Antanas Merkys

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Antanas Merkys (pronunciation (help·info), 1888 in Bajorai, near Skapiškis, Lithuania – March 5, 1955 in Vladimir Oblast, Russia) was President of Lithuania (1940). He was also Prime Minister of Lithuania from 1939 to 1940. During the 1940 Soviet invasion of Lithuania he was captured and deported to Russia.

[edit] Biography

Educated in the law, Merkys served in the Russian Army during the World War I (1914–18). In 1919 he entered the army of the newly independent Lithuania. From March to August 1919 he was Minister of Defence. From 1919 to 1922 he served in army. In 1922 he was decommissioned and engaged in lawyer career. After the Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, he was secretary of commissioner of the government in the Klaipėda Region, Antanas Smetona. After coup d'état of 1926 until 1927 he was Minister of Defence. From 1927 to 1932 he was governor for Klaipėda Region. He was removed from this position by demand of Germans and engaded in law practice. In 1933 we became Mayor of Kaunas. In 1936 he was elected to Parliament. On November 17, 1939 he became Prime Minister.

When on 12 June 1940 USSR presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, President Antanas Smetona proposed armed resistance against the USSR. Merkys suggested to accept ultimatum and wanted to resign but because of disagreements with USSR on the next Prime Minister he was forced to be head Cabinet of Ministers for few more days. With no approval of the major part of the government and the commander of the army, Smetona temporarily turned duties of President over to Prime Minister Antanas Merkys and on June 15 he and his family retreated secretly to Germany and then to Switzerland. Merkys followed demands of Soviet occupants and tried to capture President Antanas Smetona. Next day Antanas Merkys announced on national radio that he removes Antanas Smetona from position of President and takes over presidency himself. Declaring himself to be president was in contradiction to the existing laws and was never recognised as president by Lithuanian diplomats. On 17 June 1940 Merkys accepted demands of USSR, assigned Justas Paleckis as new Prime Minister and resigned. Merkys with family tried to leave Lithuania but on 17 June 1940 was arrested. On 17 July 1940 Antanas Merkys and his family were deported to Saratov, Russia. In 1954 he was released from prison without the right to return to Lithuania. He lived in Vladimir until 1955 where he died on 5 March.