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Karolis PozhelaOne of the organizers of the Communist Party of Lithuania.
Date of Birth: 29.02.1896
Country:  Lithuania |
Content:
- Karolis Požėla: A Lithuanian Communist Leader
- Revolutionary Activity
- Underground Work and Party Leadership
- Arrest and Execution
- Legacy
Karolis Požėla: A Lithuanian Communist Leader
Early Life and EducationKarolis Požėla was born on February 29, 1896, in Bardiškiai, Lithuania. Of peasant descent, he attended the University of Tartu (formerly Dorpat), where he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1916.
Revolutionary Activity
During the Russian Revolutions of 1917, Požėla actively participated in both the February and October Revolutions. In 1918, he established one of the first Communist Party of Lithuania (CPL) cells in German-occupied territory. As a delegate to the CPL's founding congress, he played a crucial role in organizing the underground party.
Underground Work and Party Leadership
After the fall of Soviet rule in Lithuania in 1919, Požėla engaged in clandestine party work. He established the "Spartakas" underground printing press and edited "Tiesa," the CPL's central newspaper. From 1921 onwards, he served as a member of the CPL Central Committee, becoming its secretary in 1923.
Arrest and Execution
In 1926, Požėla was arrested following the Lithuanian coup led by Antanas Smetona. Along with other CPL leaders, he was charged with preparing a communist uprising. Condemned to death by military tribunal, he was executed alongside Juozas Greifenbergeris, Rapolas Čarnas, and Kazys Giedrys on December 27, 1926, in the VI Fort of Kaunas.
Legacy
Požėla's legacy lives on in Kaunas, where a monument to the "Four Communists" by sculptors Bronius Vyšniauskas and Napoleonas Petruli is displayed in the Grūtas Park of Soviet sculptures.
