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94-509: Antanas Smetona ( Lithuanian: [ɐnˈtǎːnɐs sʲmʲɛtoːˈnɐ] ; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian intellectual, journalist and politician who served as the first president of Lithuania from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1926 as a de facto dictator until the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940. Referred to as the "Leader of the Nation" during his presidency, Smetona

188-569: A child from brain inflammation. On February 17, 1913, Sofija gave birth to son Julius. During World War I , Sofija joined the Lithuanian Mutual Aid Society of Vilnius , headed by her husband. She fundraised and distributed food to the war victims, invalids, wounded and the homeless.. Speaking fluent German , she also assisted as an interpreter and mediator during the German occupation. About fifty refugees passed through

282-679: A close professional relationship. Jablonskis visited Smetona's native village collecting data on Lithuanian dialects. Smetona met his future wife, Sofija Chodakauskaitė , through Jablonskis who recommended him as tutor for her brother. In autumn 1896, the administration of the Jelgava Gymnasium forced Lithuanian students to recite their prayers in Russian while Latvian and German students were allowed to use their native languages. Smetona and other students refused and were expelled. Most later agreed to pray in Russian and were re-admitted, but

376-561: A committee, made up mostly of Tautininkai , collected money and as a gift bought Užugiris Estate for Antanas and Sofija. Including pasture, meadow and bog it extended to some 80 hectares (almost 200 acres), of which half was arable. Smetona had no time for farming, but after the house was completed in 1937, Sofija willingly took over the management. She spent about six months, from spring to late autumn, at Užugiris. One morning, when Smetona came to visit without warning, he discovered Sofija in farm clothes - she had been up all night tending to

470-695: A crypt (No. 103) next to his wife Sofija in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon, Ohio . President of Lithuania The president of the Republic of Lithuania ( Lithuanian : Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas ) is the head of state of the Republic of Lithuania . The president directs and appoints the executive branch of the Government of Lithuania , represents the nation internationally and

564-407: A few minutes for him to be overcome by the smoke. Julius tried to return into the burning building to save his father but was forced out by the smoke and fire. Smetona was found lying on the kitchen floor on the second floor of Julius' flat. He was not burned. Firefighters took Smetona outside and he was rushed to hospital by ambulance. He died before arriving. The official record said that the fire

658-495: A few sentences about the very important role Sofija played. Smetona , after reading the envoy’s manuscript, was not particularly impressed with the statement that his wife, Sofija, had helped the President manage the country. He demanded that it be deleted from the book as it could lead to ambiguous interpretations. Sofija was also a heavy smoker, who smoked Russian cigarettes most of the time. The writer M. Vaitkus, having visited

752-592: A fire broke out in the home, killing Antanas Smetona . A couple of years later, Sofija wrote: “It was a terrible blow to us. I’m just starting to recover from that disaster.”   Understanding Sofija’s condition, close friends invited her for extended visits. For three months she lived in a hotel owned  by Juozas Bačiūnas in Florida . Then she went to Washington to stay with her sister, Jadvyga . She then returned to Cleveland , to live with her son, Julius at 1704 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights , US. Because of

846-518: A friendly fashion. We began to talk about life like old acquaintances. I asked, ‘Is Mr. Smetona home?’ She replied ‘yes’ and showed me where to go." Sofija attended many official social events, frequented the opera and the Metropolis , and kept a close friendship with Lily Heingartner (the wife of Robert Heingartner the American consul) who regularly attended Sofija’s weekly bridge parties at

940-532: A fully presidential system such as the United States , the Lithuanian president generally has the most authority in foreign affairs. In addition to the customary diplomatic powers of Heads of State, namely receiving the letters of credence of foreign ambassadors and signing treaties , the president determines Lithuania's basic foreign policy guidelines. The president is also the commander-in-chief of

1034-410: A funder of V. Kudirka School . She also fulfilled her duties as First Lady by participating in official events, opening important buildings and supporting women in sports. On June 15, 1940, Sofija fled Lithuania with her husband and family, ahead of the occupation by Soviet forces. Via Königsberg , the family was moved by the German authorities to a hunting lodge ( Gästenheim Jägerhöhe ) near

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1128-718: A handful who refused were prohibited from attending any other school. The students sent petitions to Pope Leo XIII and Ivan Delyanov , Minister of National Education . Smetona and two others, Jurgis Šlapelis  [ lt ] and Petras Vaiciuška , managed to secure an audience with Delyanov, who allowed the Lithuanians to pray in Latin and the expelled students to continue their education. Smetona did not return to Jelgava and finished up at Gymnasium No. 9 in Saint Petersburg . Upon graduation in 1897, Smetona entered

1222-432: A history of Lithuania and on his memoirs. As Smetona was busy on his writing, he paid little attention to the fact that the heating system in his son's house needed repair and was becoming dangerous. On 28 October 1943, Smetona wrote: The night before yesterday coal fumes made me dizzy. I could not think clearly. Now I have completely recovered. On 9 January 1944, a fire broke out in the house. Smetona's son Julius noticed

1316-437: A local man led Smetona, his bodyguard and adjutant across the shallow Liepona stream. With Smetona already on the other side, his family managed to convince border guards to let them through at about 6 am. On the German side, Smetona was met by Heinz Gräfe  [ de ] , a Gestapo officer. Via Königsberg , the refugees were moved to a hunting lodge near the Święcajty  [ pl ] (Schwenzait) lake in

1410-571: A much more spacious and comfortable apartment in Antakalnis , at 13 Vilijos kranto gatvė, in front of Vileišis Palace - the home of Petras Vileišis . Sofija’s younger sister Jadvyga lived with them while she was attending school in Vilnius . The Smetona home became the meeting place in Vilnius for Lithuanian intellectuals . They discussed politics, played music and sang. According to Jadvyga

1504-535: A new president can be inaugurated following fresh elections. Sofija Chodakauskait%C4%97 Sofija Chodakauskaitė was born in Gavenoniai  [ lt ] manor, the second child of Antanas Chodakauskas (1850-1925) and Maria-Joanna Chodakowska (1852-1910). She was baptized at Pasvitinys Church in February, 1885. Her cousin, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė , was her godmother. Her uncle Stefan Chodakowski

1598-553: Is a brilliant conversationalist, but is somewhat inclined to be sharp and ironical in her remarks about persons and things. M-me Smetona is a passionate card player, and is known to play for rather heavy stakes." Carlson’s replacement, Robert Heingartner wrote of her: "Mrs. Smetona is a lady of unusual energy who dominates the President at home if not in office. In fact, she is sometimes facetiously called ‘The President.’" The British affairs trustee in Kaunas, Mr. Preston, said that one of

1692-515: Is a highly educated woman of Polish origin, her family being reported as belonging to the Polish nobility. She is an extremely charming woman, and can easily be included among the three or four outstanding women of Lithuania at the present time. She takes great interest in her husband’s political work but is not openly interested in social work of any kind, and is not known to have taken or to be taking any special interest in education or welfare work. She

1786-430: Is recognised as one of the most important Lithuanian political figures between World War I and World War II , and a prominent ideologist of Lithuanian nationalism and the movement for national revival. Smetona was born on 10 August [ O.S. 28 July] 1874 in the village of Užulėnis , Kovno Governorate , Russian Empire , to a family of farmers, Jonas Smetona and Julijona Kartanaitė – former serfs of

1880-595: Is the commander-in-chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces . The president is directly elected by the citizens of Lithuania for a five-year term, with the office holder limited to serving two terms consecutively. The current president is Gitanas Nausėda who assumed office on July 12, 2019. To be eligible for election, candidates must be at least 40 years old on the election day and reside in Lithuania for at least three years, in addition to satisfying

1974-655: The Serpa Pinto , arriving in Rio de Janeiro on 14 February. He was met by local officials and Lithuanian emigrants, and had a meeting with Getúlio Vargas , the president of Brazil. Smetona departed Brazil on 26 February. On 9 or 10 March 1941, Smetona and his wife arrived in New York on the SS Argentina . He was greeted by about 30 American journalists and photographers as well as Lithuanian-American representatives. He

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2068-920: The Act of Independence of Lithuania . Near the end of 1918, with the Germans retreating from the Eastern Front and the Soviet army approaching Vilnius , the Smetonas moved to Kaunas , Lithuania. On December 21, 1918, Smetona left for Germany to try to secure a loan for the country’s defence. He returned to Kaunas between January 1–14, 1919, and sent Sofija, with daughter Marija and son Julius to Switzerland . He then traveled through Scandinavia until March 1919, attempting to secure recognition for Lithuanian Independence. Arriving in Switzerland , Sofija immediately started working with her sister Jadvyga at

2162-698: The Church of St. Raphael the Archangel in Vilnius. From his very first days in Vilnius, Smetona became involved in the activities of various Lithuanian nationalist groups, and joined the Lithuanian Democratic Party , which he represented in the Great Seimas of Vilnius . He was later elected to its Presidium . In 1904 and 1907, he was on the staff of the Lithuanian newspaper, Vilniaus žinios (The Vilnius News). In 1905–1906, he edited

2256-554: The Church of St. Raphael the Archangel in Vilnius. The couple moved to Vilnius, where Smetona worked in the Vilnius Land Bank . Sofija joined the local Lithuanian society, singing in choirs (led by Miko Petrauskas ) and operettas, playing in amateur theatre productions and actively participating in charity work. They first rented a three-room apartment in Rev. Juozas Stankevičius  [ lt ] ' house, but soon moved to

2350-716: The Constitutional Court , and the entirety of the Supreme Court , for appointment by the Seimas; the president also has the right to directly appoint all other judges. Under the Constitution of Lithuania adopted in 1992, the president is elected to a five-year term under a modified two-round system : a candidate requires an absolute majority of the vote and either voter turnout to be above 50% or for their vote share to be equivalent to at least one-third of

2444-613: The Jelgava Gymnasium in Latvia . This was a cultural hub of the Lithuanian National Revival and attracted many future leaders in Lithuanian culture and politics, including Juozas Tūbelis and Vladas Mironas who later became Smetona's political companions. In particular, Lithuanian language and culture was openly promoted by the linguist, Jonas Jablonskis , teacher of Greek, with whom Smetona developed

2538-567: The Klaipėda Revolt of January 1923, in the Memelland , which had been separated from Germany, he was made commissioner there on 20 February, but, due to disagreements with Prime Minister Ernestas Galvanauskas , he resigned from his post. In November 1923, authorities imprisoned Smetona for several days for publishing an article by Augustinas Voldemaras in Vairas . Between 1923 and 1927, he

2632-579: The Lithuanian Armed Forces , and accordingly heads the State Defense Council and has the right to appoint the Chief of Defence (subject to Seimas consent). The president also has a significant role in domestic policy, possessing the right to submit bills to the Seimas and to veto laws passed by it, appointing the prime minister and approving the government formed by them, and also having

2726-612: The Lithuanian Diplomatic Service , ambassadors and diplomats who continued to represent pre-occupation Lithuania . They hoped to establish a government-in-exile via the National Committee chaired by former prime minister Ernestas Galvanauskas . Smetona saw no need for such a committee and criticized the choice of Galvanauskas. The diplomats were not receptive to Smetona – he had no funds, authority or political influence. Nevertheless, Smetona signed

2820-659: The Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers . 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. On 6 September 1917, he started printing the newspaper, Lietuvos Aidas (Lithuania's Echo), working as its publisher and its editor-in-chief. In

2914-596: The Masurian Lake District . On 17 August, Smetona received permission to relocate to Berlin, where he settled on the Rankestraße  [ de ] . There, he was carefully supervised and allowed to communicate only with Lithuanian representative, Kazys Škirpa . The Germans did not allow him to make any political moves so as not to upset the Soviet Union. It was clear that Smetona's presence

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3008-642: The Presidential Palace . During most of the year, Sofija lived with her family at the Presidential Palace in Kaunas . When summer came however the family, like many residents of Kaunas who could afford it, summered in Palanga . The Smetonas would spend two months at their friend’s, Vladas Stašinskas , villa: Baltoji Villa . While there, the family was accompanied by their servants and advisors. In 1934, to celebrate Antanas Smetona’s 60th birthday,

3102-634: The Scandinavian countries, soliciting loans for the cause of Lithuanian independence. On 4 April 1919, the State Council of Lithuania elected Smetona the first president of the Republic of Lithuania. On 19 April 1920, the Constituent Assembly elected Aleksandras Stulginskis President. Not re-elected to Seimas, from 1921 to 1924, he edited several periodicals, including Lietuvos balsas , Lietuviškas balsas and Vairas . After

3196-562: The Taujėnai Manor , which belonged to the Radziwiłł family . Researcher Kazimieras Gasparavičius has traced Smetona's patrilineal ancestry to Laurentijus who was born around 1695 and lived near Raguva . Smetona was the eighth of nine children. His parents were hardworking people who managed to double their inherited 5 hectares (12 acres). His father was literate and Smetona learned to read at home. Smetona's father died in 1885 when Smetona

3290-679: The Evangelist . Bishop Edward F. Hoban officiated. Smetona was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland . His wife Sofija died in Cleveland on 28 December 1968. The couple were survived by their daughter, Marija Danutė Smetonaitė (1905–1992), son Julius Rimgaudas Smetona (1913–1974) and Julius' sons, Anthony Algirdas Smetona (1939–2012), Juozas Smetona (1940–1996) and Vytautas Julius Smetona (born 1955). In 1975, Smetona's remains were moved from Cleveland's Knollwood Cemetery mausoleum to

3384-628: The German government and actively repressed suspected communists. For example, in 1934, 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 Lithuanian Jews; to suppress the activity of all those Jewish organizations which appear to be under Communist cover or succumb to Communist influence". "The Poles stole Lithuanian history, now

3478-888: The Lithuanian Information Bureau. She wrote her husband: We have taken our work very seriously and we have a good reputation both in Swiss newspapers and in the public . Once Jadvyga left Bern for Paris (for the Paris Peace Talks) in July 1919, Sofija took over her work. In late autumn 1919 Marija was enrolled into a private girls’ boarding gymnasium Collège Sainte-Croix  [ fr ] in Fribourg, Switzerland , where many Lithuanians were studying. Sofija with Julius lived in Lausanne while Marija

3572-745: The Lithuanian Learned Society, the Vilniaus aušra (The Dawn of Vilnius), and Rytas (The Morning) education societies, the Rūta Art Society and many other societies, and taught the Lithuanian language at Vilnius schools. In 1914, he started publishing Vairas (The Rudder), a new bi-weekly magazine. During the First World War , he was the first vice-chairman, and later chairman, of the Central Committee of

3666-584: The Prime Minister’s wife, Sofija and Jadvyga , had a significant impact on the government. John Gunther , a popular American journalist of the time, wrote in 1940: "The president of the republic, Professor Smetona , is best known for his remarkable wife, who is a powerful personage in the affairs of the little state." It was also evident to Owen J.C. Norem , the US envoy to Lithuania, who intended to include in his memoirs of service in Lithuania pre-World War II,

3760-478: The Russians are trying to steal it, we have to catch those thieves by the hand and show them in a real light to the entire world." — Antanas Smetona. Smetona was a leader of the 1926 coup d'état that deposed President Kazys Grinius . He once again became president on 19 December that year (two others briefly held the office during the coup, which began on 17 December, before Smetona was formally restored to

3854-524: The Smetona home during the war. Sofija also supported her husband in his political and public work during this time. She managed their home, so Antanas could focus his free time on public work, publishing Lithuanian newspapers, editing and translating books. On February 16, 1918, Antanas Smetona and nineteen other men gathered in his office (at Pilies Gatve 26, Vilnius, the House of Signatories ) and signed

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3948-461: The Smetonas in Kaunas , wrote: "I found Mrs. Sofija at home. Tall, slender. A rather pretty dark face. Eyes like a Mongolian. A bit of makeup below the eyes. In all a sharp, unusual face. Obviously good genes. In her right hand the lady often held a lit cigarette, from which her fingers had taken a yellow stain. But she often takes the cigarette to her mouth and draws deeply, so the corners of her lips are stained. She greeted me very simply, almost in

4042-572: The Soviet Union in 1990, it has taken the position that Merkys' takeover of the presidency was illegal and unconstitutional, since Smetona never formally resigned. Lithuania thus does not recognize Merkys or Paleckis as legitimate presidents, and contends that all subsequent actions leading up to the Soviet annexation were ipso facto void. "I do not want to bolshevize Lithuania with my own hands." — Antanas Smetona, about his motives to leave Lithuania when his request for military resistance against

4136-544: The Soviets was rejected as impossible. On the morning of 15 June, just after the government decided to accept the Soviet ultimatum, Smetona made hasty preparations to flee the country. He was accompanied by his wife, his son and daughter and their spouses and children, Kazys Musteikis , former minister of defense, and two presidential adjutants. Smetona departed Kaunas at about 3 pm that day. They stopped in Kybartai on

4230-667: The age of 12 and he was already 15 years old. Therefore, he was forced to study privately in Ukmergė in order to catch up and be able to pass examinations to enter the fourth class of gymnasium. In summer 1891, he attempted to gain admission to the Liepāja Gymnasium as his brother Motiejus worked in a factory in Liepāja . He was refused and instead applied to the Palanga Pro-Gymnasium, which had no age restrictions. Smetona

4324-445: The birth of a litter of piglets. During the interwar period, Sofija was involved in charity causes; she was President of the baby-care society “ Darželis ”, she headed the Duchess Birutė Celebration Committee, was the treasurer for the construction of Vytautas Magnus Museum , was on the board of the committee to organize events for the 500th anniversary of Vytautas the Great’s death, was a patron for Kindergarten and Winter Help , and

4418-408: The border with Nazi Germany. Smetona and Musteikis attempted to summon the 9th Infantry Regiment from Marijampolė to protect them and to offer at least symbolic resistance to the Red Army , but the regiment was stopped by a delegation sent from Kaunas to retrieve the president. Smetona decided to cross the border without delay, but Lithuanian border guards would not allow him to pass. Around midnight,

4512-440: The constitution. Before leaving the presidential palace , Smetona said: "I do not want to make Lithuania a bolshevik country with my own hands." He believed that by leaving the country, he would be in a position to do more for the country by leading a government in exile rather than become a Soviet puppet. He firstly fled to Germany with his family. Shortly afterwards, the Smetonas fled to Switzerland . A day after Smetona left

4606-484: The country for the rest of the interwar period . Sofija, as First Lady of Lithuania soon became one of the most politically and socially engaged women in Kaunas . During Smetona’s Presidency, Sofija’s liveliness, her ability to find common interests, to be friendly, to enter in conversations of interest to foreigners, impressed experienced American and German diplomats . The US consul in Kaunas 1924-25, Harry Carlson, characterized her positively: "Madame Smetona

4700-408: The country, Merkys announced that he had deposed him and was now president himself. Two days later, Merkys was pressured into appointing the more pliant Justas Paleckis as prime minister and resigning. Paleckis then became acting president, and was used as a puppet to oversee the final stages of Lithuania's incorporation into the Soviet Union a month later. Since Lithuania declared independence from

4794-415: The editorial office of the Lithuanian newspaper Viltis , edited by Smetona . They lived there between 1907 and 1908. In 1910 Sofija's second daughter, Birutė, was born at Sebentiškis  [ lt ] , Sofija's parents manor house. Both girls had poor health and Marija was taken to St. Petersburg for treatment. Sofija blamed their health on genetics as her parents were first cousins. Birutė died as

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4888-479: The eligibility criteria for a member of the parliament. A person who has been removed from office through impeachment for breach of constitution or an oath of office may not be elected as a president. The Lithuanian president has somewhat more executive authority than their counterparts in neighboring Estonia and Latvia ; the Lithuanian president's function is very similar to that of the presidents of France and Romania . Similarly to them, but unlike presidents in

4982-407: The faculty of law of the University of Saint Petersburg . He was more interested in history and languages, but knew that as a Catholic his choices were limited to priest, lawyer, or doctor if he wanted to work in Lithuania. Saint Petersburg, with a direct railway connection to Lithuania, was becoming a Lithuanian cultural center. Smetona joined and chaired a secret Lithuanian student organization. He

5076-446: The fire while on the first floor. Above him, in the attic suite, Smetona and his wife Sofija spotted the smoke seeping in under the door. Sofija opened the door and she and Smetona began descending the stairs. Smetona, apparently decided that he could not go outside without a coat – he was recovering from the flu and was to give a talk in the coming weeks – and without saying anything to his wife, returned to get his fur coat. It took just

5170-514: The first issue of the newspaper, Smetona wrote that the most important goal of the Lithuanian nation was the re-establishment of an independent Lithuanian state. Between 18 and 22 September 1917, he participated in the Lithuanian Conference in Vilnius, and was elected chairman (1917–1919) of the Council of Lithuania (later Council of the State ). On 16 February 1918, Antanas Smetona signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania . Between December 1918 and March 1919, he lived primarily in Germany and

5264-516: The food, the wine, the hairdos or the apparel of the hostess and/or the guests that she objected to. Some people found Mrs. Smetona’s cutting remarks hard to forget. For years, Mamma remembered her saying when they first met long ago in Vilnius, “You could be a good-looking woman, but WHY do you always wear low-heeled shoes?” An avid card player, she seemed to judge  people on the basis of how good they were at playing Preference , an old but still popular game dating back to Russian Czarist times." At

5358-424: The grandchildren, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, patching and mending clothes. There were moments in her life, however, that took her back to happier times: "When the wind blows as I sit in my yard, the corn stalks rustle the same as the reeds did along the riverbanks in Lithuania." She always yearned to one day return to her homeland. She asked herself: “Will that blessed hour ever come?” In 1968, as she

5452-410: The great divisions within the Lithuanian emigrant community, after Antanas' death Sofija withdrew from public work, though she kept in contact with some members of the Lithuanian political community. Sofija continued to live in the Cleveland area for the rest of her life, helping to raise her grandchildren and caring for the home. She didn’t socialize very much but rather stayed at home taking care of

5546-553: The home was a great centre of Lithuanian activity , Smetona’s house. Everybody came there, all kinds of parties. Sofija was also later involved in the Rūta Society . On September 19, 1905, Sofija gave birth to her first child, Marija, in Gavėnonių manor. Marija was ill so Sofija temporarily stayed with her. In order to save money the family, together with Sofija's sister Jadvyga , moved out of their apartment in Antakalnis , to Smetona's friend Rev. Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas ’ apartment at 1 Tilto Street, Vilnius. The building also housed

5640-554: The loss of Memel that members of the Lithuanian political opposition were appointed to his cabinet to try recovering credibility and domestic stability. Smetona's government was cautious about industrialisation, as its support base lay in the dominant rural population. As dictator, Smetona did nothing to encourage direct foreign investment, which remained extremely limited throughout his time in office. Nonetheless, during Smetona's dictatorship, Lithuania did advance economically: industrial output – mainly directed to domestic demand – when he

5734-408: The nation. In 1938, 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." The regime repeatedly arrested and imprisoned members of the already-banned Communist Party – as with almost all interwar European dictatorships, the claimed threat of Communism was the source of its legitimacy and

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5828-401: The number of registered voters to win the election in the first round. If no candidate does so, the two candidates with the most votes face each other in a second round held two weeks later. Upon taking office, the president must suspend any formal membership in a political party. If the president dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, the Speaker of the Seimas assumes the office until

5922-433: The participants of anti-Jewish physical attacks or smashing of Jews windows (the culprits were punished with fines , imprisoned or even sent to hard labor prisons). Moreover, the Government of Lithuania also did not tolerate anti-Jewish attacks and severely punished their participants, especially activists. Consequently, Jews were widely sympathetic towards Smetona and his rule. However, his regime did not tolerate insults of

6016-493: The poet Reverend Maironis had previously lived: in the Syruć (Maironis) Mansion at Rotušės a. 13, Kaunas. Sofija continued to work in various community organizations, actively interacted with foreign diplomats and their wives, founded the Kuchi Society (en: Baby Rescue Society), was Honorary Chairwoman of The Lithuanian Women’s Union , and supported a state-run nursery shelter. On February 4, 1925, Sofija’s’ father died in Kaunas . Because Sofija had cared for him when he

6110-526: The position of President until April 19, 1920. Not re-elected to the Seimas , from 1921 to 1924, Antanas Smetona edited several periodicals, including Lietuvos balsas , Lietuviškas balsas and Vairas . Between the years of 1923-1927, Antanas Smetona was assistant professor at the University of Lithuania in Kaunas - at first in the Chair of Art Theory and History and later at the Department of Philosophy. Smetona, Sofija and Sofija’s father, Antanas Chodakauskas  (1850-1925), rented an apartment where

6204-462: The presidency). He designated Augustinas Voldemaras as prime minister. One year later, he dissolved parliament and on 15 May 1928, with the approval of the government, he promulgated a new constitution with more extensive presidential powers. In 1929, he removed Voldemaras and assumed dictatorial powers. He was re-elected president in 1931 and 1938, both times as the sole candidate. He remained in office until 15 June 1940. Smetona's constitution vested

6298-454: The president with both executive and legislative powers when the Seimas was not in session. The Seimas was not reconvened until the 1936 Lithuanian parliamentary election ; for the next decade, Smetona ruled by decree, without a parliament, making his regime on paper one of the most arbitrary in the world. Even when the Seimas was reconvened, it was composed entirely of Smetona's adherents; Smetona thus effectively retained all governing power in

6392-520: The reasons for President Smetona’s popularity was Sofija, who was “a serious aide to the President.” According to him, Smetona’s popularity is determined by: "... his merits in the fight for Lithuania’s independence, as well as his intelligence, unwavering will, sense of tact, and sometimes his wife’s intrigue, who is often referred to as Lithuanian Catherine II ." Antanas Smetona was, according to daughter of former Finance Minister Martynas Yčas , Hypatia Yčas: "… very approachable and quite unassuming,

6486-743: The regime executed the original leadership five days after coming to power. However, despite propaganda that Communists were a "non-Lithuanian force invading the country", they continued to operate underground with growing membership and it is known today that their leaders were ethnically Lithuanian. In 1935, Smetona suffered a blow when farmers in south-east Lithuania organised a strike and refused to sell their products. Reprisals led to five deaths and 456 farmers being arrested. This exacerbated long-standing tensions within his regime between hardliners arguing for more rigid authoritarian control over Lithuanian life, and moderates who wanted liberalisation. These difficulties, however, were already becoming overshadowed by

6580-574: The regime. Lithuania was occupied by the Soviets in 1940 as a consequence of the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. After the USSR presented an ultimatum to Lithuania in June of that year, Smetona proposed armed resistance against the Soviets. but most of the government and army commanders believed that the country was not capable of effective resistance with Soviet troops stationed inside Lithuania. On 15 June, Smetona turned his presidential duties over to Prime Minister Antanas Merkys on an interim basis, according to

6674-402: The right to dissolve the Seimas and call snap elections following a successful motion of no confidence or if the Seimas refuses to approve the government's budget within sixty days. However, the next elected Seimas may retaliate by calling for an earlier presidential election. Finally, the president ensures an effective judiciary, being responsible for nominating one third of the judges of

6768-513: The same time, Sofija had the talent to connect with a diverse range of people and was known to have a “good humour”. Sofija was reported by many foreign diplomats as an outstanding and very influential figure, involved in many informal political affairs. British envoy to the Baltic States Hugh Montgomery-Knachbullo Hugesseno reports in London also said that the two sisters, the President and

6862-634: The so-called Kybartai Act – a backdated document supposedly written in Kybartai before his exile. The Act dismissed Antanas Merkys and appointed Stasys Lozoraitis as both prime minister and acting president. This controversial document was never used in practice. Smetona departed Bern for Lisbon in January 1941. He stayed in Monte Estoril at the Pensão Zenith . He left for Brazil aboard

6956-542: The threat of Nazi Germany. Smetona's regime was the first in Europe to put Nazis on trial: as early as 8 February 1934, action was taken against Nazis in the Memel region , which was autonomous within Lithuania. The Smetona regime trial of Ernst Neumann and Freiherr von Sass (July 1934 to March 1935) was the first attempt anywhere to bring Nazis to justice, and saw 76 Hitlerites imprisoned and four sentenced to death – though this

7050-485: The weekly Lietuvos ūkininkas (The Lithuanian Farmer). In 1907, Smetona and the Rev. Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas established a venture to print the newspaper Viltis (The Hope), and started publishing and circulating it. In Viltis , Smetona advocated national unity. He was also one of the incorporators of the Aušra (Dawn) company for the publishing of Lithuanian books, a member of the Lithuanian Mutual Aid Society of Vilnius ,

7144-640: The Święcajty (pl) (Schwenzait) lake in the Masurian Lake District . On August 17, Smetona received permission to relocate to Berlin . The family then went to Switzerland , Portugal , Brazil and finally to the United States , where they landed in New York on March 9 or 10, 1941. The family moved to Pittsburgh and Chicago and finally settled in Cleveland , Ohio in May 1942 with Sofija’s son Julius’ family at 11596 Ablewhite Avenue. On January 9, 1944,

7238-493: Was a scholarly individual who liked to read the works of Plato and other Greek philosophers. He did not overawe any of us." Sofija, in contrast, was more active, more powerful and harder than her husband. She often displayed a forthright and independent manner. If she had any problems with people, she could be harsh and sarcastic with her replies. As Yčas noted, Sofija was “an outspoken chatterbox” who, if she disliked somebody or something: "… she would be sure to say so. It could be

7332-741: Was an assistant professor at the University of Lithuania – at first in the chair of art theory and history and later at the department of philosophy. He lectured on ethics, ancient philosophy and Lithuanian linguistics. In 1932, he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. at the Vytautas Magnus University . Smetona participated in the activity of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union that had staged the Klaipėda Revolt, which gave him greater name-recognition. More than once, he

7426-532: Was an exemplary student (one of the top two students) and received a tuition waiver. As a superintendent of a student dormitory, he also received free housing and was able to support himself by providing private lessons. Three other future signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania attended the Pro-Gymnasium at the same time: Steponas Kairys , Jurgis Šaulys , and Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys . As Palanga

7520-541: Was caused by an overheated furnace. Some believe, however, that due to Smetona's continued political activities, the fire was started by the Russian Intelligence Service (called the NKGB at the time). With no evidence turning up in the subsequent years to substantiate that claim, it is, however, doubtful. On 13 January, the funeral of President Smetona took place at Cleveland's Cathedral of St. John

7614-578: Was close to East Prussia , it was easier to obtain Lithuanian literature, which was banned by the Tsarist authorities . Smetona began reading Lithuanian periodicals and books, including a history of Lithuania by Maironis . After graduating in 1893, according to his family's wishes, he passed his entrance examinations for the Samogitian Diocesan Seminary in Kaunas . However, he felt no great calling for priesthood and enrolled at

7708-464: Was commuted to life imprisonment. By 1938, however, Memel was becoming a difficult issue for a regime spending a quarter of its budget on defence and expensive army modernisation, and the Nazis were able to win 26 of 29 seats in elections. The following year, Smetona surrendered Memel to Hitler and declared a state of emergency – he never lost his distaste for Hitler and Nazism, having been so discredited by

7802-551: Was elderly, as was traditional in Lithuania , he left the bulk of his estate at Sebentiškis, 120.36 hectares, to Sofija. The family buried him next to his wife in Suostas Cemetery, northern Lithuania. On December 17, 1926, a military coup d'état displaced the democratically elected President Kazys Grinius and reinstalled Sofija’s husband, Antanas Smetona as President of Lithuania . Smetona would go on to rule

7896-810: Was elected to its central board. Between 1924 and 1940, he was the vice-chairman of the board of the International Bank. Smetona was known for his tolerant stance towards Jews and his radical opponents nicknamed him as "Jewish King". Under Smetona's rule in Lithuania, not a single anti-Jewish law was passed and high-ranking Lithuanian officials, including ministers, did not publicly say anti-Jewish statements. Smetona considered Jews not as foreigners, but as Lithuanian citizens of foreign nationality and himself acted against antisemitic acts with his statements which were later followed by actions of governmental institutions (e.g. censorship). The Lithuanian courts, war commandants, Lithuanian Police Force severely punished

7990-696: Was escorted to The Pierre hotel, where an evening function with about 400 guests was held on 13 March. Since Smetona was a private individual in the United States, the gathering did not include any members of U.S. organizations. They lived temporarily at the Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C. , but their relationship with representative Povilas Žadeikis was tense. Smetona then lived in Pittsburgh and Chicago before settling in Cleveland in May 1942 with his son's family. While in exile, he began work on

8084-402: Was her godfather. She had one older brother, Romanas Chodakauskas (1883-1932), one younger brother, Tadas Chodakauskas (1889-1959) and two sisters, Kazimiera (1882-1882) and Jadvyga Chodakauskaitė (1891-1988). In 1895 Antanas Smetona , came to Gavėnonių to tutor Sofija’s brother Romanas. Sofija studied at Jelgava Girl’s Gymnasium. On August 14, 1904, Sofija married Antanas Smetona in

8178-568: Was imprisoned in Vyborg Castle , but managed to secure acquittal and graduate that spring. After his graduation from university in 1902, he moved to Vilnius and worked at the Vilnius Land Bank until 1915. He became an active participant in Lithuanian cultural life and, up until becoming president in December 1926, devoted substantial amounts of time and effort to the Lithuanian press. Two years later, he married Sofija Chodakauskaitė in

8272-603: Was in school. On April 4, 1919, the Council of Lithuania elected Sofija’s husband the First President of Lithuania . When Sofija returned to Kaunas in November 1919, she moved into the Presidential Palace with her husband. The Lithuanian Wars of Independence were ongoing, so Sofija spent a few hours every day at the military hospital, providing food, medicine and comfort to the injured soldiers. Smetona held

8366-525: Was insufficient for Lithuanian needs and in summer 1900 Jonas Jablonskis set to work on his Lithuanian grammar. He was assisted by Avižonis, Žemaitė , and Smetona, though Smetona mostly edited works of Bishop Motiejus Valančius . The grammar was published in 1901 and became a fundamental work in establishing the standard Lithuanian language. In early 1902, the police began investigating a network of Lithuanian book smugglers and raided Smetona's room where they found several prohibited Lithuanian publications. He

8460-459: Was later succeeded by Steponas Kairys . He also joined a Lithuanian choir led by Česlovas Sasnauskas , organist at the Church of St. Catherine . Smetona was exposed to socialist ideas and even read Marx's Capital , but resolutely rejected them. He was expelled from the university, imprisoned for two weeks, and deported to Vilnius for participating in the February 1899 student protests . It

8554-516: Was not desirable. On 4 September, Smetona officially petitioned the Embassy of the United States in Berlin for U.S. visas. The request was granted, but only on condition that while Smetona was in the U.S., he would not be considered the leader or representative of any state or government. It was a humiliating condition, but Smetona accepted it and left for Bern, Switzerland on 18 September. Musteikis stayed in Berlin. In Bern, Smetona met with members of

8648-530: 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 press ban . This was his dying father's request. His mother hoped that Smetona would become a priest. After graduation in 1889, Smetona wanted to continue his education, but gymnasiums admitted pupils only up to

8742-454: Was overthrown by the Soviet invasion was twice what it had been before the coup that brought him to power, and the country's transport network had been greatly improved by the construction of railways from Šiauliai to Klaipėda and from Kaunas to the south and north-east. In contrast, Smetona was more generous in support for the agricultural sector, which at the time provided almost all of Lithuania's exports despite occasionally protesting against

8836-587: Was the first time Smetona visited the city, the historical capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , and it left a deep impression on him. A month later, he was allowed to return to the university. In 1898, Smetona and his roommate, Vladas Sirutavičius  [ lt ] , using a mimeograph , printed about 100 copies of a brief Lithuanian grammar written by Petras Avižonis based on the German-language writings of Friedrich Kurschat . This grammar

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