Kauno miesto ir apskrities karo komendantūros įsteigimo minėjimai XX a. 3–4 dešimtmečiuose

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the form and content of the official commemorations of the establishment of the Military Kommandanture of Kaunas district (January 5, 1919) and the main related events (i.e. the collisions of the Lithuanian volunteers with the German soldiers, the liquidation of the centres of Polish separatism, POW conspiracy, and the mutiny of Kaunas garrison). The data reveals that the establishment of Kaunas Kommandanture, officially commemorated from the middle of the second decade, became one of the most notable memorable dates related to the army. A celebration would be organized according to the scenario typical to the state festival with the participation of the high-ranking military and government officials. In the course of fifteen years, the topicalities of state life influenced the interpretations of the major events of Kommandanture (1919-1920) in press. Different political foci could be observed, such as the anti-Bolshevik, anti-Polish, or episodically anti-German motives, whereas in the third decade, the apologetics of Smetona was evident.