Higher Officers' Courses

The Higher Officers' Courses (Lithuanian: Aukštieji karininkų kursai) were military courses for senior officers of the Lithuanian Army in 1921–1940. Junior officers were prepared by the War School of Kaunas. In July 1923, the courses were named after Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, who commanded Lithuanian forces in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald.

The courses were established after the Lithuanian Wars of Independence. Due to difficult post-war conditions, the new school lacked qualified lecturers and teaching materials but steadily grew and improved. The courses grew by adding specialized sections for artillery officers (1923) and physical education instructors (1924) as well as merging previously independent courses for military technicians and aviators in 1927. In total, Higher Officers' Courses prepared 704 officers. In addition, the courses organized several one-time courses in specialized military fields, e.g. topography, military administration, machine gun operation, etc.

The school was reorganized in April 1932 – various sections were removed and the courses now prepared officers for the General Staff (previously, Lithuanian officers of the General Staff were sent to various foreign military academies). This effectively made the courses a higher military school but the name was officially changed only in December 1938. Three classes of officers plus a class of intendants (a total of 65 men) graduated from the school before Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940 and the school was liquidated on 30 September.