Karo mokykla Kauno visuomeniniame ir politiniame gyvenime 1919-1940 m.
Military Schol in Public and Political Life of Kaunas in 1919-1940.

Summary/Abstract: The establishment of the military school took place in the climax of the struggles for freedom of Lithuania. When the Bolsheviks were forcing in the direction of Kaunas city, the main troops of the newly-formed Lithuanian Armed Forces were deployed at the front. The school was also a substantial armed force that the Provisional Government of Lithuania could lean on while ensuring the order and functionality of the government in Kaunas. In the period of struggles for freedom, the school had a special platoon of cadets always ready to take part in an overnight search of communist organizations and some districts of Kaunas. Although there is no information how such participation in the searches influenced the attitude of the society towards the school and cadets, in the period from 1919 to 1920, the attitude was undoubtedly ambiguous as it depended on the residents’ view of the restoration of Lithuania. Since the very first days of the establishment of the military school, the authorities and cadets strove to create a positive image of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in the eyes of the society. The school employed drastic measures to make cadets’ appearance flawless for earning residents’ admiration and regard. Strict requirements for appearance had remained till the Soviet occupation in 1940. However, locals were particularly fond of the cadets’ exceptionally beautiful singing. Their marching with a song left the residents with indelible impression. On Sundays, local community gathered at the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel (Garrison Church) to listen to the cadets’ singing. On December 6, 1922, the school was transferred from the center of Kaunas to the barracks in Aukštoji Panemunė keeping the cadets out of sight.

• Details
• Contents