublin in 1569, it maintained its independence in the bi-confederal Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . In the 16th century the Lithuanian humanists based the national consciousness of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on

7074-675: The Kaliningrad Oblast, but their number is small compared to what they used to be. Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, and was recognized by most countries in 1991. It became a member of the European Union on May 1, 2004. Among the Baltic states , Lithuania has the most homogeneous population. According to the census conducted in 2001, 83.45% of the population identified themselves as ethnic Lithuanians, 6.74% as Poles , 6.31% as Russians , 1.23% as Belarusians , and 2.27% as members of other ethnic groups such as Ukrainians , Jews , Germans , Tatars , Latvians , Romani , Estonians , Crimean Karaites etc. Poles are mostly concentrated in

7205-442: The Lithuanian Territorial Defence Force (LVRKS). On the occasion of March 11, the day of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1990, a bust of Povilas Plechavičius, sculpted by Merūnas Varnauskas, was ceremoniously unveiled there, which was later handed over to the Marijampolė Museum. A new bust of the general was created and donated by former LTDF volunteer sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas. Povilas Plechavičius

7336-477: The Lithuanian anti-Nazi resistance. After German defeats on the Eastern Front and the Red Army approaching Lithuania, the German occupiers of Lithuania were more willing to accept Lithuanian demands for their own military units compared to before. Following protracted Lithuanian-German talks, Plechavičius agreed to form local Lithuanian military units called the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force ( Lithuanian : Lietuvos Vietinė Rinktinė ) in February 1944. Seeing

7467-431: The Lithuanian farmer Ignas Plechavičius. His mother was Lithuanian noblewoman Konstancija Bukontaitė. Povilas Plechavičius was baptized in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Pikeliai . According to a list of languages made by Plechavičius himself, in addition to his native Lithuanian mother tongue , he also knew the Latvian , Russian , Polish and German languages, as well as some English and French . Plechavičius

7598-452: The Lithuanian nation, mainly as a defence against the marauding Teutonic Order and Eastern Slavs . The Lithuanian state was formed in the High Middle Ages , with different historians dating this variously between the 11th and mid-13th centuries. Mindaugas , Lithuania's only crowned king and its first baptised ruler, is generally considered Lithuania's founder. The Lithuanians are the only branch of Baltic people that managed to create

7729-478: The North German Confederation and its member states, subordinating their armies to the Prussian Army in time of war, and giving the Prussian Army control over training, doctrine, and equipment. Shortly after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the North German Confederation also entered into conventions on military matters with states that were not members of the confederation, namely Bavaria , Württemberg , and Baden . Through these conventions and

7860-459: The Polish side thought it was rightfully their territory. On Lithuanian Independence Day (February 16, 1944) Plechavičius made a radio appeal to the nation for volunteers. Some 19,500 men responded to the appeal. All Lithuanian political underground organizations supported Plechavičius. This was achieved through constant communication between Lithuanian commanders and resistance leaders. This was enormously successful: more volunteers came forward than

7991-510: The Prussian Army assumed almost total control over the armies of the other states of the Empire. After 1871, the peacetime armies of the four kingdoms remained relatively distinct. The term "German Army" was used in various legal documents, such as the Military Penal Code, but otherwise, the Prussian, Bavarian, Saxon, and Württemberg armies maintained their distinct identities. Each kingdom had its own War Ministry, Bavaria and Saxony published their own rank and seniority lists for their officers and

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8122-425: The Prussian system of military attachés attached to diplomatic locations, with highly talented young officers assigned to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and military capabilities of their assigned nations. They used close observation, conversations, and paid agents to produce very high-quality reports that gave a significant advantage to the military planners. The military staff grew increasingly powerful, reducing

8253-410: The Soviet demands, and said that there were "vital intelligence reasons which preclude the possibility of our handing him over to the Russians." Although Plechavičius worked with MI6 for some time, he later opted to better work with the Central Intelligence Agency . The CIA helped Plechavičius with his emigration to the United States in 1949, where his sister and mother lived. He was the chairman of

8384-427: The Soviet invasions into Samogitia in the areas where there was no German military. With the help of a German battalion and an artillery battery, the partisans liberated Seda and Mažeikiai by the end of February. The retreating Bolsheviks were being pursued until Kuršėnai , while in the north, they were followed in the direction of Laižuva and Žagarė until the Latvian border . Thus, in February 1919, Plechavičius

8515-792: The United States and Israel. Now there are about 3,200 Jews living in Lithuania. Apart from the various religious and ethnic groups currently residing in Lithuania, Lithuanians themselves retain and differentiate between their regional identities; there are 5 historic regional groups: Žemaičiai , Suvalkiečiai , Aukštaičiai , Dzūkai and Prūsai , the last of which is virtually extinct. City dwellers are usually considered just Lithuanians, especially ones from large cities such as Vilnius or Kaunas . The four groups are delineated according to certain region-specific traditions, dialects, and historical divisions. There are some stereotypes used in jokes about these subgroups, for example, Sudovians are supposedly frugal while Samogitians are stubborn. Since

8646-409: The Württemberg list was a separate chapter of the Prussian Army rank lists. Württemberg and Saxon units were numbered according to the Prussian system but Bavarian units maintained their own numbers (the 2nd Württemberg Infantry Regiment was Infantry Regiment No. 120 under the Prussian system). The commander of the Imperial German Army, less the Bavarian contingent, was the Kaiser . He was assisted by

8777-428: The actions against the Catholic Church). In such a context, the Lithuanian National Revival began in the 19th century. Some believed at the time that the Lithuanian nation as such, along with its language, would become extinct within a few generations. Some of the Polish- and Belarusian-speaking persons from the lands of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania expressed their affiliation with the modern Lithuanian nation in

8908-433: The anti-communist movements, and thousands of Latin crosses were placed on the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai , despite its being bulldozed in 1961. Lithuanian folk music is based around songs ( dainos ), which include romantic and wedding songs, as well as work songs and archaic war songs. These songs used to be performed either in groups or alone, and in parallel chords or unison . Duophonic songs are common in

9039-421: The armed forces but the organisation was highly complex. In peacetime the Imperial German Army was divided into four basic levels, the Army inspectorate ( Armee-Inspektion ), the army corps ( Armeekorps ), the division, and the regiment. During wartime, the staff of the Army inspectorates formed field army commands, which controlled the corps and subordinate units. During World War I, a higher command level,

9170-417: The army group ( Heeresgruppe ), was created. Each army group controlled several field armies. Germany was divided into army inspectorates, each of which oversaw three or four corps. There were five in 1871, with three more added between 1907 and 1913. The basic organisational formation was the army corps ( Armeekorps ). The corps consisted of two or more divisions and various support troops, covering

9301-522: The command of the regional German commissars. Furthermore, the detachment was to use the " Heil Hitler " greeting. Some soldiers of the LTDF committed crimes against civilian residents of the Vilnius region in April and May 1944. The most tragic incidents took place on May 4–6, in the villages of Pawłowo, Adamowszczyzna and Sienkowszczyzna, where a number of Lithuanian soldiers killed eleven people. They also beat or arrested many others, and also burned down dozens of farms and entire Adamowszczyzna. In May 1944,

9432-503: The day before Ash Wednesday , and is meant to urge the retreat of winter. There are also national traditions for Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas . Lithuanian cuisine has much in common with other European cuisines and features the products suited to its cool and moist northern climate: barley, potatoes, rye, beets, greens, and mushrooms are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialties. Nevertheless, it has its own distinguishing features, which were formed by

9563-494: The differences becoming less over time, the origin of units would be denoted on the uniform in the colours of the rank insignia until the early 20th century. They also had different cockades on the headgear. The Imperial cockade was to be worn above the state cockade on hats and caps, while they were worn on the right (state on the left) of helmets and more specialised headgear. When the British decided to reform their army in

9694-487: The early 20th century was Vincas Krėvė-Mickevičius , a novelist and dramatist. His many works include Dainavos šalies senų žmonių padavimai (Old Folks Tales of Dainava , 1912) and the historical dramas Šarūnas (1911), Skirgaila (1925), and Mindaugo mirtis (The Death of Mindaugas , 1935). Petras Vaičiūnas was another popular playwright, producing one play each year during the 1920s and 1930s. Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas wrote lyric poetry, plays, and novels, including

9825-423: The early 20th century, including Michał Pius Römer , Stanisław Narutowicz , Oscar Milosz and Tadas Ivanauskas In February 1918, while World War I was ongoing, the re-establishment of an independent Lithuanian state was declared , 122 years after it was destroyed. In the aftermath of World War I , Lithuanians militarily defended their country's independence from Poland , Whites and Soviet Russia during

9956-788: The government structures were unprotected and most of the militias lacked weapons. The situation was worsened by the Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919 , when the Soviet Red Army was approaching Lithuania. Local Bolsheviks were emboldened by this and began creating Revolutionary committees , also known as Soviets. By the end of 1918, they had formed Soviets in Skuodas , Salantai , Ylakiai , Leckava , Tirkšliai , Viekšniai , Plungė and Židikai . The Bolshevik Soviets tried to consolidate their power through murder, terror and robbery, hoping to subjugate Lithuania to Soviet Russia . When

10087-536: The idea of their national singularity or uniqueness and considered the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as an independent country. There is a current argument that the Lithuanian language was considered non-prestigious enough by some elements in Lithuanian society, meaning that the number of Lithuanian language-speakers decreased with Polonization in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , as well as

10218-542: The initiative and funds of the LVRKS, a monumental bust of Plechavičius was unveiled in the memorial park of Vytautas the Great War Museum (sculptor Juozas Šlivinskas, architect Kęstutis Linkus). This bust cost 70,000 Lithuanian litas. Among others, the unveiling ceremony of the bust was attended by Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas and Kaunas Mayor Andrius Kupčinskas  [ lt ] . In 2009,

10349-538: The land and led to him being called the "ruler of Samogitia". Due to Plechavičius' efforts, order was established throughout the Samogitian region. On May 31, 1919, Plechavičius married Irena Grinbergaitė (1897–1983) in Aleksandrija  [ lt ] 's Catholic church. According to Rapolas Skipitis , she was of Baltic German descent and from Liepāja . Bolsheviks tried assassinating Plechavičius numerous times, but always failed. For example, once Plechavičius

10480-674: The largest industrial base in Continental Europe, and behind only Great Britain (18%) and the United States (22%) worldwide. The army closely cooperated with industry, especially in the Great War, with particular focus on the very rapidly changing aircraft industry. The army set prices and labour exemptions, regulated the supply of credit and raw materials, limited patent rights so as to allow cross-licensing among firms, and supervised management–labour relationships. The result

10611-535: The late Neolithic period the native inhabitants of the Lithuanian territory have not been replaced by migrations from outside, so there is a high probability that the inhabitants of present-day Lithuania have preserved the genetic composition of their forebears relatively undisturbed by the major demographic movements, although without being actually isolated from them. The Lithuanian population appears to be relatively homogeneous, without apparent genetic differences among ethnic subgroups. A 2004 analysis of mtDNA in

10742-475: The late 19th century, including the concertina , accordion and bandoneon . Sutartinė can be accompanied by skudučiai , a form of panpipes played by a group of people, as well as wooden trumpets ( ragai and dandytės ). Kanklės is an extremely important folk instrument, which differs in the number of strings and performance techniques across the country. Other traditional instruments include švilpas whistle, drums and tabalas (a percussion instrument like

10873-663: The leadership of Prussia , and was dissolved in 1919, after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I (1914–1918). In the Federal Republic of Germany, the term Deutsches Heer refers to the German Army , the land component of the Bundeswehr . The states that made up the German Empire contributed their armies; within the German Confederation , formed after the Napoleonic Wars , each state

11004-456: The local militia had a similar amount as well. On February 27, the Samogitian partisans and German soldiers combined forces to liberate Luokė from the Bolsheviks. The Samogitian partisans were also involved in defeating the Soviet 30th Rifle Regiment near Tirkšliai and Mažeikiai on March 2. The word about Plechavičius as a brave and fearless commander of Samogitian soldiers spread throughout

11135-806: The main powers of the confederation, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, and the German Confederation was dissolved after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Prussia formed the North German Confederation and the treaty provided for the maintenance of a Federal Army and a Federal Navy ( Bundesmarine or Bundeskriegsmarine ). Further laws on military duty also used these terms. Conventions (some later amended) were entered into between

11266-539: The majority of Lithuanians have been members of the Roman Catholic Church . According to the 2021 census, 74% of Lithuanians are Roman Catholic. Under Article 26 of the Constitution of Lithuania , persons can freely practice a religion of their choosing. Catholicism played a significant role in Lithuanian anti-communist resistance under the Soviet Union . Several Catholic priests were leaders of

11397-652: The middle of the town of Seda, for everyone to see. After eliminating the danger of Bolshevism in Samogitia, a court case was fabricated against Plechavičius, allegedly for fighting his enemies too brutally. The Social Democrat Liuda Purėnienė  [ lt ] , a member of the Seimas , supported the accusation in court. When the floor was given to the accused, Plechavičius laconically stated: "Respected Court, if I had not been there at that time or another similar person, you would not be sitting here today." Plechavičius

11528-751: The military leaders drew back. In 1905, when the First Moroccan Crisis was roiling international politics, the Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen called for a preventive war against France . At a critical point in the July Crisis of 1914, Helmuth von Moltke , the chief of staff, without telling the emperor or chancellor, advised his counterpart in Austria-Hungary to mobilise against Russia at once. During

11659-501: The militiamen that joined them. They also had basic shooting practice. Their activity centred on Skuodas . Plechavičius was assigned military commander of Skuodas and its surroundings by the Council of Lithuania. Plechavičius' organizational talent, awareness of his responsibility and duty, combined with the public support for him and his fighters, soon gave tangible achievements. Together with his brother Aleksandras, Plechavičius succeeded in creating volunteer partisan units. On February 9,

11790-604: The modern Lithuanian state. A small Lithuanian community exists in the vicinity of Puńsk and Sejny in the Suwałki area of Poland, an area associated with the Lithuanian writer and cleric Antanas Baranauskas . Although most of the Lithuanian inhabitants in the region of Lithuania Minor that formed part of East Prussia were expelled when the area was annexed by the Soviet Union as the Kaliningrad Oblast , small groups of Lithuanians subsequently settled that area as it

11921-485: The national army of the Kingdom of Saxony one of the four states of the German Reich to retain its own armed forces. Nevertheless, in times of war, all of these would pledge allegiance to the Kaiser and the German nation. They did, however, remain organisationally distinct, being able to raise units of their own without assistance from the dominating Prussians. In one instance, Freiherr von Sonden (from Württemberg)

12052-761: The novel Altorių šešėly (In the Shadows of the Altars, 3 vol., 1933), a remarkably powerful autobiographical novel. Keturi vėjai movement started with publication of The Prophet of the Four Winds by talented poet Kazys Binkis (1893—1942). It was rebellion against traditional poetry. The theoretical basis of Keturi vėjai initially was futurism which arrived through Russia from the West and later cubism , dadaism , surrealism , unanimism , and German expressionism . The most influensive futurist for Lithuanian writers

12183-637: The occupying Germans unsuccessfully tried to force the Lithuanian military units into the SS. The Lithuanian headquarters directed the Lithuanian units in the field to obey only the orders of the Lithuanian officers. It also ordered the LTDF Officers' School in Marijampolė to send the cadets home. Plechavičius issued a declaration for his men to disband and disappear into the forests with their weapons and uniforms. The majority of these soldiers became part of

12314-750: The partisans he led fought against the Soviet invasion of northwest Lithuania, liberated Seda , Mažeikiai and Telšiai , and later forced out the Bermontians . He is also known for organizing the 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état and creating and leading the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force during the German occupation of Lithuania . Povilas Plechavičius was born on 1 February 1890, in the Bukančiai  [ lt ] farmstead, in Židikai eldership, Mažeikiai district , to

12445-475: The partisans of Skuodas swore an oath and paraded through its streets on February 16, the day of the restoration of Lithuanian independence . In the first half of 1919, the threat posed by Bolshevism to Lithuania was huge, because the Red Army had invaded up to the line along Mažeikiai , Seda , Telšiai , Šiluva , Kėdainiai , Jonava , Kaišiadorys , Alytus and Merkinė . The Samogitian partisans stopped

12576-525: The population was Jewish ; they were concentrated in cities and towns and had a significant influence on crafts and business. They were called Litvaks and had a strong culture. The population of Vilnius, which was sometimes nicknamed the northern Jerusalem , was about 30% Jewish. Almost all its Jews were killed during the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Lithuania , some 75,000 alone between the years 1941 – 1942, while others later immigrated to

12707-483: The reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European language despite its late attestation (with the earliest texts dating only to c.  1500 A.D. , whereas Ancient Greek was first written down in c.  1450 B.C. ). There was fascination with the Lithuanian people and their language among the late 19th-century researchers, and the philologist Isaac Taylor wrote the following in his The Origin of

12838-590: The regimental depot. Cavalry, field, and horse artillery regiments were also similarly organised. The German Empire was formed by 38 duchies and kingdoms each with their traditions of warfare. Although the new army of the united German Empire was nominally "German" and most state forces served integrated into the Prussian Army, the Bavarian Army, the Saxon Army, and the Württemberg Army remained independent national contingents: The Royal Saxon Army...was

12969-486: The renowned sutartinės tradition of Aukštaitija . Another style of Lithuanian folk music is called rateliai , a kind of round dance . Instrumentation includes kanklės , a kind of zither that accompanies sutartinės, rateliai, waltzes , quadrilles and polkas , and fiddles , (including a bass fiddle called the basetle ) and a kind of whistle called the Lamzdeliai lumzdelis ; recent importations, beginning in

13100-449: The reserve system and, unlike the British, decided to copy the Prussian model. Barnett (1970) explains that every young man was drafted at age 18, with the upper-class becoming officers: the Prussian system... was based on service of only three years with the colors... and four years in the reserve. The Prussian standing army had become simply a training cadre for the intake of conscripts. The Prussian army's organization for peace and war

13231-643: The rest, including Povilas, ended up in the United States . For his accomplishments in the Lithuanian Wars of Independence in defending Lithuania from invaders, Plechavičius was posthumously awarded the highest military Order of Lithuania - the Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis - in 2004. There are many monuments and streets dedicated to Plechavičius across Lithuania. On 13 December 1991,

13362-566: The role of the Minister of War, and increasingly asserted itself in foreign policy decisions. Otto von Bismarck , the Imperial Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, was annoyed by military interference in foreign policy affairs – in 1887, for example, they tried to convince the emperor to declare war on Russia ; they also encouraged Austria-Hungary to attack Russia. Bismarck never controlled the army, but he did complain vehemently, and

13493-578: The traditions of the army, in many cases stretching back into the 17th and 18th centuries. After World War I, regimental traditions were carried forward in the Reichswehr and its successor, the Wehrmacht , but the chain of tradition was broken in 1945 as West German and East German units did not carry forward pre-1945 traditions. Each Imperial German regiment of infantry had headquarters units, three battalions, and one training battalion assigned to

13624-486: The underground resistance and formed the core of the armed anti-Soviet resistance in Lithuania for the next eight years. Instead of collaborating with the Germans, the Lithuanian units disbanded and Plechavičius and his staff were arrested by the Germans on May 15. Plechavičius and 52 other officers were deported to the Salaspils concentration camp in Latvia. Then he was taken to Gdańsk , then to Klaipėda . Plechavičius

13755-540: The various traditions and military ranks of its constituent states, thus becoming a truly federal armed service. Critics long believed that the army's officer corps was heavily dominated by Junker aristocrats, so that commoners were shunted into low-prestige branches, such as the heavy artillery or supply. However, by the 1890s, the top ranks were opened to highly talented commoners. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The Imperial Army

13886-467: The vicinity of Seda , Pikeliai , Židikai and Skuodas . The German Empire had already signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Soviet Russia on March 3, 1918, thus ending the hostilities on the Eastern Front between the Russian and German armies. Germany had also recognized Lithuanian independence on March 23, but negotiations were still ongoing about the form of governance. Regardless,

14017-432: The wall, but this failed because the assassin missed. The Bolsheviks infiltrated a maid in Plechavičius' house, who was supposed to kill Plechavičius. Wherever Plechavičius and his partisans went, they encountered resistance, which led them to suspect the maid of being an informant. Feliksas Veitas discovered that the maid was a Bolshevik agent. The maid was arrested, sentenced to death by a court-martial and publicly shot in

14148-405: The westernmost East Slavs ; furthermore, Germans and West Slavs (especially Poles ) are situated more proximal to Lithuanians than Finns and northern Russians. Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jews display a number of unique genetic characteristics; the utility of these variations has been the subject of debate. One variation, which is implicated in familial hypercholesterolemia , has been dated to

14279-701: The young soldier's school in Kaunas was named after General Povilas Plechavičius. In 2012, a square in Panevėžys was named in Plechavičius' honour. In 2020, 6,600 trees were planted in Kaunas district in memory of Povilas Plechavičius. On August 27, 2022, in Stoties street, Mažeikiai , a memorial plaque, consecrated by priest Donatas Stulpinas of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mažeikiai  [ lt ] ,

14410-577: Was Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky . Oskaras Milašius (1877–1939) is a paradoxical and interesting phenomenon in Lithuanian culture. He never lived in Lithuania but was born and spent his childhood in Cereja (near Mogilev , Belarus ) and graduated from Lycée Janson de Sailly in Paris. His longing for his fatherland was more metaphysical. Having to choose between two conflicting countries — Lithuania and Poland — he preferred Lithuania which for him

14541-558: Was a Senior Lieutenant in the 1st Hussar Regiment and also a member of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union . After the Soviet occupation of Lithuania , Plechavičius withdrew to Germany in June 1940. He returned to Lithuania in June 1941 after the Operation Barbarossa began, which was the start of the Eastern Front . A Waffen-SS unit was never created in Lithuania due to a mass national boycott in 1943 by

14672-470: Was a mass gathering of the region's locals, where patriotic speeches were made, Samogitian pipe orchestras played, people sang patriotic songs and danced. The celebrations were held in a garden. Several local communists disturbed the celebrations by firing shots. Plechavičius chose a couple of men, told them to catch those communists, spank them and let them go, which the men succeeded in doing. The people were calmed down and continued dancing. The May Day had

14803-572: Was able to "quite legitimately send a request directly to the Ministry of War in Stuttgart for the raising of a new artillery regiment". Regiments and units from separate constituents were also raised locally and often numbered independently from each other – for example, there was (among others) both a Bavarian 1st Infantry Regiment and a Württemberger 1st Infantry Regiment . While the aforementioned contingents wore distinctive uniforms, with

14934-588: Was acquitted. In November 1919, Plechavičius was appointed the Commandant of Mažeikiai town and district. From January 1920, Plechavičius commanded a company and then a battalion of the 5th Infantry Regiment . As an officer in the Lithuanian Army, he participated in the Polish–Lithuanian War in the battle for Seinai , Augustavas and Varėna in late 1920. At the end of 1920, he served in

15065-564: Was an idea even more than a fatherland. In 1920 when France recognized the independence of Lithuania, he was appointed officially as Chargé d'Affaires for Lithuania. He published: 1928, a collection of 26 Lithuanian songs; 1930, Lithuanian Tales and Stories ; 1933, Lithuanian Tales ; 1937, The origin of the Lithuanian Nation . Since the Christianization of parts of Lithuania proper in 1387 and of Samogitia in 1413,

15196-452: Was appointed the Commandant of Seda. After reorganizing, the partisan headquarters moved to Seda. The nearby Telšiai received a military headquarters group for the town and its district from Kaunas . The commandant was the officer Bronius Zaleskis. Military headquarters were also established in Mažeikiai. The general situation throughout the war-torn lands was improving. The partisan self-defence squads had roughly 200 soldiers in them, while

15327-597: Was awarded of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis to Plechavičius posthumously by Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas in 2004. According to the Polish sociologist Adam Bobryk  [ pl ] , this sparked protests among Poles in Lithuania and concern in Poland. However, Waldemar Tomaszewski , the leader of the Electoral Action of Poles, said in 2008 that "I personally look at these things in

15458-532: Was chaotic due to the rampage of robbers as well as the requisitions and robberies by the Imperial German Army units. The robbers were mostly former Russian prisoners of war on their way to Russia , which included Bolsheviks, and local criminals. The robbers frequently engaged in brutality like beating people up, burning their soles, and even skinning live people, thereafter burning them with all their homesteads. A lot of those robbers ran rampant in

15589-687: Was expected. The Germans were very surprised and deeply shocked by the number of volunteers since their own appeals went unheeded. On March 22, 1944, SS Obergruppenführer and police general Friedrich Jeckeln called for 70–80,000 men for the Wehrmacht as Hiwis . Chief-of-Staff of Army Group North Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model demanded 15 battalions of men to protect the German military airports. Plechavičius rejected their demand on April 5. General Commissioner of Lithuania Adrian von Renteln demanded workers for Germany proper. Other German officials also voiced their demands. Finally, on April 6,

15720-571: Was functioning. The Council of Lithuania appointed Plechavičius as the Seda County Commander on November 15 and authorized him to organize the militia , military headquarters ( komendantūra ), self-defence units and local administration in Samogitia and to strengthen the Lithuanian state there in all ways. After receiving the wide-ranging mandate from the Lithuanian government, Plechavičius started an uncompromising fight against

15851-493: Was linked to an army corps; thus Wehrkreis I took over the area that I. Armeekorps had been responsible for and sent replacements to the same formation. The first sixteen reserve corps raised followed the same pattern; X. Reserve-Korps was made up of reservists from the same area as X. Armeekorps . However, these links between rear areas and front line units were broken as the war went on and later corps were raised with troops from all over Germany. The basic tactical formation

15982-571: Was occupied by Germany. The Germans retreated in 1944, and Lithuania fell under Soviet rule once again. The long-standing communities of Lithuanians in the Kaliningrad Oblast ( Lithuania Minor ) were almost destroyed as a result. The Lithuanian nation as such remained primarily in Lithuania, few villages in northeastern Poland, southern Latvia and also in the diaspora of emigrants. Some indigenous Lithuanians still remain in Belarus and

16113-672: Was released but remained under the supervision of the Gestapo . As the Soviet Red Army approached, Plechavičius left for Germany. In 1946, the NKVD demanded the extradition of Plechavičius from the British Zone of Occupation and accused him of being a " war criminal ", "former Nazi-collaborator " and leading "the recruitment and deployment of paramilitary units which were involved in numerous actions against Jews and Soviet partisans". The British Foreign Office dismissed this, stonewalling

16244-464: Was repopulated with new Soviet citizens. Small groups of Lithuanians are still present in Belarus within the Grodno and Vitebsk regions . Apart from the traditional communities in Lithuania and its neighboring countries, Lithuanians have emigrated to other continents during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The Lithuanian national sport is usually considered to be basketball ( krepšinis ), which

16375-686: Was responsible for maintaining certain units to be put at the disposal of the Confederation in case of conflict. When operating together, the units were known as the Federal Army ( Bundesheer ). The Federal Army system functioned during various conflicts of the 19th century , such as the First Schleswig War from 1848 to 1852. However, by the time of the Second Schleswig War of 1864, tension had grown between

16506-586: Was riding a bike near Seda. Someone shot at him and the bullet made a hole in Plechavičius' hat, but Plechavičius was unscathed. Plechavičius guarded that hat as a souvenir. Another time, in the Ylakiai district, while riding in a carriage from Kivyliai to Klauseikiai  [ lt ] , someone threw a grenade into his carriage, but Plechavičius grabbed it and threw it away, with the grenade exploding and not harming anyone. The Bolsheviks tried to murder Plechavičius in his bed while sleeping, by shooting through

16637-472: Was the division . A standard Imperial German division was organised into: One of the divisions in a corps area usually also managed the corps Landwehr region ( Landwehrbezirk ). In 1914, besides the Guard Corps (two Guard divisions and a Guard cavalry division), there were 42 regular divisions in the Prussian Army (including four Saxon divisions and two Württemberg divisions), and six divisions in

16768-541: Was the main result. It sought to identify military talent at the lower levels and develop it thoroughly through academic training and practical experience on division, corps, and higher staffs, up to the Great General Staff, the senior planning body of the army. It provided planning and organisational work during peacetime and wartime. The Prussian General Staff, proven in battle in the Wars of Unification , became

16899-592: Was unveiled on the wall of the former commandant's office building, where Povilas Plechavičius worked when commanding the local military headquarters. On 15 August 2023, memorial plaques commemorating Aleksandras and Povilas Plechavičius, consecrated by Remigijus Monstvilas, senior chaplain of the Military Ordinariate of Lithuania , were unveiled in Palanga in the presence of the retired general Arvydas Pocius . Lithuanians The territory of

17030-415: Was very rapid expansion and a high output of high-quality aircraft, as well as high wages that attracted the best machinists. Apart from aircraft, the army's regulation of the rest of the war economy was largely inefficient. The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (The Air Corps of the German Empire), was the over-land air arm of

17161-421: Was virtually the same. Prussia was divided into army-corps districts for the purposes both of administration and of recruitment. On the outbreak of war the command organizations of the district became that of a corps in the field. Localization of the Army and its recruitment gave the districts pride and interest in their 'own' corps. The German Empire accounted for 12% of global industrial output in 1914, making it

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