Antanas Smetona First president of Lithuania. Date of Birth: 10.08.1874 Country: Lithuania

1. Early Life and Education
2. University Education and Political Involvement
3. Journalism and Lithuanian Autonomy Movement
4. Lithuanian Independence and First Presidency
5. Second Presidency and Authoritarian Rule
6. Soviet Occupation and Exile

Early Life and Education

Antanas Smetona was born in Užulėnis, Lithuania, in 1874. He attended elementary school in Taujėnai and received private lessons in Ukmergė and Liepāja. In 1893, he graduated from the progymnasium in Palanga and enrolled in the gymnasium in Mitau (now Jelgava), where he joined a secret patriotic organization alongside Vincas Kudirka.

University Education and Political Involvement

Smetona was expelled from Mitau for protesting forced participation in Orthodox religious services. He completed his gymnasium studies in St. Petersburg in 1897 and entered the University of St. Petersburg's law faculty. He was expelled twice but eventually graduated in 1902.

Journalism and Lithuanian Autonomy Movement

Smetona worked in a land bank in Vilnius and became an editor of the newspaper "Viltis" (Hope) from 1907 to 1913. He also edited the magazine "Vairas" (Rudder) from 1914 to 1915 and collaborated on the newspaper "Vilniaus Žinios" (Vilnius News).

During the First World War, Smetona served as vice-chairman and later chairman of the Central Committee of the Lithuanian Society for the Aid of War Victims.

Lithuanian Independence and First Presidency

In 1917, Smetona was elected to the Council of Lithuania (Lietuvos Taryba), which declared Lithuania's independence on February 16, 1918. Smetona became the Council's chairman and, on April 4, 1919, the first president of Lithuania.

Second Presidency and Authoritarian Rule

After a period of leadership in the Party of National Progress, Smetona became the head of the nationalist Tautietininkai party in 1925. He was one of the organizers of a military coup on December 17, 1926, which overthrew the left-center coalition. Smetona was elected president on the day of the coup and re-elected in 1931 and 1938, establishing an authoritarian regime.

Soviet Occupation and Exile

In 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania. Smetona transferred presidential powers to Antanas Merkys and fled with his family to Germany and later to Switzerland. He spent his final months in the United States before perishing in a fire in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1944.