Augustinas Voldemaras

Augustinas Voldemaras (born 4 Apriljul / April 16 1883greg in Dysna, Rajongemeinde Ignalina, Lithuania. . † December 16, 1942 in Moscow) was a Lithuanian politician and statesman.

Life and work

Voldemaras came from a few wealthy parents house. He studied history and philosophy at the University of St. Petersburg and completed his studies in 1910. During his studies, Voldemaras joined the newly awakened Lithuanian national movement. He was later appointed professor of philology.

In 1918 he became the first Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lithuania. In this capacity, he contributed significantly to the Lithuanian independence in the wake of the Peace of Brest- Litovsk and the tension of the Polish-Soviet conflicts after the end of the First World War. Subsequently, he was politically as chairman of the Association Geležinis Vilkas active, ran a fascist embossed national- Lithuanian policy.

As a result of a military coup on December 17, 1926 against the President Kazys Grinius he was appointed Prime Minister again under the new President Antanas Smetona. Then he put the existing democratic constitution more and more ineffective. In the former capital Kaunas an assassination attempt was made ​​on his life in 1929, which he survived. In the same year his rival Antanas Smetona deposed him and ruled as a dictator. Geležinis Vilkas supported Voldemaras in a coup attempt, which failed however, and in consequence he was imprisoned for four years.

He was pardoned in 1938 and sent into exile, where he tried several times to return in vain. In a further attempt to return after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940, he was arrested and died in Moscow Butyrka prison.