Tripartite authority on the Lithuanian Latvian border in 1919: the example of Seda
ENAt the end of December 1918, when the German army began its withdrawal from the territory of Lithuania, the local population was faced with a situation in which the occupant administration was no longer able to maintain order in the regions, whereas the institutions of independent Lithuania did not have the resources to take over the governance in a very short period of time. In this uncertain situation, the tripartite rule developed in many parts of Lithuania. Often, three different authorities were operating in Lithuania at the same time, trying to consolidate their power in one way or another. Firstly, there was the still active German occupation administration, supported by German troops. Secondly, it was the militant revolutionaries who organized local councils and militias. And the third authority were the supporters of the independent Lithuania, who set up military commanderies and local self-defense units (they called themselves partisans or guerillas). The analysis of the activities of the Seda Commandant’s Office in 1919 shows that the commandant’s offices, which had been established at the end of 1918 (as self-defense units of partisans), played an important role not only in the struggle against the invading Red Army troops, but also prevented the pro-Bolshevik forces from taking root in the local self-governance.Due to Commandant’s Headquarters, it was possible, in a relatively short time, not only to legitimize but also to consolidate the activities of the institutions of the independent Lithuania throughout Lithuania. Commandant’s Offices played an equally important role in protecting the local population from individual and organized gangs of looters. This gave the local population greater confidence in the independent Lithuanian State and its institutions. Key words: Lithuanian Armed Forces, Seda, Povilas Plechavičius, Commandant of Seda, Lithuanian Wars of Independence.
