Could the Baltic States have resisted to the Soviet Union?

[Lit.]

Here is the KGB prison cell in Vilnius, where Adolfas Ramanauskas - "Vanagas" was held. There is Museum of Genocide Victims now. Pictures of "Vanagas" and Jonas Zemaitis are hanging on the wall.



Picture is taken from Polish tourist reflections' page on KGB Museum tour:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/50835/

[Annelie]

Once again Lit thankyou for your input.
It has been most interesting.

Annelie

[Lit.]

Lithuanian partisan Ona Lesinskyte - "Akacija" (Miss Lesinskas) born 1923 12 17 in the village Kaupiai, Taurage distr. From 1946 - liaison and supporter of "Lydis" brigade (“Kestutis" military district). There was a partisan bunker in her home farm. When the Russians traced this bunker in 1947 and the fight between partisans and MGB army started...
After this action it was not possible for her to live a legal life and she joined the ranks of active armed resistance. At first she was a fighter in "Briedis" (The Moose") platoon, later "Zalgiris" ("The Grunwald or Tannenberg") platoon, commanded by her cousin - Z. Satkus - "Siaurys".

In 7th May of 1950 the fighters of "Zalgiris" platoon were betrayed and get in ambush. Ona Lesinskyte - "Akacija" was injured then, but not cached up. After that ambush she get fake papers, illegal medical treatment and cover.

But unfortunately she was arrested in 29th May of 1951 and after more then 1 year of interrogations by Russians - who means tortures - she was put on Soviet "trial". Get Russian standard - 25 years plus 5 to Gulag. She spent many years in Vorkuta labor camp. Ona Lesinskyte - "Akacija" is living in Taurage now.

[Lit.]

"Where the hell they are from?" "Where they are disappearing?" This was the really great problem for Russian occupants during the long lasting Soviet-Lithuanian war in 1944-1965.

Lithuanian freedom fighters were truly well organized, with very wide network of liaisons and informers even in the ranks of their own enemies.

Even Lithuanian dogs were on the right side of this bloody war. They barked differently when some village was inspected by Red Army soldiers, or so called "Istrebiteli" - "Destroyers" (local bandits organized to support Sovietisation), or Freedom fighters. So partisans were informed what is going on in the village near by.

When the much outnumbered troops of invaders surrendered some big part of Lithuanian forests for a "great hunting party" of Forest Brothers - usually they found none.

Here are some examples of "underground architecture" of occupied Lithuania. Drawings were made by NKVD-MVD-KGB only after some bunkers were found or destroyed.

[Lit.]

Ambassador V.Usackas in the US Congress Opened the Exhibit, Honoring Lithuanian Freedom Fighters..

On March 3, 2005, Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States of America (USA) Vygaudas Usackas in the UC Congress Rayburn Building Opened the Exhibit “War after War: the Armed anti-Soviet Resistance in Lithuania in 1944-1953”. The Exhibit honors Lithuanian Freedom Fighters (Partisans) who fought for freedom and liberty for more than a decade against the Soviet Army.

Ambassador V.Usackas: “For many May 9th of 1945 means the end of the Second World War, but not for Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians. While each of us will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory over Nazism in our own way, we need to remember and remind others that as a consequence of the infamous and criminal Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 between Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, the War in Lithuania did not end until 1953 when the last large Lithuanian partisan detachments were liquidated by the Soviets, and the real occupation did not end until 1993 when the last Russian troops left independent Lithuania.”

“In fact, it is not widely known that the last Lithuanian partisans Antanas Kraujelis from Utena region and Pranas Končius from Kretinga were killed during the skirmishes with soviets in 1965 and the very last partisan Pranas Guiga did not surrender to the occupants but died in 1986 while hiding in the forests of Švencioniai region,”- said Lithuanian diplomat.

Ambassador Usackas described the exhibit as “exposing the real stories of life and fight for freedom and independence of Lithuania. It’s not an easy exhibit to attend and go through. It tells about those who fought and sacrificed their lives to free the nation from the oppression.”

In 1940-1958, the Soviets imprisoned over 200,000 Lithuanian residents. Many of them became disabled or died in place of imprisonment due to starvation, exhaustion and diseases. Over 132,000 Lithuanian people were deported, more than 20,000 were killed in the post-war resistance fights and over 440,000 were forced to emigrate to the West. Almost every person in Lithuania has someone among their family members or close relatives who were deported, killed or injured during the soviet oppression, said V.Usackas.

The Embassy of Lithuania in Washington DC and Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) organized the event. To display the real stories of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters in Washington DC was made possible by Genocide and resistance research centre of Lithuania in Vilnius which owns the exhibit.

http://www.ltembassyus.org/hot/CongressExhibition.html

http://www.travel-lithuania.com/citypor ... de_en_resa

[Annelie]

Once again Lit

Thankyou for the most informative and interesting thread.


Annelie

[patrynius]

Lit again Thanks )))))
but still , if you won't dorget at the beginning you wrote smth like that

Actually they did resisted. But a bit later. Lithuania was freed not by German Army (who actually occupied it), but by National Uprising in June of 1941. Then 4000 of Freedom Fighters felt and 8000 wounded. German troops entered in free Lithuania with it's own Government and all other components of free state, including armed forces.

Uprising in 1941?? Can you someday write smthg about that, links if you are busy (I know that everyone here want to here more and more from you )

BEST Regards

[Lit.]

Dear patrynius,

It's hard to find something in English about that 1941 uprising, but I'll try to traslate something some time later.

regards

[Lit.]

Lithuanian partisans (as those in the picture below) while fighting for justice, freedom and democracy for their forgotten and betrayed country, always looked to the West for some minor signs of the possible help coming from "Free Democratic World" (as they used to call themselves):

Partisans of "Algimantas" military district by the river "Sventoji" ("Saint") looking to the West and probably waiting for some miracle (from left to right):

(sitting)

Jonas Simenas - "Berzelis" ("Small Birch") (?-1948) was born in Papiliai village, Subacius distr., Panevezys region. Freedom fighter of "Kestutis" platoon. Killed in action in the village of Jackagalis, Raguva distr. in the 12th of March, 1948.

Povilas Jonelis - "Tuzas" ("Ace") (1926-1948) was born in the village of Nakonys, Troskunai distr. Fell in action in the March of 1948.

Albinas Milciukas - "Tigras" ("Tiger") (1922-1968) was born in Svedasai. Lived in Panevezys. After German occupation was taken to Wehrmacht, later joined "Vietine rinktine" (big unit organized by general P.Plechavicius). Later joined the ranks of Freedom Fighters in "Perkunas" ("Thunder") platoon. Fought in the territories of "Algimantas", "Vytautas" and "Vytis" military districts. In the 20th of November was captured alive in the town Anyksciai. After "interrogations" by NKVD was sentenced to 25 years plus 5 years to GULAG. After the death of Stalin, somewhere in the 50-ties he returned from Siberia to occupied Lithuania. But occupants (KGB) forced him to leave his occupied Fatherland and get back, where he was killed in the mines of Karaganda in 1968.

(standing)

Jonas Stasiukaitis - "Azuolas", "Ezys" ("Oak", "Hedgehog") (?-1949) was born in the village of Jusiskis, Traupys distr. Partisan of "Zaibas" platoon in the "Vytis" military district. Killed in action on the 6th of January, 1949 in the Sibirka village, Traupys distr.

Unknown Lithuanian partisan.

Unknown Lithuanian partisan.

[Annelie]

Quite moving to learn how these men lived, fought and died.

Many of us in the West have no idea how long and hard
partisians fought for "justice, freedom and democracy"
and long after WWII.

Thanks.

[Victor]

PLease do not forget to mention the source of the photo.

[Lit.]

DESECRATION OF THE FALLEN:

"Yet their bodies were not allowed to rest in peace, one could not suitably escort them to eternity, to bury them in the way they deserved to be buried. Stribai [local collaborators of Soviet army /"Lithuanisation" from Russian "Istrebiteli" - "The Destroyers" - Lit./], like angry predators, snatched their victims with an outburst of beastly sentiment and vented their failure and rage by kicking and desecrating their corpses. They would take off dead partisans' shoes and clothes and drive their dead bodies around, taking them into towns and villages, seeking this way to provoke people's contempt towards the partisans, to prove that the partisans' strength was on the wane. Their greatest pleasure consisted in each of them mocking the dead partisans and insulting them. It was distressing to see one's compatriots taking pleasure in driving their carriages over partisans' bodies and beating their corpses with rifle-butts. However, this does not demean the sons of Lithuania, but only proves the Communists' bestiality, their barbarity and stupidity..."

Written by the unknown Lithuanian (Woman) Partisan "Klajune" ("Wanderer")

Above and below pictures are mainly from the Photo Album "For Freedom and Fatherland" /"Už laisvę ir Tėvynę" : [fotoalbumas / sudarytojai Dalia Kuodytė, Eugenijus Peikštenis, Dalius Žygelis ; teksto autoriai Dalia Kuodytė, Jonas Vaičenonis]. - Vilnius : Valstybės žinios : Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras, 2004 (Vilnius : Sapnų sala). - 255, [1] p. : iliustr. - Dalis gretut. teksto liet., angl. - Tiražas 1500 egz. - ISBN 9986-18-132-1 (įr.)/

[Lit.]

Lithuanian partisan Vytautas Guobuzas - "Viesulas" ("Tornado") was born 1929 Utena region, Vyzuonai distr. Gaspariskiai village. In the end of 1944 during the Soviet Army inspection of Guobuzas parents farm, his father was shot by Russians, the house was burned. Vytautas together with his 3 older brothers went to the forest and joined the ranks of Freedom Fighters. He was in the "Aras" ("Eagle") platoon, "Liutas" ("Lion") brigade, "Vytautas" military distr. KIA in 29th of April, 1952 together with Bronius Morkunas - "Diemedis" and Bronius Mozura - "Kunotas" near Tumbatiskis railroad station. Bodies were desecrated in Anyksciai.

Bronius Morkunas - "Diemedis" was born in 1932 in Barkuskiai village, Vyzuonai distr., Utena region. During exile his family to Siberia in 1948 he escaped and joined "Aras" platoon, in "Vytautas" military distr. He met there his younger brother Antanas Morkunas - "Jaunutis" - fighter in the same platoon. KIA 1952 04 29.

Bronius Mozura - "Kunotas" was born in 1929 m. Barkuskiai village, Vyzuonai distr., Utena region. Fighter in "Aras" platoon. "Vytautas" distr. KIA 1952 04 29.

[Annelie]

Thankyou for posting Lit

Its important to remember these people and what they died for.
The photos will ensure that they will not be forgotten.

[StaHit]

somebody asked about the uprising in 1941 and Lit. said there's still very little info about this in English or any other languages. Well, that's true and I suppose there is a reason. Problem with 1941 06 23 uprising that it is very controversial event - it was certainly antisoviet but it had also very unpleasant anti Jewish tone That happened because there were many Communist party and Soviet secret police members of Jewish origin although they were minority in their own community. But nobody cared about that fact in the midst of that whole mess.
For example look at this thread http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=76709

The first killings were carried out by members of the Lithuanian anti-Soviet resistance, primarily of the Lietuviu Aktivystu Frontas (LAF), which rose in revolt in Kaunas as soon as the Red Army and Soviet administration began its withdrawal on 21 June. The revolt was assisted by the mutiny of a major portion of the Lithuanian component of the Red forces, the 297th Territorial Corps.

By the evening of 23 June, the LAF insurgents had captured most of Kaunas, and instituted a massacre of Jewish collaborators with the Soviet regime which lasted until June 28. According to the Stahlecker Report, during that period the Lithuanian partisans killed 3,800 Jews in Kaunas and 1,200 in the smaller towns. Most probably the Jews killed were mostly male collaborators, although innocent bystanders might have fallen victim as well.

At the beginning, the number of Lithuanian anti-Soviet partisans was very large, up to 100,000 my remark - this number is nonsensical men according to the memorandum by Prapuolenis to von Renteln in the name of the LAF dated 23 September 1941. No doubt that included the soldiers who had deserted from the 297th Territorial Corps.

With such a large number of men, the entire Jewish population of Lithuanian could quickly have been liquidated. If each of the 100,000 men had killed just two Jews, the task would have been accomplished.

However, the German occupiers did not want a large Lithuanian armed force acting independently which could have formed the basis of a future claim to Lithuanian independence. Instead, the German administration began disarming the Lithuanian partisans, and recruiting a smaller number of them into new auxiliary police and army units, called "Battalions for the National Preservation of Work". By 28 June, the independent massacres carried out by the LAF had been halted by the Germans.

That's why many Jewish historians claim that, we, Lithuanians, started Holocaust at our own will even without the support from Nazi side...