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174-636: The LTDF was disbanded one and a half months after its creation by its commander Povilas Plechavičius when Nazi Germany 's occupational authorities threatened the unit's independence. During the subsequent repressions, the German occupiers sent 52 officers to the Salaspils concentration camp , executed 86 LTDF members in Paneriai and deported 1,089 to Stutthof and Oldenburg concentration camps. While some were later forced into Nazi service, all except four of

348-557: 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

522-648: A 5,000-man (later 10,000) unit called the Lithuanian Territorial Defence Force, recruited from Lithuanian self-organized military headquarters (Lithuanian: komendatūra ) with military units assigned to it. The soldiers would wear Lithuanian insignia. The formal agreement was signed on February 13. Lithuanian anti-Nazi resistance organizations supported the LTDF, which they wanted to use to fight against Soviet partisans in Lithuania and

696-505: A Bolshevik invasion, and initially consist of 60,000 soldiers. In addition, mobilization for the army would be initiated by the commander of the Lithuanian army. Adrian von Renteln , General Commissioner of Lithuania, returned from Berlin during Christmas 1943 and met with first councillor Petras Kubiliūnas , professor Mykolas Biržiška and general Antanas Rėklaitis and explained the German position to them. While agreeing to permit

870-538: A Lithuanian division, the Germans refused to allow the Lithuanians to form a national army. They required that a German lead the division and a petition from Lithuanians to create it. They also demanded that the name of the inspector general of the Lithuanian armed forces be used as the name. On 3–4 January 1944, the general councillors discussed the draft petition, in whose preamble they wrote: "Violently breaking

1044-644: A fifth in 1972. In addition, in 1970 the government reestablished the All-Union Ministry of Justice . In the decade 1965 to 1975, twenty-eight industrial ministries were established. Of these seven were All-Union ministries and the remainder seventeen were republican ministries. In addition, the Kosygin Government sought to reform the economy by strengthening enterprise autonomy while at the same time retaining strong centralised authority. The 1979 Soviet economic reform also sought to de-regulate

1218-640: A formal leader, most controversial issues were solved at meetings of the Bureau. On 1 September 1949 power was even more dispersed. The Bureau changed its name to the Presidium of the Council of Ministers, and Beria, Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin , Lazar Kaganovich and Maksim Saburov were handed the chairmanship. This mode of operating lasted until Stalin's death in 1953. The Post-Stalin Era saw several changes to

1392-719: A four-man committee, led by Ivan Silayev , that included Grigory Yavlinsky , Arkady Volsky , and Yuri Luzhkov , to elect a new Cabinet of Ministers. This committee was later transformed into the Committee for the Operational Management of the National Economy (COMSE), also chaired by Silayev, to manage the Soviet economy . On 28 August 1991 a Supreme Soviet temporarily gave the COMSE the same authority as

1566-539: A ministry and a state committee could be obscure as for the case of the Committee for State Security (KGB). According to the Soviet constitution, ministries were divided into all-union and union-republican. All-Union ministries managed the branch of state administration entrusted to them throughout the entire Soviet Union directly or through the organs appointed by them, while the union-republican ministries operated, as

1740-576: A new cabinet was appointed. On 26 December 1991, the Supreme Soviet dissolved the union and therefore, the government of the USSR shut down permanently. The name Council of People's Commissars was chosen to distinguish the Soviet government from its bourgeois counterparts, especially its tsarist predecessor the Council of Ministers . However, scholar Derek Watson states that "the term 'commissar'

1914-636: A new constitution . It abolished the Congress of Soviets and established the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union in its place. At the 1st Plenary Session of the II Supreme Soviet in 1946, the government was renamed Council of Ministers. Minor changes were introduced with the enactment of the 1977 constitution. The CPSU's 19th All-Union Conference voted in favor of amending the constitution. It allowed for multi-candidate elections, established

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2088-542: A non-aggression pact and cooperation against Nazi Germany. The Lithuanians refused and demanded that the Poles either abandon the disputed Vilnius region or subordinate themselves to the Lithuanians in their anti-Soviet struggle. Justina Smalkyté claims that the 305th Battalion, together with Lithuanian auxiliary policemen, was involved in the round-up of peasants from a predominantly Polish village on April 29 who were ultimately deported as forced labourers to Germany. In early May,

2262-457: A resignation request and suggested demobilising the LTDF on April 12. Demands and tension continued to grow. At the end of April, Plechavičius secretly blocked the creation of a list of conscripts into the German army. He opposed the mobilization, announced at the beginning of May and scheduled to be complete on May 8. The mobilization failed completely; only 3–5% of the men of conscription age, most of whom were unfit for military service, reported to

2436-584: A separate training battalion. March 1 can be considered the beginning of the LTDF. On March 3, the LTDF already had 553 officers, 1,522 non-commissioned officers, and 3,879 who had served in the pre-war Lithuanian army , while the remaining soldiers had not served before. The creation process was not smooth because Germans did not trust the LTDF. They ordered the reorganization of already formed battalions of four companies into battalions of three companies and were constantly delaying delivery of arms, munitions, transportation and communication. Because SS did not trust

2610-420: A state committee was primarily responsible for several parts of government as opposed to the one specific topic for which a ministry was solely responsible. Therefore, many state committees had jurisdiction over certain common activities performed by ministries such as research and development, standardisation, planning, building construction, state security, publishing, archiving and so on. The distinction between

2784-466: Is now made flesh and blood. It is time to move on from the title 'people's commissar' to that of 'minister. ' " Scholar Yoram Gorlizki writes that "Notwithstanding the reversion to bourgeois precedents, the adoption of the new nomenclature signaled that the Soviet order had entered a new phase of postrevolutionary consolidation." The Treaty on the Creation of the Soviet Union saw the establishment of

2958-617: The Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht units. Lithuanians boycotted mobilization to the Waffen-SS in 1943; fewer than 300 men reported. The Nazis carried out reprisals against the population and deported 46 prominent figures and members of the intelligentsia to Stutthof concentration camp . The Nazis closed all Lithuanian higher education institutions March 18–19 and intensified their hunt for Lithuanian youth for forced labour in Germany. At

3132-597: 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

3306-470: The Act of Independence of Lithuania . It 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

3480-529: The All-Union Congress of Soviets and its Central Executive Committee (CEC). The Congress of Soviets held legislative responsibilities and was the highest organ of state power, while the CEC was to exercise the powers of the Congress of Soviets whenever it was not in session, which in practice comprised the majority of its existence. It stated that the government, named the Council of People's Commissars,

3654-579: The All-Union Ministry of Culture established the Council of Ministers of Culture to better coordinate policies, while the All-Union Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the Council of Foreign Ministers of the USSR and Union Republics. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt , better known as the August coup attempt , was initiated by the State Committee on the State of Emergency in a bid to oppose

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3828-644: The Byelorussian SSR and the Transcaucasian SSR established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The treaty established the government, which was later legitimised by the adoption of the first Soviet constitution in 1924. The 1924 constitution made the government responsible to the Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union . In 1936, the state system was reformed with the enactment of

4002-873: The Cabinet of Ministers from January to August 1991 and the Committee on the Operational Management of the National Economy from August to December 1991. The government chairman was nominated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and elected by delegates at the first plenary session of a newly elected Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union . Certain governments , such as Ryzhkov's second government, had more than 100 government ministers, serving as first deputy premiers , deputy premiers , government ministers or heads of state committees/commissions ; they were chosen by

4176-767: 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

4350-536: The Congress of People's Deputies and weakened the party's control over the Supreme Soviet. Later, on 20 March 1991, the Supreme Soviet on Mikhail Gorbachev 's suggestion amended the constitution to establish a semi-presidential system , essentially a fusion of the American and French styles of government . The Council of Ministers was abolished and replaced by a Cabinet of Ministers that was responsible to

4524-647: 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 the Lithuanian farmer Ignas Plechavičius. His mother was Lithuanian noblewoman Konstancija Bukontaitė. Povilas Plechavičius was baptized in the Church of

4698-524: The Lithuanian Wars of Independence , and former members of Lithuanian Riflemen's Union all across Lithuania. The plans were to assemble around 75–80,000 men. Most of the organizational structure was laid, and it served as a basis for the armed anti-Soviet resistance . According to the LTDF commander's order of 28 April 1944, nine of the LTDF's battalions were combined into larger units. The 303rd, 305th, 306th and 309th Battalions were combined into

4872-603: 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, the Bolshevik coup began and the Russian army fell apart, including in

5046-652: The President of the Soviet Union . The head of the Cabinet of Ministers was the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union. The government was forced to resign in the aftermath of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt , which Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov participated in. In its place, the Soviet state established what was supposed to be a transitory committee headed by Silayev to run the basic governmental functions until

5220-496: The State Defense Committee (SDC), formed on 30 June 1941 to govern the Soviet Union during the war. Joseph Stalin concurrently served as SDC head and as chairman of the Soviet government until 1946. On 15 March 1946 the 1st Plenary Session of the 2nd Supreme Soviet transformed the Council of People's Commissars into the Council of Ministers. Accordingly, the people's commissariats were renamed ministries , and

5394-594: 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,

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5568-584: The Vilnius region , 15 of them between April and June 1944. Polish partisans attacked the German and Lithuanian police as well as Soviet partisans. From the end of 1943, the Polish Home Army escalated its activity and began attacking towns and district centres, terrorizing Lithuanians, whether local government officials, teachers or other civilians. Sometimes the Polish Home Army de facto ruled some areas in eastern Lithuania. The LTDF's main assignment

5742-623: 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

5916-467: The Wehrmacht auxiliary units through the LTDF. During the German occupation of eastern Lithuania from 1941 to 1944, there were four different military groups, whose goals differed greatly; the incompatibility of the goals led to inevitable confrontation and conflict between the groups. Fighters from the anti-Nazi Lithuanian underground and Polish Home Army attempted to negotiate a joint struggle against

6090-410: The government chairman , his first deputies , deputies , ministers , state committees chairmen and the republican governmental chairmen. The premier could recommend individuals who he found suitable for membership in the governmental council to the Supreme Soviet. The government tendered its resignation to the first plenary session of a newly elected Supreme Soviet. The government was responsible to

6264-540: 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

6438-484: The Administrator of Affairs headed the government apparatus and was a member of the government's Presidium. The Presidium of the Council of Ministers consisted of the chairman, First Deputy Chairmen, and the deputy chairman. It is important to note that the Presidium of the Council of Ministers is different than the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. USSR state committees were different from the ministries in that

6612-832: 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

6786-690: 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

6960-576: 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

7134-404: The CEC, but the working relations of the two bodies were never clearly defined in depth. Eventually, the powers of the Council of People's Commissars outstripped those of the CEC. However, the 1924 constitution defined the Council of People's Commissars as the "executive and administrative organ" of the CEC. The ability to legislate was restricted by the powers conferred to it by the CEC, and on

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7308-523: The Cabinet of Ministers overlapped with the former Council of Ministers. It was responsible for formulating and executing the All-Union state budget , administrating defense enterprises and overseeing space research, implementing Soviet foreign policy, crime-fighting, and maintaining defense and state security. It also worked alongside the republican governments to develop financial and credit policy, administer fuel and power supplies and transport systems, and developing welfare and social programs. In addition

7482-409: The Cabinet of Ministers was responsible for coordinating All-Union policy on science, technology, patents, use of airspace, prices, general economic policy, housing, environmental protection and military appointments. At last, the Law on the Cabinet of Ministers granted the Cabinet of Ministers the right to issue decrees and resolutions , but not of the same power and scope of those formerly issued by

7656-408: The Cabinet of Ministers, and Silayev became the Soviet Union's de facto Premier . The All-Union government tried to rebuff the seizure attempts by the Russian government. Still, by September 1991 the Soviet government had broken down. On 25 December 1991 Gorbachev announced in a televised speech his resignation from the post of President of the Soviet Union . On the following day, the Soviet of

7830-410: The Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee respectively, could alter laws. Stalin's power grab in the 1930s weakened the formal institutions of governance, both in the party and government. Scholar T. H. Rigby writes that "all institutions had gradually dissolved in the acid of despotism ", and from 1946 until Stalin died in 1953 "only the most minimal of gestures were made to reverse

8004-423: The Council of Ministers", which sought to explain the role of the Council of Ministers, its internal operations, and its relationship with the party. It stated that the party politburo had the right to decide on all political matters, which included such topics as governmental appointments and defense, foreign policy, and internal security. It went on to define the government solely as an institution of administering

8178-408: The Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers had been the sole permanent executive and administrative body in the Soviet Union during its existence. The Cabinet of Ministers existed alongside the Federation Council, the Presidential Council and other executive organs that reported directly to the president. However, as the sole executive organ responsible for the economy and the ministries it

8352-444: The Council of People's Commissars as the Soviet government, and conferring upon it the role of the "highest executive and administrative organ of state power". The constitution stripped the Council of People's Commissars of powers to initiate legislation, and instead confined it to issuing "decrees and regulations on the basis and in execution of the laws currently in force". Only the Supreme Soviet and its Presidium , having replaced

8526-442: The German authorities. Plechavičius personally ordered his officers in territorial branches to ignore the mobilization order. Starting in April the Germans considered transforming the LTDF into an auxiliary police service of the SS . On May 9, 1944, after the unsuccessful attempt to mobilize, Friedrich Jeckeln ordered units in the Vilnius region to recognize his direct authority. All other units of LTDF were to become subordinate to

8700-401: 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, the Germans ordered Plechavičius to mobilize the country. Plechavičius responded that the mobilization could not take place until the formation of the detachment

8874-400: 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

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9048-450: The Germans still de facto occupying the country, the Council of Lithuania could not really do much even if it 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

9222-520: 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

9396-405: 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 is also known to have spoken Samogitian . Plechavičius graduated from a gymnasium in Moscow in 1908. Because Plechavičius

9570-403: The Kaunas Infantry Regiment were already in the Vilnius region and deployed as companies. All battalions were composed of volunteers with no previous military service, poorly armed and equipped. Despite their unpreparedness, they faced the Polish partisan units active in that area on May 4. On May 4, the 310th Battalion's 2nd Company, marching from Jašiūnai to Turgeliai  [ lt ] ,

9744-418: The Kaunas Infantry Regiment, with Colonel Tomas Vidugiris  [ lt ] as its commander. At the beginning of May, the regimental commander received an order for the regiment to go to Vilnius. There, at the request of the SS leadership, the regiment was to be split up and deployed in companies . In April, the Polish AK in the Vilnius region attempted to begin negotiations with Plechavičius, proposing

9918-403: The LTDF initiated a widespread anti-partisan operation against the Polish and Soviet partisans in the area. Even before the combat against Polish partisans, Plechavičius issued an order condemning unkind or even brutal treatment of any inhabitants of Lithuania, no matter what language they spoke, meaning that he forbade anti-Polish actions. Still, reports within the Polish Home Army (AK) accused

10092-407: The LTDF of anti-Polish aggression and murdering Polish civilians. The Lithuanian historian Arūnas Bubnys wrote that these casualties were most likely collateral damage in the crossfire between the Polish AK and the LTDF. Regardless, Polish researchers such as the sociologist Tadeusz Piotrowski , accuse LTDF units of committing atrocities against Polish civilians. By May 3-4, all three battalions of

10266-449: The LTDF. The Germans were surprised by the number of volunteers, as their previous appeals had gone unheeded. Possibly perceiving the growing popularity of the unit as a threat, they began to interfere, contrary to the signed agreement. On March 22, SS Obergruppenführer and SD General Friedrich Jeckeln called for 70–80,000 Hiwis for the Wehrmacht . Chief-of-Staff of the Northern Front Field Marshal Walter Model further demanded that

10440-445: 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

10614-481: The Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force (Lithuanian: Lietuvos vietinės rinktinės karių sąjunga ), a veterans' organization , was founded in 1997. After Nazi Germany lost the Battle of Stalingrad in early 1943 and the Eastern Front began moving westwards, the occupying German authorities became concerned with mobilizing the population of occupied lands and revised its policy to allow Lithuanians to mobilize themselves after attempts failed to mobilize youths into

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10788-480: 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

10962-525: The Lithuanian interwar military court law to enforce discipline. The brigade would be tasked with protecting strategic military sites, if not protected by the Wehrmacht , while Ukrainian and other foreign units would leave Lithuania. If needed, the commander could employ other Lithuanian units in the Lithuanian General District and confiscate vehicles. Lithuanian Police would obey the brigade commander's orders to ensure security and order in Lithuania. The German establishment would not issue direct orders to

11136-401: The Lithuanian officers, they demanded that German officers called Zahlmeisters be inserted into LTDF units. An oath, similar to one used by the Lithuanian armed forces, was prepared, but altered by SSPF Hermann Harm to include a personal oath to Hitler . Knowing that such an oath was unacceptable to Lithuanian soldiers, the ceremony was repeatedly delayed and the oath had not been taken when

11310-444: The Lithuanian unit. The minimum 10,000-strong future brigade was to be the centre of the future Lithuanian armed forces for the anti-Bolshevik fight, exclusively controlled by the brigade's commander, and employed only inside the territory of the General District of Lithuania. On Lithuanian military mobilization, certificates for a person's irreplaceability in the economy and such would be removed. The brigade's military court would follow

11484-566: The Lithuanians provide personnel for 15 security battalions for military airports. General Commissioner of Lithuania Adrian von Renteln added his demand for labourers to be sent to work in Germany. They were not the only German officials to issue demands for Lithuanian personnel. Plechavičius rejected and resisted such demands. By March 1, more than 19,500 men had already registered. It was decided to organize 13 battalions, numbered 301st , 302nd , 303rd , 304th , 305th , 306th , 307th , 308th , 309th , 310th , 241st , 242nd and 243rd , and

11658-467: The Nazi occupation but failed. Soviet partisans wanted to return Lithuania to Soviet occupation and were opposed to the others: the Lithuanian Territorial Defence Force, the occupying German troops, and the Home Army. However, Soviet partisans had similar enemies to the latter group, even if their goals differed. The Polish Home Army wanted to restore the Polish state within its pre-1939 borders. From 1943, Polish partisan units began to be established in

11832-415: The Polish Home Army. In the battles against the Polish Home Army on 5 May 1944, about 70 LTDF soldiers were killed, and several hundred were taken prisoner. Roughly 30 were shot after a Polish Home Army court-martial , while others were disarmed and released. The formation of the LTDF began from its headquarters. On February 3, Colonel Oskaras Urbonas was appointed the LTDF's chief of staff . On February 4,

12006-463: The Polish forces, the 13th and 9th Brigades, secured the Muravanaja Ašmianka–Talminava road. During the battle, the Lithuanian force lost 60 men, while 170 were taken prisoner . Another 117 Lithuanian soldiers were taken prisoner later that night in the nearby village of Talminava  [ be ] . After the battle all Lithuanian prisoners were disarmed and set free wearing only their long johns and helmets . Polish historian Rafał Wnuk says that

12180-402: 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

12354-431: The Republics voted to dissolve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a state and subject of international law, legally terminating the Soviet government's existence. The government was the highest executive and administrative body of the Soviet state. It was formed at the 1st Plenary Session of the Supreme Soviet (the joint meeting of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities ), and had to consist of

12528-592: 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 the underground resistance and formed

12702-589: The Soviet Red Army when Nazi Germany was defeated. The LTDF was to be the nucleus of these military units to restore the Lithuanian state, on which the army of the Republic of Lithuania would be based. The Nazi occupation authorities viewed the LTDF differently and termed its units police battalions, planning to use them for Eastern Front battles and only minimally to fight Soviet partisans. The Germans also wanted to recruit tens of thousands of Lithuanians into

12876-613: The Soviet Union The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the executive and administrative organ of the highest body of state authority , the All-Union Supreme Soviet . It was formed on 30 December 1922 and abolished on 26 December 1991. The government was headed by a chairman, most commonly referred to as the premier of the Soviet Union , and several deputy chairmen throughout its existence. The Communist Party of

13050-521: The Soviet Union (CPSU), as " The leading and guiding force of Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system " per Article 6 of the state constitution , controlled the government by holding a two-thirds majority in the All-Union Supreme Soviet. The government underwent several name changes throughout its history, and was known as the Council of People's Commissars from 1922 to 1946, the Council of Ministers from 1946 to 1991,

13224-608: The Soviet Union Gorbachev could appoint and dismiss government ministers. However, he grew concerned about his inability to control All-Union ministries. On 24 September 1990 Gorbachev managed to get the Supreme Soviet to grant him temporary powers of unrestricted decrees on the economy, law and order and appointment of government personnel until 31 March 1992. Still feeling stifled by anti-reformist elements, Gorbachev proposed in November 1990 to radically reorganise

13398-526: The Soviet Union. Lenin was appointed its chairman, alongside five deputy chairmen and ten people's commissars (ministers). On 17 July 1923 the All-Union Council of People's Commissars notified the central executive committees of the union republics and their respective republican governments that it had begun to fulfill the tasks entrusted to it. The original idea was for the Council of People's Commissars to report directly (and be subordinate) to

13572-611: 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

13746-417: The Soviet invasion. The German administration's behaviour was assessed by the anti-Nazi Lithuanian Front 's bulletin  [ lt ] : "Such German tendencies still show two things: first, that they do not trust the Lithuanians and do not want to allow them a larger, more independent armed force; secondly, that they are still only pursuing their unilateral interests (military and political), disregarding

13920-540: 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

14094-602: The Soviet political system, being greatly inspired by the presidential system of the United States and the semi-presidential system of France. Gorbachev sought to reorganise institutions at the All-Union level by subordinating executive power to the presidency. By November 1990 Gorbachev was calling for the dissolution of the Council of Ministers and its replacement with a Cabinet of Ministers. Formerly executive power had been divided into two separate institutions;

14268-634: The Statute of the Council of People's Commissars. The legislative dominance of the Council of People's Commissars continued despite the 1924 constitution's insistence on its relationship to the CEC. Mikhail Kalinin of the CEC and Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee noted in 1928 that one needed to differentiate between the Presidium of the CEC , which he considered the "organ of legislation", and

14442-459: The Supreme Soviet and its Presidium . It regularly reported to the Supreme Soviet on its work, as well as being tasked with resolving all state administrative duties in the jurisdiction of the USSR which were not the responsibility of the Supreme Soviet or the Presidium. Within its limits, the government had responsibility for: The government could issue decrees and resolutions and later verify their execution. All organisations were obliged to obey

14616-550: The Vilnius Infantry Regiment. Before that, the movement of the battalions to their intended destinations began. The 303rd Battalion was moved from Marijampolė to its new garrison in Trakai on April 15 General Staff Colonel Jonas Šlepetys was appointed commander of the Vilnius Infantry Regiment after being dismissed as commander of the 306th Battalion. The 301st, 308th and 310th Battalions were combined into

14790-495: The Vilnius airfield, the Germans selected 12 men and took them away. After some time, they announced that those taken away had been shot and that the guilt of the battalion had been "atoned for". In addition, 41 soldiers of the LTDF who were in the guard-house in Vilnius were killed by the Germans. Also that day, having arrived with two motorized companies in Ashmyany, Dietl gathered Lithuanian officers in Ashmyany and took them to

14964-421: 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, the occupying Germans unsuccessfully tried to force the Lithuanian military units into

15138-457: The activity of the first deputy chairmen and deputy chairmen [and] in urgent cases, makes decisions on particular questions of state administration." The government appointed first deputy chairmen and deputy chairmen to assist the work of the government chairman. These deputies worked with the responsibilities allocated to them by the government. They could coordinate the activities of ministries, state committees and other organs subordinated to

15312-538: The administrative role of the Council of People's Commissars. The 1924 constitution differentiated between All-Union and unified (referred to as republican from 1936 onwards) people's commissariats. The people's commissariats for justice, internal affairs, social security, education, agriculture and public health remained republican-level ministries. In the meantime the commissariats for foreign affairs, commerce and industry, transport, military and navy affairs, finance, foreign trade, labour, post and telegraphs, supply and

15486-412: The atrophy of formal organs of authority, in both party and state." British academic Leonard Schapiro contended that "Stalin's style of rule was characterised by how rule through regular machinery (party, government apparatus) gave way increasingly to the rule of personal agents and agencies, each operating separately and often in conflict, with Stalin in supreme overall control." The government, which

15660-555: The battalion retreated to Ashmyany . The Poles returned their captives to Ashmyany wearing only their underwear. On the night of May 13, large groups of Polish partisans surrounded two companies of the 301st Battalion in Muravanaja Ašmianka (Lithuanian: Ašmenėlė ; Polish: Murowana Oszmianka ) and one company in Talminava  [ be ] (Lithuanian: Tolminovas ; Polish: Tołminowo ) The company, surrounded,

15834-444: The battalion were killed in fighting with the AK, and three soldiers on a reconnaissance mission were bayonetted. Two companies of the 306th Battalion were sent from Vilnius to Rūdninkai  [ lt ] . From the battalion, 17 men were shot by the Germans, and the soldiers were forcibly taken to Germany. However, one company successfully avoided capture by the Germans and returned home. The 309th Battalion, sent to Varėna ,

16008-546: The brigade commander, who would author the text of the oath, together with the head of the General Commissariat's police department. That same day, Hermann Harm , SSPF in Lithuania, wrote Kubiliūnas a letter about Plechavičius' conditions, many of which were unmet, such as transfer of officers from police battalions, but Plechavičius agreed regardless to be the LTDF's leader. According to Lithuanian general Stasys Raštikis ' memoirs, there were three candidates for

16182-489: The brigade or use individual units at will and would not hamper its creation. Deportation of Lithuanians for forced labour in Nazi Germany would stop during the brigade's creation. The Lithuanians would be armed, clothed and equipped along the lines of the German army , while the relatives of their dead and wounded would be treated identically to those of the German army. The General Commissioner of Lithuania would appoint

16356-589: The ceremony. On 4 October 2008, due to 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,

16530-413: The commander of the 2nd Company, Capt. Počebutas. Five were wounded, and about 350 were captured. The captives were later brought back disarmed and stripped to their underwear. On May 15, German Lieutenant Colonel Dietl issued an order to the battalions to which he was attached to go to Vilnius. On their way, the 310th Battalion was surrounded by SS units and disarmed. When the disarmed battalion arrived at

16704-664: The commander, himself, Antanas Rėklaitis and Povilas Plechavičius . After the first two refused Plechavičius, became commander on February 1. On 31 January 1944, the SSPF headquarters signed an order for the organization of Lithuanian battalions to fight against banditry. That same day, the Reich SSPF Heinrich Himmler issued an order to recruit 50,000 Lithuanians for the Wehrmacht's Army Group North . Long negotiations between SSPF Ostland Friedrich Jeckeln , Hermann Harm and Lithuanians led to an agreement about

16878-428: 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 was released but remained under

17052-525: The core of the LTDF and would be used for larger operations according to Plechavičius' orders. Small units were kept at the disposal of county commandants. A training battalion in Marijampolė was planned for the training of officer cadres and non-commissioned officers. The Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania that was the anti-Nazi resistance in Lithuania also approved the organization of

17226-498: The council's relationships with subordinate organs were defined in the Soviet constitution by the Law on the Council of Ministers of the USSR. Each union republic and autonomous republic had its own governments formed by the republican legislature of the respective union republic or autonomous republic. Republican governments were not legally subordinate to the All-Union government, but they were obliged in their activities to be guided by

17400-418: The decrees and decisions of the All-Union government. At the same time, the union-republican ministries had double subordination – they simultaneously submitted to the union republican government, within the framework of which they were created, and to the corresponding all-union government, orders and instructions which should have been guided in their activities. In contrast to the union republican ministries of

17574-433: The decrees and resolutions issued by the government. The All-Union Council also had the power to suspend all mandates and decrees issued by itself or organisations subordinate to it. The Council coordinated and directed the work of the union republics and union ministries, state committees and other organs subordinate to it. The competence of the government and its Presidium with respect to their procedures and activities and

17748-562: The divisional headquarters of the 221st Security Division . There, they were told that the units of the regiment were completely demoralized and unfit for combat, so the regiment was disarmed, put in trucks, and returned to Kaunas for training. The officers were arrested; most of them were later sent to the Salaspils concentration camp. The 305th Battalion of the Vilnius Regiment was transferred to Eišiškės , where 14 soldiers of

17922-534: The economy to give state enterprises more autonomy, while giving state enterprises more room to discuss their production goals with their respective ministries. The Brezhnev Era also saw the adoption of the 1977 constitution . It defined for the first time the responsibilities and membership of the government's Presidium. The constitution defined the Presidium as a permanent governmental organ responsible for establishing and securing good economic leadership and to assume administrative responsibilities. It stated that

18096-537: The economy. The non-economic ministries, such as the Ministry of State Security , reported to the politburo. In addition, the 8 February resolution established eight sectoral bureaus; Bureau for Agriculture, Bureau for Metallurgy and Chemicals, Bureau for Machine Construction, Bureau for Fuel and Electric Power Stations, Bureau for Food Industry, Bureau for Transport and Communication, Bureau for Light Industry and Bureau for Culture and Health. This decision transformed

18270-475: The enactment of the New Union Treaty . Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov was one of the leaders of the coup. The Cabinet of Ministers and most All-Union power organs supported the coup attempt against Gorbachev. In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR) led by Boris Yeltsin sought to weaken Gorbachev's presidential powers. The State Council

18444-491: The end of January 1944, a compromise was reached and the Lithuanian Territorial Defence Force was established. On January 31, the Reich SS and police leader (SSPF) signed an order on the organization of Lithuanian battalions to fight against "banditry". On February 1, General Povilas Plechavičius was appointed commander of the LTDF. By late 1943, German leadership was forced to negotiate with Lithuanian representatives on

18618-468: The first deputy chairmen would take on the role of acting head of government until the premier's return. The Administrator of Affairs was tasked with co-signing decrees and resolutions made by government with the government chairman. The government apparatus prepared items of policy, which the officeholder would check systematically against decrees of the party-government. This function consisted of several departments and other structural units. In addition

18792-514: The following were invited as heads of departments of the headquarters: Captain Justinas Liaukus was appointed adjutant of the LTDF's staff. By February 8, the headquarters were almost completely formed. Then began the formation of local military headquarters, whose task it was to organize the LTDF's volunteer units. On February 10-12, 25 county commandants were appointed. The Germans agreed to form 10 battalions, each of about 500 men. It

18966-578: The force's fourteen battalions successfully escaped Nazi persecution. Those who escaped later contributed to the Forest Brothers ' armed anti-Soviet resistance . LTDF was autonomous, staffed by Lithuanian officers, and commanded by the Lithuanian General Povilas Plechavičius. The German Zivilverwaltung agreed not to transfer Lithuanian youth to forced labour in Germany while the LTDF was active. The Soldiers' Union of

19140-516: The formation disbanded. On April 6, Plechavičius was given an order to mobilize the entire country. He refused, saying that it was impossible until the formation of his existing detachment was finished; this increased the Germans' displeasure with him. Plechavičius wrote in his postwar memoirs that in late April, German plans to mobilize Lithuanians into the Wehrmacht became obvious, and LTDF headquarters began secretly organizing underground armed forces, to include Lithuanian Army officers, veterans of

19314-719: The formation of a Lithuanian unit, which refused German demands to organize an SS legion. November 23–24 1943, the Nation's Council rejected the proposal to establish an SS legion. Instead, they advocated for a national Lithuanian army, following the principles outlined by Lithuanian general Stasys Raštikis , that the Lithuanian Army consist of all types of units and weaponry, be commanded by a reliable Lithuanian officer and led by Lithuanian officers, and that all Lithuanians serving in other military units and police be allowed to join. It would only operate in Lithuania, defending it from

19488-511: The government apparatus, especially during Nikita Khrushchev 's leadership. At first, the new leadership sought to solve problems within the existing bureaucratic framework, however, by 1954 the government initiated reforms which devolve more economic decision-making to the republican governments. Around this time Khrushchev suggested abolishing the industrial and construction ministries and distributing their duties and responsibilities to republican governments and regional bureaucrats. The end-goal

19662-516: The government chairman, alongside the first deputy chairmen, deputy chairmen and the republican governmental heads made up the Presidium's membership. Gorbachev had been speaking critically of the idea of a Soviet presidency until October 1989. He had argued that a presidency could lead to the reestablishment of the cult of personality and one-man leadership. However, Gorbachev was meeting stiff resistance from bureaucrats and anti-reformist elements against his reformist policies. The establishment of

19836-742: 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

20010-404: The government's working methods. The new resolution delegated authorities to the bureaus and away from the deputy chairmen of government and high-standing ministers. Every sectoral bureau was headed by a deputy chairman of the government, but decision-making was devolved into these collegial decision-making organs. The net effect of these changes was to greatly increase the legislative activity of

20184-477: The government, take control of these organs and issue day-to-day instructions. At last, they could give prior consideration to proposals and draft decisions submitted to the government. For example, Kirill Mazurov was responsible for industry, and Dmitry Polyansky was responsible for agriculture in Kosygin's Second Government . In the case of the government chairman not being able to perform his duties one of

20358-444: The government. Stalin, who had not attended a meeting of the Bureau since 1944, resorted to appointing acting government chairmen. Molotov was first appointed, but could rarely fulfill his duties since he was simultaneously Minister of Foreign Affairs and often away on business. On 29 March 1948 the politburo resolved to create a rotational chairmanship headed by Lavrentiy Beria , Nikolai Voznesensky and Georgy Malenkov . Lacking

20532-686: The interests of Lithuanians. Militarily, they want to get people to plug the gaps in their army; politically - to announce to the world that Lithuanians are asking to be accepted under German leadership and protection to fight for the New Europe ." The Lithuanians understood their interests, did not identify them with Nazi plans and refused to be blindly used by the German occupiers. Adrian von Renteln summoned general Povilas Plechavičius on January 7, 1944 to convince him that Lithuanian forces were necessary to combat Bolshevism. Plechavičius informed Renteln on January 9 that he would protect his countrymen if he

20706-405: The interior were granted All-Union status. This system created troubles at first since neither the constitution or any legal document defined the relations between All-Union commissariats, their organs in republics and the separate unified republican commissariats. However, this system was kept with minor changes until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The 1936 constitution defined

20880-602: 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

21054-406: 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

21228-536: The management functions of the construction and industrial ministries had been transferred to 105 newly established Soviets of the National Economy . Republican planning committees were given more responsibility, while the State Planning Committee was given responsibility over companies that could not be decentralised to republican governments. The Soviet media began propagating the idea of developing complex, regional economies and comparing them to

21402-411: The men succeeded in doing. The people were calmed down and continued dancing. The May Day had 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

21576-655: 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

21750-706: The military school. On the morning of May 16, all those who remained were arrested by the Germans and the officers were separated from the cadets and soldiers. A few days later, the Germans took 106 cadets to the Stutthof concentration camp in trucks. Beginning in March, Germans constantly tried to use LTDF to mobilize Lithuanians for labour in Germany for the Wehrmacht and the Hiwis , but Plechavičius blocked this. As tensions between Germans and LTDF grew, Plechavičius even sent

21924-506: 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,

22098-580: The office of President of the Soviet Union was seen as an important tool to strengthen Gorbachev's control over the state apparatus. Gorbachev proposed to the 3rd Plenary Session of the XXI Supreme Soviet in February 1990 to establish the Office of the President of the Soviet Union. The Supreme Soviet passed the motion, and in March an Extraordinary Session of the Congress of People's Deputies

22272-581: The old ministerial system. The belief was that the Soviets of the National economy would increase inter-branch cooperation and specialization. However, the reforms did not manage to cure the failings of the Soviet economy, and actually showed shortcomings in other areas as well. Khrushchev's government responded by initiating reforms that reversed decentralisation measures, and sought to recentralise control over resource allocation. The removal of Khrushchev

22446-477: 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

22620-524: The people's commissars into ministers. On 25 February 1947, appropriate changes were made to the Constitution of the Soviet Union. The government's Bureau was established in 1944. After the war, the bureau was split into two. These bureaus were merged on 20 March 1946, reestablishing the government's Bureau. The party Politburo adopted on 8 February 1947 the resolution "On the Organization of

22794-536: The premier and confirmed by the Supreme Soviet. The Government of the Soviet Union exercised its executive powers in conformity with the constitution of the Soviet Union and legislation enacted by the Supreme Soviet. The first government was led by Vladimir Lenin , and the last government was led by Valentin Pavlov . Following the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR of 1922, the Russian SFSR , Ukrainian SSR ,

22968-406: The presidency and the Council of Ministers. Both reported to the Supreme Soviet. The Cabinet of Ministers would report directly to the President of the Soviet Union, and be accountable to both the presidency and to the Supreme Soviet. While the term of the Council of Ministers had been tied to the election of the Supreme Soviet, the Cabinet of Ministers was obliged by law to tender its resignation if

23142-494: 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 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

23316-586: The regional German commanders. Jeckeln demanded that the troops take an oath to Hitler . Furthermore, the detachment was to wear SS uniforms and use the Heil Hitler greeting. Povilas Plechavi%C4%8Dius 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

23490-583: 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,

23664-425: The sitting president stepped down. Similar to the Council of Ministers, the leading decision-making organ of the Cabinet of Ministers was the Presidium. It was to be chaired by the newly created office of Prime Minister of the Soviet Union. In accordance with law the Presidium had to consist of the prime minister, his first deputies , deputies and an Administrator of Affairs . The duties and responsibilities of

23838-477: The solemn promises given to the Republic of Lithuania to respect the "sovereignty and territorial integrity and inviolability of Lithuania under all circumstances" ( 1926 treaty between the Republic of Lithuania and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics , Article 2) on 15 June 1940, the Soviet Union's government , having militarily occupied Lithuania , falsifying the will of the Lithuanian people, and joining

24012-426: The state." Boris Bazhanov , the private secretary of Joseph Stalin , echoed the same sentiments. According to Bazhanov appointment of people's commissars were made by the party Politburo and ratified later by the Council of People's Commissars. This informal system of government, in which the party decides and the government implements, lasted until Mikhail Gorbachev 's tenure as leader. The government chairman

24186-643: 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

24360-486: The system of industrial ministers as they existed before 1957. Of the 33 newly appointed construction- and industry ministers appointed in 1965, twelve had served as ministers in 1957 or before and ten had worked and risen to the rank of deputy minister by this time. This was followed by the establishment of the All-Union Ministry of Education and the All-Union Ministry of Preservation of Public Order in 1966. Four All-Union construction ministries were established in 1967 and

24534-418: The territory of Lithuania to the Soviet Union with the help of the Red Army, is now again using Stalin's lips to 'liberate' the Republic of Lithuania." They then requested permission to form the 1st Lithuanian Division, commanded by a senior Lithuanian officer, who would be called the inspector general. The division would be created by mobilization and would be tasked with the defence of Lithuanian territory from

24708-399: The union republic, the republican ministries were subordinate only to the government of the corresponding union republic. Lenin sought to create a governmental structure that was independent of the party apparatus. Valerian Osinsky echoed Lenin's criticism, but Grigory Zinoviev responded to criticism in 1923 by stating that "Everyone understands that our Politburo is the principal body of

24882-525: 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,

25056-436: 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

25230-493: The weapons and uniforms taken from the Lithuanians significantly improved the equipment of the Polish forces. The Poles used the element of surprise because the Lithuanians had around 150 more soldiers. The disparity in size, and the fact that Lithuanians no longer felt safe inside their own barracks, added to the importance of the defeat. Both sides incurred heavy losses. Of the LTDF's 301st Battalion, 30 men were killed, including

25404-547: The wide-ranging mandate from the Lithuanian government, Plechavičius started an uncompromising fight against 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

25578-652: 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 ] ,

25752-612: 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

25926-527: 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

26100-431: Was almost destroyed by the Poles. The AK organized a concentrated assault against the fortified Lithuanian positions around Muravanaja Ašmianka. The defences, reinforced with concrete bunkers and trenches, were manned by the 301st Battalion. During the night of May 13–14, the 3rd AK Brigade assaulted the village from the west and north-west, while the 8th and 12th Brigades attacked from the south and east. The remainder of

26274-458: 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

26448-523: Was at this point the most formalised Soviet state institution, developed neopatrimonial features due to Stalin's habit of ruling through "the strict personal loyalty of his lieutenants". Stalin was elected to the government chairmanship on 6 May 1941. The government continued to function normally until World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) when it was subordinated to

26622-514: Was attacked by Polish partisans from the 3rd AK Brigade and forced to withdraw to Jašiūnai. Company commander Major Vytautas Narkevičius and two soldiers were captured and shot by Polish partisans because civilians had been killed in Merkinė  [ lt ] (also referred to as Paulava, Polish: Pawłów ). Polish historian Piotr Łossowski claims that the Lithuanian 301st Battalion suffered 47 casualties at Hraŭžyški  [ be ] , and

26796-546: 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

26970-535: 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

27144-441: 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 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

27318-504: Was convened to amend the constitution. The Law on the Presidency which was adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies stated that the president had to be elected in a nationwide election, but Gorbachev argued that the country was not ready for divisive election. Therefore, the Congress of People's Deputies held a vote in which 1329 voted to elect Gorbachev as President of the Soviet Union, while 916 voted against him. As President of

27492-480: Was dispersed by the 8th and 12th AK Brigades on May 5. On May 6, two companies of the 308th Battalion, marching to Hraŭžyški  [ be ] (Lithuanian: Graužiškės ; Polish: Graużyszki ), fought with Polish partisans from the 8th, 9th and 13th AK Brigades. Henryk Piskunowicz claims that the unit burned the villages of Sienkaŭščyna  [ be ] and Adamkaŭščyna and murdered their inhabitants. With about 20 people killed, 15 wounded and 70 captured,

27666-452: Was enormously successful: more volunteers came forward than 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

27840-711: Was established. It superseded the government in terms of power by giving each republican president a seat on the council. In addition, every decision had to be decided by a vote–a move that greatly weakened Gorbachev's control. In tandem, the Russian SFSR seized the building and staff of the All-Union Ministry of Finance , the State Bank and the Bank for Foreign Economic Relations. With the central government's authority greatly weakened, Gorbachev established

28014-426: Was followed by reversing his reforms of the government apparatus. The first move came in early 1965 when Alexei Kosygin 's First Government when the All-Union Ministry of Agriculture was regifted responsibility for agriculture (which it lost in one Khrushchev's earlier reforms). By October the same year the Council of Ministers abolished the industrial state committees and regional economic councils and reestablished

28188-399: Was given the freedom to form and lead the Lithuanian units with independent leadership. Since military formations could only be constituted in occupied territory with the approval of Reich SSPF Heinrich Himmler , Renteln pledged to speak with Berlin. Plechavičius wrote to Petras Kubiliūnas , the first general councillor, on January 31, setting out the following conditions for his command of

28362-414: Was more successful in escaping German capture, and two of the battalion's companies managed to withdraw to their homeland with their weapons. About 2,000 men gathered at the Marijampolė military school. As the situation worsened and relations with the Germans worsened, Plechavičius ordered the military school to disband in early May. As the LTDF began to be liquidated on May 15, only about 160 people were in

28536-512: Was planned to increase the number of battalions to 20. The Germans promised to provide the LTDF with weapons, ammunition and food. On February 16, Lithuanian Independence Day , Plechavičius made a radio appeal to the nation for volunteers. The appeal was very successful and estimates put the number of volunteers between 20,000 and 30,000. On February 21, the county commandant offices started registering volunteers. Seven battalions stationed in Marijampolė , Kalvarija and Seredžius were to form

28710-438: 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 the 5th Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Russian Army against the German Empire , Austria-Hungary and

28884-444: Was regarded as interchangeable with 'minister', and there seems little doubt that the Bolshevik leaders meant 'minister'." Joseph Stalin , in a speech to the II Supreme Soviet in March 1946, argued to change the name of government from Council of People's Commissars to Council of Ministers because "The commissar reflects the period of revolutionary rupture and so on. But that time has now passed. Our social system has come into being and

29058-536: 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

29232-534: Was 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 ]

29406-452: Was the most important. The Cabinet of Ministers was by law forced to work more closely with republican governments than the Council of Ministers. Republican governments could petition the Cabinet of Ministers at any time, and the Cabinet of Ministers was forced to take all questions from republican governments into consideration. To foster better relations ministers moved to create collegiums with their republican counterparts. For instance,

29580-430: Was to be the executive arm of the CEC. This governmental structure was copied from the one established in the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (Russian SFSR), and the government was modeled on the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian SFSR. The government of the Russian SFSR led by Vladimir Lenin governed the Soviet Union until 6 July 1923, when the CEC established the Council of People's Commissars of

29754-443: Was to fight against bandits and partisans, widespread in eastern Lithuania. On Lithuanian territory, Soviet partisans operated from two main camps, one near Narach and another in Rūdninkai forest , from which the partisan groups reached even Samogitia . Even more numerous were the Home Army's Polish partisan units. There were also other marauding gangs. Seven LTDF battalions were sent to eastern Lithuania to fight Soviet partisans and

29928-479: Was to reduce the size of the All-Union government and increase economic growth. A similar idea was proposed to the CPSU Presidium in January 1957. The proposal sought to switch the function of the All-Union government from active management of operational management of industry to active branch policy-making. Operational management was to be decentralised to republican governments and local authorities. The CPSU Presidium adopted Khrushchev's proposal. By July 1957

30102-433: Was until the establishment of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1991 the Soviet head of government . The officeholder was responsible for convening the government and its Presidium, reporting to the Supreme Soviet on behalf of the government and leading the work on formulating the five-year plans. The "Law on the Council of Ministers of the USSR" states that the chairman "heads the Government and directs its activity... coordinates

30276-451: 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 . Government of

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