Soldiers without uniforms: 1919 Partisan War in Northern Lithuania

ENAt the end of 1918 the organization of small guerrilla units started in the northern and eastern parts of Lithuania. The transformation from a civilian into a member of a paramilitary organization proceeded spontaneously, and it was people who lived side by side, often related by occupation, kinship or other social bonds, that were joining guerrilla units. The mentioned transformation was largely fomented by impending physical danger and the threat to private property. About 2 300 armed men were involved in guerrilla fighting by the spring of 1919. Guerrilla regiments would often back up actions of the regular army as a supporting military force operating in the enemy’s rear or on the home front. Guerrilla forces also contributed to an effective offensive by the Lithuanian army against the Red Army in the 1919 spring and summer. Part of guerrilla units was integrated into regiments of the regular Lithuanian army at the end of 1919 and in the first half of 1920.