Prisiekę Adonojo vardu : žydai pirmosios Lietuvos respublikos kariuomenėje

Abstract

A great variety of nationalities were represented in the army of the First Lithuanian Republic as well as the Lithuanian society. Though the ma jority were Lithuanians, there were also Russians, Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, Latvians, Jews and citizens of other nations. The aim of the present article is to analyse the national and religious make-up of the Lithuanian army. However, this article is just a starting point for further researches. In the period under investigation, the Jewish national minority was the most numerous. Accord ing to the census of 1923, the Jews amounted to 7,58% of the total population. Generally speaking, it can be noted that the national make-up of the army corresponded to the general distribution of nationalities in the state. In the article this tendency is illustrated by abundant statistical data presented in tables. Differently from the soldiers, the corps of officers was formed from a greater number of Lithuanians. It was influenced by the nationalistic political orientation of the state, rad ical army leaders, the organisers of the coup on December 17, 1926, and the attempts to make the officers' corps more Lithuanian. The Jewish na tional minority made a significant contribution both to the army and the state. Since 1933, the Jews were the only ones who had an official public paramilitary organisation. The army leaders were tolerant to the soldiers of all the nationalities and religions and provided favourable conditions for the celebration of both state and religious festivals. In the second half of the twenti eth century, under the menace of a new war, the military leaders of Lithuania gave very favour able evaluation of the Jews serving in the Lithuanian army.