Iron Wolf (organization)

The Iron Wolf ( Geležinis vilkas ) was a fascist struggle covenant, which was established in 1927 under the authoritarian government of the Lithuanian President Antanas Smetona and the Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras.

History

Originally founded as a sports club, was the Iron Wolf from the beginning - as its model, the Italian Blackshirts - aligned paramilitary. Chief of Staff of the organization was Algirdas Sliesoraitis, but in practice the Iron Wolf was under Voldemaras who sought to secure by means of the Kampfbund his power.

In the years 1927-1929, the Iron Wolf made ​​the headlines primarily by violent disturbances by itself. 1929, there was an accumulation of anti -Polish and anti- Jewish riots, which culminated in the " excesses of Sloboda " August 2, 1929, in the course of which members of the Iron wolf Jews systematically incited by Kaunas and beat. In 1932 came the indictment and on 26 May, the sentences were spoken. Among the 17 defendants were four criminal, eight police officers and five members of the fascist struggle Federal Eisener Wolf. All officers were sentenced to several months imprisonment.

After Voldemaras ' fall in late 1929 by Smetona the Iron Wolf turned face up on Voldemaras ' page, after which the organization was officially dissolved. However, under the command of Sliesoraitis the association remained underground active and planned to continue in 1930 several times a coup to overthrow Smetona and allow Voldemaras the return to the center of power. In 1934, finally came to a planned coup attempt from the Iron Wolf of the Lithuanian Air Force officers, but was defeated.

The openly fascist from the start occurring Iron Wolf looked over the 1930s increased contact with the German Nazis and the proximity of the Lithuanian social philosopher Antanas Maceina, who was in turn strongly influenced by the nationalist movement. On the eve of World War II, many members of the Iron wolf organized in the open Nazi Bund Lithuanian activists ( Lietuvių aktyvistų sąjunga - LAS), the Lithuanian Activist Front ( Lietuvių aktyvistų Frontas - LAF ) and the Party of Lithuanian nationalists ( Lietuvos nacionalistų partija - LNP ), its members have participated during the Second world War to the massacre of the Jewish population of Lithuania.