The Kaunas Garrison Soldiers’ Uprising on 21–23 February 1920: Historiographical Versions and the Reconstruction of Events

Abstract

 This article analyzes the historiographical versions of the Kaunas Garrison soldiers’ uprising, identifies its causes and examines in detail the course of the uprising as well as the actions of the rebels and the command of the Armed Forces. The versions of the uprising that have so far been presented in historiography do not differ significantly – while, in interwar Lithuania, the version emphasizing that the uprising was instigated by Communists and foreigners was more prominent, Soviet and Lithuanian émigré historiography and memoirs emphasized the Communist nature of the uprising, while British and American officers highlighted problems of discipline, propaganda, and poor provisioning of soldiers, which are noted in both versions.
A reconstruction of the events of the uprising supports the version that the uprising was an action organized by the Bolsheviks, the aim of which was to seize control of military units and overthrow the Lithuanian Government, rather than merely demands to grant the right to vote in the Constituent Assembly elections and improve the soldiers’ material conditions. The organized agitation activities of the rebels on February 21, 1920, encompassed all units of Kaunas Garrison; however, thanks to the active efforts of the army leadership and the officers of the First Infantry Regiment, Eighth Infantry Regiment, and Sixth Infantry Regiment, they managed to contain the soldiers’ insubordination in most of Kaunas Garrison’s military units and disperse the rallies. The passivity of the officers created conditions for the spread of Bolshevik agitation and soldier insubordination in the Artillery Regiment and Second Reserve Battalion, which led to an uprising staged by soldiers in those units on February 22, 1920; however, the rebels were disarmed on February 23.