Lietuvos kariniai daliniai Sibire 1918–1920 metais (politiniai ir kariniai klausimai)

ENIn summer 1918 fierce fighting broke out in the Urals, Siberia and the Russian Far East between Bolsheviks and the units of the Czechoslovak Corps moving from Ukraine to Vladivostok. Their successful military action prompted other nationalities, e.g. Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs and Croats, Romanians, Latvians, to form their military units. The biggest Lithuanian organisation in the area – Lithuanian Central Bureau (Lietuvių Centrinis Biuras) decided to remain neutral in the conflict. However, a local Lithuanian Committee (Lietuvių Komitetas) in Chelyabinsk, the city hosting the biggest Lithuanian community in Siberia, decided to follow the example set by other nationalities and form their own armed forces. Their decision was prompted by the reports on forcible conscription of Lithuanians by the emerging "white" army and persecution of those who refused. The aim was to prevent the conscription and demonstrate the national cause to the Allied authorities. Forming the armed forces exceeded the Committee’s moderate potential, while Czechoslovak authorities were not interested in the issue. Therefore, the representatives of Lithuanian authorities from Chelyabinsk approached Polish authorities with an offer to form Lithuanian units alongside Polish armed forces. The offer was accepted and in August 1918 the first Lithuanian unit was formed with second lieutenant Petras Linkevicius as its commanding officer. It was incorporated into the 3rd battalion, stationed in Boguruslan, of the Tadeusz Kosciuszko 1st Rifle Regiment as its company 7. The unit was formed solely from volunteers. Orders were given in Lithuanian and the soldiers wore the Lithuanian coat of arms. TheLithuanian company, alongside the remaining units of the regiment, fought with Bolsheviks near Belebey and Bogulma in winter 1918, valiantly accomplishing the military tasks.The 1st Rifle Regiment together with the Lithuanian company was withdrawn from the frontline in spring 1919 and transferred to Novonikolaevsk (now Novosibirsk), were the remaining Polish units were formed. It was incorporated into the 5th Polish Rifle Division. Following the endeavour of Lithuanian officers, the company was transformed into Vytautas the Great Independent Lithuanian Battalion of the division. The battalion’s uniforms, armament and supplies were very good from the beginning thanks to colonel Kazimierz Rumsza, the division’s commander, who himself came from Lithuania and spared no effort to provide the batalion with everything it needed. In September 1919 the battalion was sent to protect railway lines between Novonikolaevsk and Barnaul attacked by Bolshevist guerrillas, where it remained until November 1919. Increased Bolshevist attacks and lack of opportunity to withdraw the unit eastwards caused discontent among the soldiers. On the orders of the Allied command the battalion, together with the 5th Polish Rifle Division, was to cover the withdrawing Czechoslovak and other national forces. Deteriorating military situation resulted in a mutiny of 25 November 1919. Several men were killed, mostly officers, and the soldiers who sympathised with Bolsheviks seized power, Soon the battalion was disbanded and some soldiers were conscripted by Bolsheviks. Such was the end of the military unit in which Lithuanians fought alongside Poles against the mutual enemy for the first time since the rising in 1863. [From the publication]