Проблема литовской государственности и идея литовско-латвийского единства (1915-1917)

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Berno konferencija; Berno lietuvių konferencija; Jonas Šliūpas; Lietuvių ir latvių vienybės idėja; Lietuvių-latvių unija; Lietuvos ir Latvijos konfederacija; Lietuvos politinis centras; Valstybingumas; Bern Conference; Jonas Šliūpas; Lithuanian Political Centre; Lithuanian statehood; Lithuanian-Latvian union; Lithuanian–Latvian union; The idea of Lithuanian-Latvian unity.

ENThe years of World War I gave rise to favourable circumstances for seeking independence among the nations subjugated to the Russian Empire. To that end, political centres were founded in neutral Switzerland. At the end of 1917, the Lithuanian political centre formed in Switzerland. It comprised two organizations: Lithuanian National Council and Lithuanian Information Bureau. A number of nations were linked by the common oppression of tsarist Russia; therefore, their representatives used to hold joint meetings. In 1915-1916, Lithuanians negotiated with Latvians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. The article discusses how the models of Lithuanian future prospects changed together with the changing policy of imperial countries in the years of World War I: from the autonomy of ethnographic Lithuania, independence of unitary or confederate Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the independent nation state. Jonas Šliūpas, a representative of the Lithuanian national movement, promoted the idea of the Lithuanian-Latvian union by appealing to the common Lithuanian and Latvian origin, historical past, similar fate that shaped similar mentality allowing to live in a common state. The idea was more actively promoted in 1917. The Lithuanian and Latvian political elite did not put their faith in such a vision, whereas from the end of 1917 they expressed their unambiguous position in favour of the establishment of the nation states. [From the publication]