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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
The Provisional Government, which held power from March to November 1917, had little effect on Lithuania. This was not due to the Russian government's attempt to carry on the war in the midst of internal rebellion and general chaos, but rather to Lithuania's having been overrun by the German army, which occupied the country for the entire period. Nevertheless, this period provides a glimpse into the forces at work, which were to effect profoundly Lithuania to the present. The Lithuanians were trying to establish an independent state of their own against the wishes of the Poles, Russians, and Germans, and in order to understand the situation properly, it is necessary to go back much further in history.
1 Oswald. P. Backus, “The Impact of the Baltic and Finnic People Upon Russian History,” Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. IV, No. 1 (New York, 1973), p. 2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 The Catechism by Martynas Mažvydas was published in Koenigsberg in 1547 and had been accepted generally as the first publication in Lithuanian. However, recently the text of a prayer published in 1503 has been discovered in the library of the University of Vilnius This pushed back the date of the first publication over four decades, nevertheless, because of the religious content it reemphasized the importance of the Reformation to the Lithuanian language.Google Scholar
3 A. Venclova, chief ed., Lietuvos TSR Bibliografija, I, Series A, 1547–1861 (Vilnius: Mintis, 1969), xii.Google Scholar
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5 Up to this point East Prussia was the center for Lithuanian publication and at the University of Koenigsberg a good deal of attention was paid to Lithuanian literature. Almost all of the population of this area at this time used the Lithuanian language. “Rytu Prusijos Lietuviai,” Mazoji Lietuviskoji Tarybine Enciklopedija, III,(Vilnius: Mintis, 1971), p. 91. Further reference to Mazoji Lietuyiskoji Tarybine Enciklopedija will be MLTE.Google Scholar
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8 W. Feldman, Geschichte der polnischen Ideen, (Munich: R. Oldenbourg, 1917), p. 671 Koncevicius, Joseph, “Education in Lithuania,” Catholic Educational Review, February, 1926, p. 79.Google Scholar
9 This does not imply that during the interim a complete dearth in the production of works in Lithuania existed. They continued to come forth in the eighteenth century and it was then that one of Lithuanian greatest poets lived. This was Donelaitis, Kristojonas, whose work Metai in hexameter has been translated into a number of languages. His vivid description of nature and his sound realism stand out in an age of sentimental poetry. For an original reproduction see Kostas Korsakas and Jurgis Lebedys, eds., Lietuviu Literatūros Istorijos Chrestomatija, (Vilnius: Vastybine Grožinés Literatūros Leidykla, 1957), pp. 162–177. The text in contemporary literary Lithuanian can be found in Jonas Aistis and Antanas Vaičiulaitis, eds., Lietuviu Poezijos Antologija, Chicago: Draugas, 1951), pp. 127–146.Google Scholar
10 Kostas Korsakas and Jurgis Lebedys, eds., Lietuviu Literatures Istorijos Chrestomatija, (Vilnius: Valstybine Grozines Literatūros Leidykla, 1957), pp. 325–331.Google Scholar
11 For more on Daukantas see LE, IX, pp. 363–366; MLTE,I, pp. 373–374; Korsakas, Lietuviu, pp. 463–479.Google Scholar
12 Further information on Valančius can be found in LE, XXXII., pp. 523–531; MLTE, III, pp. 666–667; Kostas Korsakas, ed., Lietuviu Literatūros Istorija, II, (Vilnius Valstybine Politines ir Mokslines Literatures Leidykla, 1958), pp. 43–51; Vaclovas Biržiska, Vyskupo Motiejaus Valančiauz Blografijos Broužai, (Brooklyn: Franciscan Press, 1952].Google Scholar
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18 Pervaia Vseobshchaia Perepis' Naseleniia Rossiiskoi Imperil, 1897g.; XVII Kovenskaia-Guberniia, 1904, p. 111; herafter referred to as Per. Vseob. The actual figures were divided into those literate in the Russian language and those literate in an “other” language. This leaves the possibility that a percentage would be other than Lithuanian. However, this would be insignificant, since in the first place these individuals listed themselves as Lithuanians. Secondly, by this time the Lithuanian language and nationalism had taken hold quite strongly as a number of individuals have testified in their memoirs. Z. Ivinskis, Vyskupo P. Bučio Atsiminimai, (Chicago: Draugas, 1966), 63–64; Vanda Tuměnienė-Mingailaite, Mano Atsiminimai, (Chicago: Morkŭnas Press, 1957), 15; Grinius, Kazys, Atsiminimai; Bielinis, Kipras, Dienojant, (South Boston: Lietuviu Enciklopedijos spaustuvė, 1958). A number of biographies indicate a similar conclusion. Vincas Tercijonas, Prof. Dr. Med. Pranas Gudas-Gudavičius, (Chicago: Naujienos, 1959)., 19–20; Simas Sužiedelis, Kunigas Jonas Nuo Kryziaus, (Putnam; Immaculate Press, 1956), 11–16; Alsenas, Pranys, Martynas Jankus, (Cleveland: Vilties, 1967), 17–67.Google Scholar
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26 Some were of very short duration, while others lasted until World War II. The names were compelled from a section, “Periodiniu Leidiniu Rodyklė,” which appeared at the end of Vincas Kapsukas Raštai. Only the first seven volumes were used. R. Maliukevičius, ed., Vincas Kapsukas Raštai, I-VII,(Vilnius: Vaga, 1964). In addition, the three volumes of MLTE were used; and Aužuolaitis' “Literatur der Litauer,” Allgemeine litauische Rundschau, (Tilsit: No. 1, January, 1910), pp. 26–31.Google Scholar
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46 Bielinis, Kipras, Penktieji Metal, (New York: Lietuviu Enciklopedijos spaustuvé, 1959), p. 232. Bielinis was a leader of the Social Democratic Party. After being expelled from school in 1902, he joined the Social Democratic Party in Lithuania and actively fought the Russian government. He was arrested in Nobember 1907, survived hard labor in Riga and, in 1912, was exiled to Siberia but escaped following the revolution of February 1917. Bielinis then temporarily became the secretary of the Lithuanian Commissariat in Moscow. From 1922–1926 he was a member of the first, second and third seimas in which he spoke out in behalf of his socialist principles. After the right wing takeover in 1926, Bielinis withdrew from active politics but with the Soviet and German occupations he once again became involved. In 1949 he emigrated to the United States where he worked fostering Lithuanianism until his death in 1965. In addtion to the above, see Bielinis, Dienojant; J. Viks, “Kipra Bielini Prisiminus,” Mintis, I, No. 1, 1971, 53–68.Google Scholar
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53 Ibid., pp. 319, 320.Google Scholar