Jonas Žemaitis

Jonas Žemaitis, also known under his nom de guerre Vytautas (March 15, 1909 – November 26, 1954) was a Lithuanian general and freedom fighter who served as the de facto president of Lithuania from 1949 until his death in 1954. A Lithuanian partisan, armed resister of Soviet occupation and the chairman of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters, Žemaitis was posthumously nominated and acknowledged as the head of state of Lithuania following the re-establishment of independence.

Jonas Žemaitis
Acting President of Lithuania
As Chairman of the Presidium of the Council of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters
Posthumously recognized on March 12, 2009
In office
February 16, 1949  November 26, 1954
Preceded byAntanas Merkys
(last head of state before the Soviet annexation in 1940)
Succeeded byAdolfas Ramanauskas
(Posthumously recognized in November 2018; then vice chairman of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters)
Personal details
BornMarch 15, 1909
Palanga, Courland Governorate, Russian Empire
DiedNovember 26, 1954 (aged 45)
Butyrka prison, Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Military service
Allegiance Lithuania
Years of service1926–1941 (Lithuanian Army)
1944 (Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force)
1945–1953 (Lithuanian partisans)
Rank Brigade General
CommandsUnion of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.