Type | Military academy |
---|---|
Established | 1992 (1919 as War School of Kaunas) |
Undergraduates | personnel management, transport engineering management, and international relations |
Postgraduates | personnel management and military diplomacy |
Location | Šilo Str. 5A, Vilnius , |
The General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania (Generolo Jono Žemaičio Lietuvos karo akademija) is a state-sponsored institution of higher learning based in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was founded in 1994 by the Lithuanian Seimas, and is overseen by the Ministry of National Defense. [1] It is named in honor of General Jonas Žemaitis, commander of the armed anti-Soviet resistance in Lithuania.
The academy continues the traditions of War School of Kaunas, established on 9 March 1919. On 16 December 1992, by order of the government, the National Defense School was established under the Lithuanian Armed Forces. On 18 January 1994, the school was reorganized into the Lithuanian Military Academy. [2] [3] On 20 October 1998, the academy was named after partisan general Jonas Žemaitis. Since September 2000, women have been admitted to the academy as cadets and now comprise over 15 percent of all cadets.
Commandants of the academy were: [4]
The academy delivers internationally recognized bachelor's, master's and doctoral education to members of the Lithuanian defense and national security community, and offers multiple professional military education, language, and national security training courses. The academy has over 50 researchers and enrolls over 100 cadets and 60 other degree students annually.
The Academy Men's Choir "Kariūnas" (lith. Cadet) was established in 1995 and is the only military choir in Lithuania.
The academy campus covers a territory of 5 ha in the Vilnius neighborhood of Antakalnis.
The academy participates in the European Initiative for the Exchange of Young Officers (sometimes referred to as "Military Erasmus" or EMILYO), a network of 65 military higher education institutions, and implements international semesters for officer-cadets with participants from Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Poland, USA and other countries.
The academy is also a partner institution of the International Society of Military Sciences (ISMS), and is a member of International Society of Military Academies (ISOMA)
The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles, refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces, Bermontians, and Poland. The wars delayed international recognition of independent Lithuania and the formation of civil institutions.
Jieznas is a small city in the Prienai district municipality, Lithuania. It is located 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Prienai along the northern shores of Lake Jieznas.
Stasys Raštikis was a Lithuanian military officer, ultimately obtaining the rank of divisional general. He was the commander of the Lithuanian Army from September 21, 1934, to April 23, 1940.
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (LSSR) was a short-lived Soviet Puppet state during early Interwar period. It was declared on 16 December 1918 by a provisional revolutionary government led by Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas. It ceased to exist on 27 February 1919, when it was merged with the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia to form the Lithuanian–Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Litbel). While efforts were made to represent the LSSR as a product of a socialist revolution supported by local residents, it was largely a Moscow-orchestrated entity created to justify the Lithuanian–Soviet War. As a Soviet historian described it as: "The fact that the Government of Soviet Russia recognized a young Soviet Lithuanian Republic unmasked the lie of the USA and British imperialists that Soviet Russia allegedly sought rapacious aims with regard to the Baltic countries." Lithuanians generally did not support Soviet causes and rallied for their own national state, declared independent on 16 February 1918 by the Council of Lithuania.
The Lithuanian partisans were partisans who waged a guerrilla warfare in Lithuania against the Soviet Union in 1944–1953. Similar anti-Soviet resistance groups, also known as Forest Brothers and cursed soldiers, fought against Soviet rule in Estonia, Latvia and Poland. It is estimated that a total of 30,000 Lithuanian partisans and their supporters were killed. The Lithuanian partisan war lasted almost for a decade, thus being one of the longest partisan wars in Europe.
Jonas Žemaitis was one of the leaders of the Lithuanian partisans, armed resistance against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, and acknowledged as the head of state by independent Lithuania.
The Ministry for Belarusian Affairs was a short-lived interwar Lithuanian ministry. It was established in December 1918 to gain support of Belarusians in international negotiations over the borders of the newly independent Lithuania. However, the Lithuanian government did not support Belarusian autonomy and the ministry effectively competed with the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Activities of the ministry were limited to publication of several books and two periodicals and other cultural work. The ministry was officially closed in January 1924.
The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania is charged with the oversight of public safety, border protection, migration control, emergency response, public administration and governance, the civil service, and local and regional development initiatives. Its operations are authorized by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, decrees issued by the President and Prime Minister, and laws passed by the Seimas (Parliament). The current head of the ministry is Agnė Bilotaitė.
The Military Ordinariate of Lithuania is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the Lithuanian Armed Forces and their families. The military ordinaries have the rights and duties of a bishop and participate in the Lithuanian Bishops' Conferences.
War School of Kaunas was a military school for junior officers in Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. It was established in January 1919 during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence copying the example of Russian 4-month praporshchik schools established during World War I. Despite difficult circumstances and lack of some of the basic supplies, between March 1919 and October 1920, the school prepared three classes of 434 men who were sent to the front. 15 of these graduates were killed in action. The cadets also participated in suppressing several anti-government coups, including by the Polish Military Organisation in 1919 and by the Voldemarininkai in 1934. As a reliable and loyal force, they were used to guard the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania when it convened in 1920 or the former Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras during his trial.
Vincas Vitkauskas was a Lithuanian general. He became commander of the Lithuanian Army after the resignation of Stasys Raštikis in January 1940. In this capacity, Vitkauskas opposed armed resistance to the Soviet occupation in June 1940 and subsequently collaborated with the new Soviet regime.
Jonas Noreika, also known by his post-war nom de guerre Generolas Vėtra, was a Lithuanian anti-Soviet partisan, military officer, and Nazi collaborator.
The Battle of Kaidanowo was fought on Sunday, 15 November 1812, near the village of Kaidanava, part of the Russian Empire at the time. A Lithuanian, Württembergian, and French force under General Franciszek Ksawery Kossecki of 1,300-2,000 was defeated by seasoned Russian forces led by General Charles de Lambert of about 3,800-4,000.
Major general Jonas Andriškevičius was a Lithuanian military figure and ex-Soviet military officer. He was the first Chief of Defence of Lithuania. He served in this position from 20 October 1993 to 1 July 1999.
The 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment was an uhlan regiment of the Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Lithuanian People's Army were short-lived armed forces of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic following the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in June 1940. The army was formed by the Act of 3 July 1940 of the People's Government of Lithuania and replaced the Lithuanian Armed Forces of independent Lithuania. According to data from 1 June 1940, the army had 28,115 persons – 26,084 soldiers, 2,031 civil servants, and with the announcement of the mobilization it was possible to call 120,400 reserve troops. The army existed until 30 August 1940 before being transformed into the 29th Rifle Corps of the Red Army. Many Lithuanian soldiers and officers were repressed by arrests or executions for their anti-Soviet attitude.
The 5th Infantry Regiment, later the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis was an infantry regiment that served in the Lithuanian Army during the Interwar period.
Vladas Juozas Rėklaitis was a Lithuanian colonel, lecturer of the Higher Officers' Courses, Burgomaster of Ukmergė.
The Paberžė Regiment was a Lithuanian infantry regiment commanded by Antanas Mackevičius during the Uprising of 1863. It was named after the village Paberžė. The regiment fought mostly in the Kaunas Governorate and ranged in strength from 700 to 1,170 members.