View source for Antanas Smetona

{{Short description|1st President of Lithuania (1919–1920, 1926–1940)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Antanas Smetona
|image = Antanas Smetona 2.jpg
|order1 = 1st
|office1 = President of Lithuania
|term_start1 = 19 December 1926
|term_end1 = 15 June 1940
|primeminister1 = [[Augustinas Voldemaras]]<br />[[Juozas Tūbelis]]<br />[[Vladas Mironas]]<br />[[Jonas Černius]]<br />[[Antanas Merkys]]
|predecessor1 = [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]] (acting)
|successor1 = [[Antanas Merkys]] (acting, ''de facto'')<hr/>[[Vytautas Landsbergis]] (in 1990, as Chairman of the Supreme Council)
|term_start2 = 4 April 1919
|term_end2 = 19 June 1920
|office3 = 1st [[Council of Lithuania|Chairman of the Council of Lithuania]]
|term_start3 = 23 September 1917
|term_end3 = 4 April 1919
|predecessor3 = Office established
|successor3 = [[Stasys Šilingas]]
|primeminister2 = [[Pranas Dovydaitis]]<br />[[Mykolas Sleževičius]]<br />[[Ernestas Galvanauskas]]
|predecessor2 = 
|successor2 = [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]]
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1874|8|10}}
|birth_place = [[Užulėnis]], [[Kovno Governorate]], [[Russian Empire]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1944|1|9|1874|8|10}}
|death_place = [[Cleveland|Cleveland, Ohio]], U.S.
|resting_place = All Souls Cemetery, [[Chardon, Ohio]]
|party = [[Lithuanian Democratic Party]] (1902–1907)<br />[[Party of National Progress]] (before 1924)<br />[[Lithuanian Nationalist Union]] (1924–1940)
|spouse	 = [[Sofija Chodakauskaitė-Smetonienė]] (1885–1968)
|children = Marija Danutė (1905–1992)<br />Birutė (1906–1909)<br />Julius Rimgaudas (1913–1974)
|alma_mater = [[University of Saint Petersburg]]
|signature = SigAntanasSmetona.svg
}}

'''Antanas Smetona''' ({{IPA|lt|ɐnˈtǎːnɐs sʲmʲɛtoːˈnɐ|lang|Antanas Smetona.ogg}}; 10 August 1874 – 9 January 1944) was a Lithuanian [[intellectual]], journalist, and politician. He served as the first [[president of Lithuania]] from 1919 to 1920 and later as the [[authoritarian]] head of state from 1926 until the [[Occupation of the Baltic states|Soviet occupation of Lithuania]] in 1940. Referred to as the "Leader of the Nation" during his presidency,<ref name=":0" /> Smetona is recognised as one of the most important [[Lithuania]]n political figures between [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], and a prominent ideologist of [[Lithuanian National Revival|Lithuanian nationalism]] and the movement for national revival.<ref name=":1" />

Born into a farming family in the village of [[Užulėnis]], [[Kovno Governorate]], Smetona exhibited a strong interest in education and Lithuanian cultural identity from an early age. He attended [[Palanga Progymnasium]] and later graduated from [[Jelgava Gymnasium]]. He pursued higher education at the [[Saint Petersburg Imperial University]], where he studied law and became involved in nationalist and cultural movements. During this time, he contributed to the Lithuanian press, advocating for national [[self-determination]] and the preservation of Lithuanian culture under [[Russian Empire|Russian imperial rule]]. After completing his studies, he worked as a teacher and journalist, eventually becoming one of the key intellectual leaders of the [[Lithuanian National Revival]].

The [[Russian Revolution]] of 1917 and the subsequent collapse of the Russian Empire provided a pivotal opportunity for Smetona and other Lithuanian leaders to pursue national independence. As a member of the [[Council of Lithuania]], he was instrumental in the drafting and signing of the [[Act of Independence of Lithuania|Act of Independence]] on 16 February 1918, which proclaimed the restoration of an independent Lithuania. During the [[interwar period]], Smetona emerged as a prominent political figure, serving as the first President and later taking power in a [[1926 Lithuanian coup d'état|coup d'état]] in 1926. Under his leadership, Lithuania pursued a policy of [[Neutral country|neutrality]] and underwent significant economic and cultural development, despite the challenges posed by regional instability and the rise of authoritarian regimes in Europe.

After the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, Smetona fled to [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] and later to the [[United States]], where he lived in exile until his death in [[Cleveland]], Ohio, in 1944. His legacy remains a topic of debate among historians. While some view him as a pivotal figure in the establishment of Lithuanian independence and the promotion of national identity, others criticize his authoritarian rule and suppression of political opposition.

==Early life and education==
Smetona was born on {{OldStyleDate|10 August|1874|28 July}} in the village of [[Užulėnis]], [[Kovno Governorate]], [[Russian Empire]], to a family of farmers, Jonas Smetona and Julijona Kartanaitė – former serfs of the [[Taujėnai Manor]], which belonged to the [[Radziwiłł family]].<ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=5}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Antanas Smetona |url=http://www.sejm-wielki.pl/b/sw.155091 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=Sejm-Wielki.pl}}</ref> Researcher [[Kazimieras Gasparavičius]] has traced Smetona's patrilineal ancestry to Laurentijus, who was born around 1695 and lived near [[Raguva]].<ref>{{harvnb|Smetona|Smetonienė|2016|p=94}}</ref> Smetona was the eighth of nine children.<ref>{{harvnb|Smetona|Smetonienė|2016|p=96}}</ref> His parents were hardworking people who managed to double their inherited {{convert|5|ha}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=10}}</ref> His father was literate and Smetona learned to read at home.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=13}}</ref>

[[File:Antanas Smetona (Faculty of Law student).jpg|thumb|180px|left|Smetona as a student of the university's Faculty of Law]]
Smetona's father died in 1885 when Smetona was only 11 years old and, despite financial difficulties, a year later Smetona – the only of his siblings – was sent to the primary school in Taujėnai, where instruction was in Russian due to the [[Lithuanian press ban]].<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=17}}</ref> This was his dying father's request.<ref>
{{cite web |last1=Krasniauskienė 
|first1=Nijolė 
|title=Prezidentinis Smetonų duetas: laikas istorinei tiesai |url=http://www.regionunaujienos.lt/prezidentinis-smetonu-duetas-laikas-istorinei-tiesai/ 
|website=regionunaujienos.lt 
|access-date=17 April 2020 
|language=lt-LT 
|date=5 December 2019
}}</ref> His mother hoped that Smetona would become a priest.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=15}}</ref> After graduation in 1889, Smetona wanted to continue his education, but [[Gymnasium (school)|gymnasiums]] admitted pupils only up to the age of 12 and he was already 15 years old. Therefore, he was forced to study privately in [[Ukmergė]] in order to catch up and be able to pass examinations to enter the fourth class of gymnasium.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=18}}</ref> In summer 1891, he attempted to gain admission to the [[Liepāja Gymnasium]] as his brother Motiejus worked in a factory in [[Liepāja]].<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=19}}</ref> He was refused and instead applied to the [[Palanga Progymnasium]], which had no age restrictions.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=21}}</ref> Smetona was an exemplary student (one of the top two students) and received a tuition waiver. As a superintendent of a student dormitory, he also received free housing and was able to support himself by providing private lessons.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|pp=20–21}}</ref> Three other future [[signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania]] attended the progymnasium at the same time: [[Steponas Kairys]], [[Jurgis Šaulys]], and [[Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys]].<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=27}}</ref> As Palanga was close to [[East Prussia]], it was easier to obtain Lithuanian literature, which was [[Lithuanian press ban|banned by the Tsarist authorities]]. Smetona began reading Lithuanian periodicals and books, including a history of Lithuania by [[Maironis]].<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|pp=22–23}}</ref>

After graduating in 1893, according to his family's wishes, he passed his entrance examinations for the [[Kaunas Priest Seminary|Samogitian Diocesan Seminary]] in [[Kaunas]].<ref name=e16>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=16}}</ref> However, he felt no great calling for priesthood and enrolled at the [[Jelgava Gymnasium]] in [[Latvia]]. This was a cultural hub of the [[Lithuanian National Revival]] and attracted many future leaders in Lithuanian culture and politics, including [[Juozas Tūbelis]] and [[Vladas Mironas]], who later became Smetona's political companions.<ref name=e16/> In particular, Lithuanian language and culture was openly promoted by the linguist, [[Jonas Jablonskis]], teacher of Greek, with whom Smetona developed a close professional relationship.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|pp=17–18}}</ref> Jablonskis visited Smetona's native village collecting data on Lithuanian dialects.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=32}}</ref> Smetona met his future wife, [[Sofija Chodakauskaitė]], through Jablonskis, who recommended him as a tutor for her brother.<ref name=e19>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=19}}</ref>

[[File:Antanas-Smetona-before-IWW.jpg|thumb|left|Smetona's portrait taken in [[Vilnius]] before [[World War I]]]]
In autumn 1896, the administration of the Jelgava Gymnasium forced Lithuanian students to recite their prayers in Russian while Latvian and German students were allowed to use their native languages.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=35}}</ref> Smetona and other students refused and were expelled. Most later agreed to pray in Russian and were re-admitted, but a handful who refused were prohibited from attending any other school.<ref>{{harvnb|Žukas|2000|p=24}}</ref> The students sent petitions to [[Pope Leo XIII]] and [[Ivan Delyanov]], [[Ministry of National Education (Russian Empire)|Minister of National Education]].<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=38}}</ref> Smetona and two others, {{interlanguage link|Jurgis Šlapelis|lt}} and [[Petras Vaiciuška]], managed to secure an audience with Delyanov, who allowed the Lithuanians to pray in Latin and the expelled students to continue their education.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=39}}</ref> Smetona did not return to Jelgava and finished up at Gymnasium No. 9 in [[Saint Petersburg]].<ref name=e20>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=20}}</ref>

Upon graduation in 1897, Smetona entered the faculty of law of the [[University of Saint Petersburg]]. He was more interested in history and languages, but knew that as a Catholic, his choices were limited to priest, lawyer, or doctor if he wanted to work in Lithuania.<ref name=e20/> Saint Petersburg, with a [[Saint Petersburg–Warsaw Railway|direct railway connection]] to Lithuania, was becoming a Lithuanian cultural center. Smetona joined and chaired a secret Lithuanian student organization. He was later succeeded by [[Steponas Kairys]].<ref name=m43>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=43}}</ref> He also joined a Lithuanian choir led by [[Česlovas Sasnauskas]], organist at the [[Church of St. Catherine (Saint Petersburg)|Church of St. Catherine]].<ref>{{harvnb|Truska|1995|pp=18–19}}</ref> Smetona was exposed to socialist ideas and even read [[Karl Marx|Marx's]] ''[[Capital: Critique of Political Economy|Capital]]'', but resolutely rejected them.<ref name=m43/> He was expelled from the university, imprisoned for two weeks, and deported to [[Vilnius]] for participating in the [[1899 Russian student strike|February 1899 student protests]].<ref name=e20/> It was the first time Smetona had visited the city, the historical capital of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], and it left a deep impression on him.<ref name=e20/> A month later, he was allowed to return to the university.<ref name=m44>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=44}}</ref>

In 1898, Smetona and his roommate, {{interlanguage link|Vladas Sirutavičius|lt}}, using a [[mimeograph]], printed about 100 copies of a brief Lithuanian grammar book written by [[Petras Avižonis]] based on the German-language writings of [[Friedrich Kurschat]].<ref name=m44/> This grammar book was insufficient for Lithuanian needs and in summer 1900, [[Jonas Jablonskis]] set to work on his Lithuanian grammar. He was assisted by Avižonis, [[Žemaitė]], and Smetona, though Smetona mostly edited works of Bishop [[Motiejus Valančius]].<ref name=e19/> The grammar book was published in 1901 and became a fundamental work in establishing the standard Lithuanian language.<ref name=e19/> In early 1902, the police began investigating a network of [[Lithuanian book smugglers]] and raided Smetona's room, where they found several prohibited Lithuanian publications. He was imprisoned in [[Vyborg Castle]], but managed to secure acquittal and graduate that spring.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=46}}</ref>

==Early activities==
After his graduation from university in 1902, he moved to [[Vilnius]] and worked at the [[Vilnius Land Bank]] until 1915. He became an active participant in Lithuanian cultural life and, up until becoming president in December 1926, devoted substantial amounts of time and effort to the Lithuanian press.<ref>{{harvnb|Merkelis|1964|p=49}}</ref> Two years later, he married [[Sofija Chodakauskaitė-Smetonienė|Sofija Chodakauskaitė]] in the [[Church of St. Raphael the Archangel, Vilnius|Church of St. Raphael the Archangel]] in Vilnius.<ref>{{cite web |title=St. Raphael the Archangel Church |url=https://cityofmercy.lt/en_GB/objektai/sv-arkangelo-rapolo-baznycia/ |website=cityofmercy.lt |access-date=16 October 2019}}</ref>

From his very first days in Vilnius, Smetona became involved in the activities of various Lithuanian nationalist groups, and joined the [[Lithuanian Democratic Party]], which he represented in the [[Great Seimas of Vilnius]]. He was later elected to its [[Presidium]]. In 1904 and 1907, he was on the staff of the Lithuanian newspaper, ''[[Vilniaus žinios]]'' (The Vilnius News). In 1905–1906, he edited the weekly ''[[Lietuvos ūkininkas]]'' (The Lithuanian Farmer). In 1907, Smetona and the Rev. [[Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas]] established a venture to print the newspaper ''Viltis'' (The Hope), and started publishing and circulating it. In ''[[Viltis (Vilnius)|Viltis]]'', Smetona advocated national unity. He was also one of the incorporators of the Aušra (Dawn) company for the publishing of Lithuanian books, a member of the [[Lithuanian Mutual Aid Society of Vilnius]], the Lithuanian Learned Society, the [[Vilniaus aušra]] (The Dawn of Vilnius), and [[Rytas]] (The Morning) education societies, the [[Rūta Art Society]] and many other societies, and taught the Lithuanian language at Vilnius schools. In 1914, he started publishing ''[[Vairas]]'' (The Rudder), a new bi-weekly magazine.

==Politics==
[[File:Signatarai.Signatories of Lithuania.jpg|thumb|Smetona (first right from center) in the [[Council of Lithuania]]]]
During the [[First World War]], he was the first vice-chairman, and later chairman, of the Central Committee of the [[Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers]]. In the summer of 1916, Antanas Smetona, together with other Lithuanians from Vilnius, presented a memorandum to the German Commander-in-Chief of the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]], in which they demanded the right of the Lithuanian nation to have an independent State. On 6 September 1917, he started printing the newspaper, ''[[Lietuvos Aidas]]'' (Lithuania's Echo), working as its publisher and its editor-in-chief. In the first issue of the newspaper, Smetona wrote that the most important goal of the Lithuanian nation was the re-establishment of an independent Lithuanian state.

Between 18 and 22 September 1917, he participated in the Lithuanian Conference in Vilnius, and was elected chairman (1917–1919) of the [[Council of Lithuania]] (later [[Council of the State]]). On 16 February 1918, Antanas Smetona signed the [[Act of Independence of Lithuania]].

Between December 1918 and March 1919, he lived primarily in [[Weimar Republic|Germany]] and the [[Scandinavia]]n countries, soliciting loans for the cause of Lithuanian independence. On 4 April 1919, the State Council of Lithuania elected Smetona the first president of the Republic of Lithuania. On 19 April 1920, the [[Constituent Assembly of Lithuania|Constituent Assembly]] elected [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]] President. Not re-elected to Seimas, from 1921 to 1924, he edited several periodicals, including ''Lietuvos balsas'', ''Lietuviškas balsas'', and ''Vairas''.

[[File:Devynioliktasis ministru kabinetas.Nineteenth Ministers cabinet of Lithuania.jpg|thumb|Smetona (center) with ministers]]
After the [[Klaipėda Revolt]] of January 1923, in the [[Memelland]], which had been separated from Germany, he was made commissioner there on 20 February, but, due to disagreements with Prime Minister [[Ernestas Galvanauskas]], he resigned from his post.

In November 1923, authorities imprisoned Smetona for several days{{why|date=April 2022}} for publishing an article{{which|date=April 2022}} by [[Augustinas Voldemaras]] in ''Vairas''. Between 1923 and 1927, he was an assistant professor at the [[University of Lithuania]] – at first in the chair of art theory and history and later at the department of philosophy. He lectured on ethics, ancient philosophy, and Lithuanian linguistics. In 1932, he was awarded an honorary [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] at the [[Vytautas Magnus University]].

Smetona participated in the activity of the [[Lithuanian Riflemen's Union]] that had staged the Klaipėda Revolt, which gave him greater name-recognition. More than once, he was elected to its central board. Between 1924 and 1940, he was the vice-chairman of the board of the International Bank.

[[File:Jews welcoming Lithuanian President Antanas Smetona under a Lithuanian and Hebrew banner, Švėkšna.png|thumb|[[Litvaks|Lithuanian Jews]] in [[Švėkšna]] welcoming Lithuanian President Smetona and his companions under a Lithuanian and [[Hebrew language]]s banner and wishing to next time come from [[Vilnius]] (1928)<ref>{{cite web |title=Švėkšnos sinagoga, turgaus aikštė |url=https://www.jewish-heritage-lithuania.org/lt/istoriniai-zydu-kvartalai/sveksnos-sinagoga-bei-turgaus-aikste/ |website=Jewish Heritage Lithuania |language=lt |date=2 May 2019}}</ref>]]
Smetona was known for his tolerant stance towards Jews and his radical opponents nicknamed him as "Jewish King".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eidintas |first1=Alfonsas |title=Lietuvos lenkai ir "Žydų karalius" Antanas Smetona |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/istorija/lietuvos-lenkai-ir-zydu-karalius-antanas-smetona-582-196544 |website=[[15min.lt]] |access-date=25 December 2023 |language=lt}}</ref><ref name="Truska2004">{{cite journal |last1=Truska |first1=Liudas |title=A. Smetonos valdžios politika žydų atžvilgiu (1927-1940) |journal=Istorija |date=2004 |volume=LIX |issue=LX |pages=69–72, 77 |url=https://etalpykla.lituanistika.lt/fedora/objects/LT-LDB-0001:J.04~2004~1367166117017/datastreams/DS.002.0.01.ARTIC/content |language=lt}}</ref> Under Smetona's rule in Lithuania, not a single anti-Jewish law was passed and high-ranking Lithuanian officials, including ministers, did not publicly say anti-Jewish statements.<ref name="Truska2004"/> Smetona considered Jews not as foreigners, but as Lithuanian citizens of foreign nationality and himself acted against antisemitic acts with his statements which were later followed by actions of governmental institutions (e.g. censorship).<ref name="Truska2004"/> The Lithuanian courts, war commandants, and [[Lithuanian Police Force]] severely punished the participants of anti-Jewish physical attacks or smashing of Jews windows (the culprits were punished with [[Fine (penalty)|fine]]s, imprisoned, or even sent to hard labor prisons).<ref name="Truska2004"/> Moreover, the [[Government of Lithuania]] also did not tolerate anti-Jewish attacks and severely punished their participants, especially activists.<ref name="Truska2004"/> Consequently, Jews were widely sympathetic towards Smetona and his rule.<ref name="Truska2004"/> However, his regime did not tolerate insults of the German government and actively repressed suspected communists. For example, in 1934, the [[Ministry of National Defence (Lithuania)|Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania]] approved an order to the [[Counties of Lithuania|counties]] commandants to "severely punish all those who insult the German Government in any way, as well as those who deliberately agitate against Lithuanian Jews; to suppress the activity of all those Jewish organizations which appear to be under Communist cover or succumb to Communist influence".<ref name="Truska2004"/>

===Authoritarian president===
{{quote box|width=50em|align=center|quote="The Poles stole Lithuanian history, now the Russians are trying to steal it, we have to catch those thieves by the hand and show them in a real light to the entire world." |source=— Antanas Smetona.<ref>{{cite web |title=Istorikas siūlo išeitį: parodyti garbingą Lietuvos istorijos vietą Vakarų civilizacijos kontekste |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/1277681/istorikas-siulo-iseiti-parodyti-garbinga-lietuvos-istorijos-vieta-vakaru-civilizacijos-kontekste |website=[[Lrt.lt]] |access-date=10 October 2021 |language=lt |date=5 December 2020}}</ref>}}

[[File:Antanas Smetona initiating soldiers to the Lithuanian army.jpg|thumb|Smetona [[Initiation#Naval and military|initiating]] soldiers to the [[Lithuanian Armed Forces]]]]
[[File:Antanas Smetona inspects the Lithuanian Army soldiers.jpg|thumb|Smetona inspects the Lithuanian Armed Forces soldiers]]
[[File:10 LT 1938 A Smetona.png|thumb|left|[[Interwar]] 10 [[litas]] coin featuring President Smetona by pre-war sculptor [[Juozas Zikaras]]]]
Smetona was a leader of the [[1926 Lithuanian coup d'état|1926 coup d'état]] that deposed President [[Kazys Grinius]]. He once again became president on 19 December that year (two others briefly held the office during the coup, which began on 17 December, before Smetona was formally restored to the presidency). He designated [[Augustinas Voldemaras]] as prime minister. One year later, he dissolved parliament, and on 15 May 1928, with the approval of the government, he promulgated a new constitution with more extensive presidential powers. In 1929, he removed Voldemaras and assumed dictatorial powers. He was re-elected president in 1931 and 1938, both times as the sole candidate. He remained in office until 15 June 1940.

Smetona's constitution vested the president with both executive and legislative powers when the [[Seimas]] was not in session. The Seimas was not reconvened until the [[1936 Lithuanian parliamentary election]]; for the next decade, Smetona ruled by decree, without a parliament, which made his regime on paper one of the most arbitrary in the world. Even when the Seimas was reconvened, it was composed entirely of Smetona's adherents; Smetona thus effectively retained all governing power in the nation. In 1938, a third constitution was enacted that retained the general authoritarian character of the 1928 document, and declared that political power in the state was "indivisible."

The regime repeatedly arrested and imprisoned members of the already-banned Communist Party – as with almost all interwar European dictatorships, the claimed threat of Communism was the source of its legitimacy and the regime executed the original leadership{{who|date=March 2023}} five days after coming to power.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=149}}</ref> However, despite propaganda that Communists were a "non-Lithuanian force invading the country", they continued to operate underground with growing membership and it is known today that their leaders were ethnically Lithuanian.<ref name=ezs125>{{harvnb|Eidintas|Žalys|Senn|1999|p=125}}</ref>

In 1935, Smetona suffered a blow when farmers in southeastern Lithuania organised a strike{{why|date=April 2022}} and refused to sell their products. Reprisals led to five deaths and 456 farmers being arrested, which exacerbated long-standing tensions within his regime between hardliners, who argued for more rigid authoritarian control over Lithuanian life, and moderates, who wanted liberalism.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|Žalys|Senn|1999|pp=121–123}}</ref> The difficulties, however, were already becoming overshadowed by the threat of Nazi Germany. Smetona's regime was the first in Europe to put Nazis on trial: as early as 8 February 1934, action was taken against Nazis in the [[Klaipėda|Memel region]], which was autonomous within Lithuania.<ref name=e301>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=301}}</ref> The Smetona regime's [[Trial of Neumann and Sass|trial of Ernst Neumann and Freiherr von Sass]] (July 1934 to March 1935) was the first attempt anywhere to bring Nazis to justice and saw 76 Hitlerites imprisoned and four sentenced to death,<ref name=e301/> though the sentences were commuted to life imprisonment.<ref>'Nazis Escape Death Sentence in Lithuania: President Smetona Changes Sentence to Ward Off Trouble with Germans'; ''[[Reading Eagle]]'', 18 May 1935, p. 1</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gliožaitis |first1=Algirdas |title=Neumanno-Sasso byla |trans-title=The Case of Neumann-Sass |url=https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/neumanno-sasso-byla |website=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija |language=lt}}</ref> By 1938, however, Memel was becoming a difficult issue for a regime spending a quarter of its budget on defence and expensive army modernisation,<ref name=ezs125/> and the Nazis won 26 of 29 seats in elections.

The following year, Smetona surrendered Memel to Hitler and declared a state of emergency;<ref>'Nazis Celebrate Return of Memel: Germans Sing and Dance While Lithuanians Weep Openly; Refugees Halted'; ''The Free-Lance Star'' ([[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]], [[Virginia]]); 22 March 1939, p. 1</ref> he never lost his distaste for Hitler and Nazism and had been so discredited by the loss of Memel that members of Lithuania's political opposition were appointed to his cabinet<ref name="ist">{{cite book|title=Lietuvos istorija 11–12 klasėms|last=Kamuntavičius|first=Rūstis|author2=Vaida Kamuntavičienė|author3=Remigijus Civinskas|author4=Kastytis Antanaitis|publisher=Vaga|year=2001|isbn=5-415-01502-7|location=Vilnius|pages=396–397|language=lt}}</ref> to try recovering credibility and domestic stability.

[[File:Antanas Smetona and Antanas Gustaitis.jpg|thumb|Smetona with [[Antanas Gustaitis]], known for Lithuanian ANBO aircraft]]
Smetona's government was cautious about industrialisation, as its support base lay in the dominant rural population. As dictator, Smetona did nothing to encourage direct foreign investment, which remained extremely limited throughout his time in office.<ref name=ezs117>{{harvnb|Eidintas|Žalys|Senn|1999|pp=117–119}}</ref> Nonetheless, during Smetona's dictatorship, Lithuania advanced economically: industrial output, mainly directed to domestic demand, when he was overthrown by the Soviet invasion was twice what it had been before the coup that brought him to power, and the country's transport network had been greatly improved by the construction of railways from [[Šiauliai]] to Klaipėda and from Kaunas to the south and north-east. In contrast, Smetona was more generous in support for the agricultural sector, which then provided almost all of Lithuania's exports despite occasionally protests against the regime.<ref name=ezs117/>

===Soviet occupation===
{{Further|Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania}}
Lithuania was occupied by the Soviets in 1940 as a consequence of the 1939 [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] between [[Nazi Germany]] and the Soviet Union. After the [[1940 Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania|Soviets presented an ultimatum to Lithuania]] in June that year, Smetona proposed armed resistance against them,<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|Žalys|Senn|1999|p=182}}</ref> but most of the government and army commanders believed that the country was not capable of effective resistance with Soviet troops stationed inside Lithuania.{{when|date=April 2022}}<ref>van Voren, Robert; ''Undigested Past: The Holocaust in Lithuania'', p. 24 {{ISBN|9042033711}}</ref> On 15 June, Smetona turned his presidential duties over to Prime Minister [[Antanas Merkys]] on an interim basis, according to the constitution. Before leaving the [[Historical Presidential Palace, Kaunas|presidential palace]], Smetona said: "I do not want to make Lithuania a [[Bolshevism|bolshevik]] country with my own hands." He believed that by leaving the country, he would be in a position to do more for the country by leading a [[government-in-exile]] than by becoming a Soviet puppet.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jakubavičienė|first1=Ingrida|title=Istorijos puslapiai: kaip A. Smetona prezidentavo pasitraukęs iš Lietuvos|url=http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/politika/istorijos-puslapiai-kaip-smetona-prezidentavo-pasitraukes-lietuvos-644291|website=Kauno diena|date=17 August 2014 |access-date=17 August 2014|language=lt}}</ref> He firstly fled to Germany with his family. Shortly afterwards, the Smetonas fled to [[Switzerland]].<ref name="Partizanai">{{cite web|last1=Ašmenskas|first1=Viktoras|title=Didžiosios tautos aukos|url=http://www.partizanai.org/failai/html/tautos-aukos.htm|website=Partizanai.org|access-date=3 November 2017}}</ref>

A day after Smetona left the country, Merkys announced that he had deposed him and was now president himself. Two days later, Merkys was pressured into appointing the more pliant [[Justas Paleckis]] as prime minister and resigning. Paleckis then became acting president, and was used as a puppet to oversee the final stages of Lithuania's incorporation into the Soviet Union a month later.

Since Lithuania [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania|declared independence from the Soviet Union]] in 1990, it has taken the position that Merkys's takeover of the presidency was illegal and unconstitutional since Smetona never formally resigned. Lithuania thus does not recognize Merkys or Paleckis as legitimate presidents and contends that all subsequent actions leading up to the Soviet annexation were ''[[ipso facto]]'' void.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

==Flight abroad==
{{quote box
| width = 22em
| align = right
| quote = "I do not want to bolshevize Lithuania with my own hands."
| source = — Antanas Smetona, about his motives to leave Lithuania when his request for military resistance against the Soviets was rejected as impossible.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jakubavičienė |first1=Ingrida |title=Prezidentas Antanas Smetona egzilyje: "Nenoriu savo rankomis subolševikinti Lietuvą" |url=http://pasauliolietuvis.lt/prezidentas-antanas-smetona-egzilyje-nenoriu-savo-rankomis-subolsevikinti-lietuva/ |website=Pasauliolietuvis.lt |language=lt-LT |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Presidential Palace in Kaunas interior 17.jpg|thumb|Presidential umbrella with monogram A. S., medallion with his wife [[Sofija Smetonienė]], plate with Smetona's picture, [[Swiss watch]]]]
On the morning of 15 June, just after the government decided to accept the Soviet ultimatum, Smetona made hasty preparations to flee the country. He was accompanied by his wife, his son and daughter and their spouses and children, the former minister of defense [[Kazys Musteikis]], and two presidential adjutants. Smetona departed Kaunas at about 3pm that day.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=387}}</ref> They stopped in [[Kybartai]] on the border with Nazi Germany. Smetona and Musteikis attempted to summon the 9th Infantry Regiment from [[Marijampolė]] to protect them and to offer at least symbolic resistance to the [[Red Army]], but the regiment was stopped by a delegation sent from Kaunas to retrieve the president.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|pp=388–389}}</ref> Smetona decided to cross the border without delay, but Lithuanian border guards would not allow him to pass. Around midnight, a local man led Smetona, his bodyguard, and an adjutant across the shallow [[Liepona]] stream.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=390}}</ref> With Smetona already on the other side, his family managed to convince border guards to let them through at about 6am.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|pp=391–392}}</ref>

On the German side, Smetona was met by {{interlanguage link|Heinz Gräfe|de}}, a [[Gestapo]] officer. Via [[Königsberg]], the refugees were moved to a hunting lodge near the {{interlanguage link|Święcajty|pl}} (Schwenzait) lake in the [[Masurian Lake District]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=392}}</ref> On 17 August, Smetona received permission to relocate to Berlin, where he settled on the {{interlanguage link|Rankestraße|de|Rankestraße (Berlin)}}. There, he was carefully supervised and only allowed to communicate with Lithuanian representative [[Kazys Škirpa]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=396}}</ref> The Germans did not allow him to make any political moves so as not to upset the Soviet Union. It was clear that Smetona's presence was not desirable.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=399}}</ref> On 4 September, Smetona officially petitioned the [[Embassy of the United States in Berlin]] for U.S. visas.<ref name=s80>{{harvnb|Skirius|2010|p=80}}</ref> The request was granted, but only on the condition that while Smetona was in the U.S., he would not be considered the leader or representative of any state or government.<ref name=s80/> It was a humiliating condition, but Smetona accepted it and left for Bern, Switzerland on 18 September.<ref name=s79/> Musteikis stayed in Berlin.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=397}}</ref>

In Bern, Smetona met with members of the [[Lithuanian Diplomatic Service]], [[List of Lithuanian diplomats (1940–1990)|ambassadors and diplomats who continued to represent pre-occupation Lithuania]]. They hoped to establish a [[government-in-exile]] via the National Committee chaired by former prime minister [[Ernestas Galvanauskas]]. Smetona saw no need for such a committee and criticized the choice of Galvanauskas. The diplomats were not receptive to Smetona – he had no funds, authority, or political influence.<ref>{{harvnb|Eidintas|2015|p=400}}</ref> Nevertheless, Smetona signed the so-called Kybartai Act – a backdated document supposedly written in Kybartai before his exile.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kybartų aktai|url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kybartu-aktai/|website=[[Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija|VLE]]|access-date=2024-04-03|language=lt}}</ref> The Act dismissed [[Antanas Merkys]] and appointed [[Stasys Lozoraitis]] as both prime minister and acting president. This controversial document was never used in practice.

Smetona departed Bern for Lisbon in January 1941. He stayed in [[Monte Estoril]] at the [[Pensão Zenith]].<ref>[[Exiles Memorial Center]].</ref> He left for Brazil aboard the [[RMS Ebro|''Serpa Pinto'']], arriving in [[Rio de Janeiro]] on 14 February.<ref name=s79>{{harvnb|Skirius|2010|p=79}}</ref> He was met by local officials and Lithuanian emigrants, and had a meeting with [[Getúlio Vargas]], the president of Brazil.<ref name=s79/> Smetona departed Brazil on 26 February. On 9 or 10 March 1941, Smetona and his wife arrived in New York on the [[SS Argentina (1929)|SS ''Argentina'']].<ref name=s79/> He was greeted by about 30 American journalists and photographers as well as Lithuanian-American representatives. He was escorted to [[The Pierre]] hotel, where an evening function with about 400 guests was held on 13 March.<ref name=s88>{{harvnb|Skirius|2010|p=88}}</ref> Since Smetona was a private individual in the United States, the gathering did not include any members of U.S. organizations.<ref name=s87>{{harvnb|Skirius|2010|p=87}}</ref>

They lived temporarily at the [[Embassy of Lithuania in Washington, D.C.]], but their relationship with representative [[Povilas Žadeikis]] was tense. Smetona then lived in Pittsburgh and Chicago before settling in [[Cleveland]] in May 1942 with his son's family. While in exile, he began work on a history of Lithuania and on his memoirs.

==Death and burial==
[[File:Linkmenų sen., Lithuania - panoramio (14).jpg|thumb|A memorial stone of Smetona in [[Ginučiai]], Lithuania]]
As Smetona was busy with his writing, he paid little attention to the fact that the heating system in his son's house needed repair and was becoming dangerous. On 28 October 1943, Smetona wrote:
{{blockquote|The night before yesterday coal fumes made me dizzy. I could not think clearly. Now I have completely recovered.<ref>Eidintas, Alfonsas. (2015). ''Antanas Smetona and his Lithuania.'' Boston: Brill Rodopi</ref>}}

On 9 January 1944, a fire broke out in the house. Smetona's son Julius noticed the fire while on the first floor. Above him, in the attic suite, Smetona and his wife [[Sofija Smetonienė|Sofija]] spotted the smoke seeping in under the door. Sofija opened the door and she and Smetona began descending the stairs. Smetona, apparently decided that he could not go outside without a coat – he was recovering from the flu and was to give a talk in the coming weeks – and without saying anything to his wife, returned to get his fur coat. It took just a few minutes for him to be overcome by the smoke. Julius tried to return into the burning building to save his father but was forced out by the smoke and fire. Smetona was found lying on the kitchen floor on the second floor of Julius' flat. He was not burned.<ref>Smetona Head of Lithuania, Killed in Fire at Cleveland, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 10/1/1944 p. 1.</ref>

Firefighters took Smetona outside and he was rushed to hospital by ambulance. He died before arriving.<ref>'Antanas Smetona Dies in Fire: President of Lithuania Dies in Cleveland; Fled Country on Russian Occupation'; ''[[The Montreal Gazette]]''; 10 January 1944, p. 19</ref>

The official record said that the fire was caused by an overheated furnace. Some believe, however, that due to Smetona's continued political activities, the fire was started by the Soviet Intelligence Service (called the [[People's Commissariat for State Security|NKGB]] at the time). With no evidence turning up in the subsequent years to substantiate that claim, it is, however, doubtful.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

On 13 January, Smetona's funeral took place at Cleveland's [[Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio)|Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist]]. Bishop Edward F. Hoban officiated. Smetona was buried at [[Calvary Cemetery (Cleveland)|Calvary Cemetery]] in [[Cleveland]].

His wife [[Sofija Smetonienė|Sofija]] died in Cleveland on 28 December 1968.

The couple were survived by their daughter, Marija Danutė Smetonaitė (1905–1992), son Julius Rimgaudas Smetona (1913–1974) and Julius' sons, Anthony Algirdas Smetona (1939–2012), Juozas Smetona (1940–1996), and Vytautas Julius Smetona (born 1955).

In 1975, Smetona's remains were moved from Cleveland's [[Knollwood Cemetery]] mausoleum to a crypt (No. 103) next to his wife Sofija in All Souls Cemetery in [[Chardon, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Klivlandas. A.Smetonos paslaptys |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvfp0MH15DU |website=Stop juosta via YouTube.com |access-date=5 October 2024 |date=3 March 2024 |language=lt}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Antanas Smetona}}
* [[List of Lithuanian rulers]]
* [[Konstantin Päts]]
* [[Kārlis Ulmanis]]
* [[European interwar dictatorships]]

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book | last1=Eidintas | first1=Alfonsas |author-link1=Alfonsas Eidintas |first2=Vytautas |last2=Žalys |author-link2=:lt:Vytautas Žalys |first3=Alfred Erich |last3=Senn |author-link3=Alfred E. Senn | editor-first=Edvardas |editor-last=Tuskenis | title=Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940 | edition=Paperback |year=1999 | publisher=St. Martin's Press | location=New York | isbn=0-312-22458-3 }}
*{{cite book| first=Alfonsas |last=Eidintas |year=2015 | title=Antanas Smetona and His Lithuania: From the National Liberation Movement to an Authoritarian Regime (1893-1940) |translator=Alfred Erich Senn |publisher=Brill Rodopi |series=On the Boundary of Two Worlds |isbn=978-9-004-30203-7 }} 
*{{cite book |first=Aleksandras |last=Merkelis |author-link=:lt:Aleksandras Merkelis |title=Antanas Smetona: jo visuomeninė, kultūrinė ir politinė veikla |year=1964 |location=New York |publisher={{ill|American Lithuanian Council|lt|Amerikos lietuvių taryba}} |oclc=494741879 |language=lt }}
*{{cite book| first=Alfred Erich |last=Senn |title=Lithuania 1940: Revolution from Above |series=On the Boundary of Two Worlds | year=2007 |publisher=Brill Rodopi |isbn=978-90-420-2225-6 }}
*{{cite journal |first=Juozas |last=Skirius |author-link=:lt:Juozas Skirius |year=2010 |volume=2 |title=Prezidento Antano Ametonos atvykimas į JAV 1941 metais ir išeivijos pozicija |url=http://talpykla.istorija.lt/bitstream/handle/99999/1838/LIM%202010-2_77-91.pdf |journal=[[Lietuvos istorijos metraštis]] |language=lt |issn=0202-3342 |access-date=12 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213090456/http://talpykla.istorija.lt/bitstream/handle/99999/1838/LIM%202010-2_77-91.pdf |archive-date=13 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite journal |first1=Marius |last1=Smetona |first2=Anželika |last2=Smetonienė |year=2016 |title=Prezidentas A. Smetona, Lėno ir Užulėnio Smetonos: genealoginė apžvalga |language=lt |url=http://www.lmaleidykla.lt/ojs/index.php/lituanistica/article/viewFile/3342/2147 | journal=Lituanistica |volume=62 |issue=2 |issn=2424-4716 |doi=10.6001/lituanistica.v62i2.3342 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite book |first=Liudas |last=Truska |author-link=:lt:Liudas Truska |editor-first=Algimantas |editor-last=Liekis |editor-link=:lt:Algimantas Liekis |chapter=Antanas Smetona |year=1995 |title=Lietuvos respublikos prezidentai |publisher=Valstybinis leidybos centras |location=Vilnius |language=lt |oclc=654379537 }}
*{{cite book| first=Vladas |last=Žukas |author-link=:lt:Vladas Žukas |year=2000 |title=Marijos ir Jurgio Šlapelių lietuvių knygynas Vilniuje |language=lt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jH8VAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas |location=Vilnius |isbn=9785420014578 }}

==External links==
* {{PM20|FID=pe/016676}}

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{{succession box | before = None | title = [[President of Lithuania]] | years = 4 April 1919 – 19 June 1920 | after = [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Aleksandras Stulginskis]] | title = [[President of Lithuania]] | years = 19 December 1926 – 15 June 1940 | after = [[Antanas Merkys]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Leaders of Lithuania since 1919}}
{{Signers of Act of Independence of Lithuania}}

{{Portal bar|Lithuania|Biography}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smetona, Antanas}}
[[Category:1874 births]]
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