Antanas Merkys

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Antanas Merkys (pronunciation (help·info); born February 1, 1887 in Bajorai, near Skapiškis, Vilna Governorate of the Russian Empire; died March 5, 1955 in Vladimir Oblast, Soviet Union) became President of Lithuania in 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 the Russian SFSR.

[edit] Biography

Educated in law, Merkys served in the Russian Army during World War I (1914–18). In 1919, he served as the newly-independent Lithuania's Minister of Defence before serving with the Lithuanian Army until his decommissioning in 1922. He then practised as a lawyer.

After the Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, Merkys became secretary to the Klaipėda Region Commissioner, Antanas Smetona. Following the coup d'état in 1926 , he became Minister of Defence again until 1927, when he was made Governor of Klaipėda Region.

In 1932, German demands prompted his removal as Governor^{[citation needed]} and Merkys returned to practising law. He became Mayor of Kaunas in 1933 and in 1936 was elected to Parliament. On November 17, 1939, he became Prime Minister.

When, on 12 June 1940, the Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania, President Antanas Smetona proposed armed resistance. Merkys suggested accepting the ultimatum and wanted to resign as Prime Minister, but, as a successor could not be agreed with the Soviet Union, he remained at the head of the cabinet. Smetona turned over his presedential duties to Merkys before secretly retreating to Germany and then Switzerland.

Although unsuccessful, Merkys had complied with Soviet demands that Smetona be apprehended. The day after Smetona's departure, Merkys announced on national radio that he had removed Smetona as President and had assumed the post himself. As this was contrary to the existing law, his presidency remained unrecognised by Lithuanian diplomats.^{[citation needed]}

On 17 June 1940, Merkys accepted the Soviet demands, appointing Justas Paleckis as the new Prime Minister and then resigning. He tried to leave Lithuania with his family, but was arrested. A month later, on 17 July, he and his family were deported to Saratov, Russia.

In 1954, Merkys was released from prison without the right to return to Lithuania. He lived in Vladimir until his death the following year, on 5 March 1955.