1 opposing sides
1.1 lithuanian government
1.2 saxon volunteers
1.3 soviet government
opposing sides
lithuanian government
augustinas voldemaras, first prime minister of lithuania, did not believe forming military priority , advocated lithuanian neutrality. trusted german mercenaries protect lithuania until upcoming paris peace conference establish peace. residents organized local self-defense units defend retreating germans. first laws regarding army not issued until november 23. lithuanians, had served in russian army during world war, returned lithuania , started organizing battalions in kaunas, hrodna, alytus. lacked guns, ammunition, , officers.
at end of december, bolsheviks in country, lithuania left leaderless. augustinas voldemaras, antanas smetona, chairman of council of lithuania, , martynas yčas, minister of finance, departed germany ask financial assistance. general kiprijonas kundratavičius, vice minister of defense, suggested retreat hrodna , refused command lithuanian defense. first cabinet of ministers resigned on december 26, 1918. mykolas sleževičius stepped in , organized new government. on december 29, issued first mass appeal in 4 languages calling volunteers lithuanian army. sleževičius government adopted new policy on land reform, summarized in slogan land cultivate it. meant land taken large landowners , redistributed first volunteers free , small peasants fee. mobilization of officers announced on january 25; 400 people responded.
saxon volunteers
in berlin, smetona , yčas signed loan agreement germany 100 million marks. money used build , supply army. further negotiated direct german support in war against soviets. article 12 of compiègne armistice required germans protect lithuania possible soviet attacks, germany interested in maintaining influence in region , weakening russia. @ first tried organize volunteers retreating soldiers of 10th german army, commanded general erich von falkenhayn. however, soldiers tired , demoralized , wanted return home possible. recruitment continued in germany, in saxony. volunteers paid 30 marks per month plus 5 marks per day , had sign 3 months. first saxon volunteers, became known, arrived kaunas @ beginning of january, quite few of them judged unfit duty , sent back. end of january, german volunteers numbered 4,000. not reliable german revolution increased popularity of spartacist league , soviet causes. there several attempts @ coup against lithuanian government. these volunteers stationed in , around kaunas: alytus, jonava, kėdainiai, baisogala.
at first organized 46th saxon volunteer division. on february 22, lieutenant-general walter von eberhardt became commander. in april–may german forces reorganized south lithuania volunteer brigade composed of 3 regiments (18th, 19th, , 20th) , separate battalion in raseiniai. 18th regiment fought alongside lithuanians; 19th regiment guarded kaunas area , did not participate in battle; 20th regiment stationed in hrodna , in kėdainiai; separate battalion joined bermontians. baltische landeswehr, led general rüdiger von der goltz, organized coup against latvian government , captured riga. on may 23, paris peace conference reacting these events asked germany withdraw troops both latvia , lithuania local forces defend themselves. last saxon volunteers left lithuania in mid-july.
soviet government
on december 8, 1918, temporary revolutionary government, chaired vincas mickevičius-kapsukas, formed solely members of communist party of lithuania. on december 16, 1918, revolutionary government declared establishment of lithuanian soviet socialist republic. between december 31, 1918 , january 1, 1919, german garrison withdrew vilnius , passed authority on city local polish committee, against pleas of lithuanian administration. polish self-defense units made of local inhabitants, called lithuanian , belarusian self-defence, took on posts. lithuanian government withdrew kaunas, temporary capital of lithuania. on january 5, 1919, vilnius taken soviets after five-day fight polish paramilitary platoons led general władysław wejtko. kapsukas , government arrived in vilnius daugavpils on january 7. on february 27, lithuanian ssr incorporated lithuanian–belorussian soviet socialist republic or litbel.
in occupied territory soviets created revolutionary committees , soviets based on structures developed in russia. unlike elsewhere, lithuanian communist organizations young , had not yet developed network of supporting local councils. nationalized commercial institutions , large estates. land used collective farming instead of being redistributed small farmers. soviet propagated internationalism , atheism in country of staunch catholics , determined nationalists. soviets supported industrial working class, small in lithuania. soviets demanded large war contributions captured cities , villages. example, panevėžys required pay 1,000,000, utena – 200,000, villagers – 10 rubles. such policies alienated local population , contributed eventual defeat of soviets. example, in february kapsukas sent telegram moscow arguing conscription of local lithuanians red army encourage lithuanians volunteer lithuanian army.
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