World War II: Lithuania--Polish and German Crises (1938-39)


Figure 1.--Here German sailors are taking possession of Memel. Hitler had accompanied them as part of a naval task force. Hours Hours before, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Juozas Urbšys had been forced to sign away rights to Memel. The banner reads, 'Diefes Land bleibt ewig Deutsc ....', meaning something like, 'This land eternally remains German.' We are unsure about the tri-color flaf flying. It is not the Imperial German flag or the Weimar flag. A reader thinks it my be the Lithuanian flag, but surely flying the green, white, and red Lithuanian flag would not have been a wise thing to do with the Germans marching in to the city.

World War II for the Lituanians began about a year early. First their was a crisis with Poland (March 1938) and then with Germany (March 1939). Lithuania's small armed forces were powerless to resist. The world's attention was focused on the Anchhluss (March 1938). Poland used the occassion to present a series of demands on Lithuania. Relations between the two countries had remained acrimonious since Poland had seized Vilinus. The Lithuanians had closed the border. Extensive negotiations ensued for several years with no progress. Faced with Polish military action, the Lithuanians finally agreed to the Polish demands, including recognition of the existing border, meaning Polish possession of Vilinus (March 16). The Lithuanian capitulation effectively ended the crisis (March 19). Problems with Germany proved more serious. Lithuania had seized Memel/Klaipėda from German East Prussia (1923). The Government spent major sums were spent in building a modern port there. There was a substantial ethnic-German population in Memel. As in the Sudetenland, they began strongly pr-NAZI, hopething that Hitler would seize the city and return it to the Reich. Hitler ordered them to cause trouble as he had instructed the Sudetens. As a result, the Lithuanian authorities had increasing trouble maintaining order in the city and were hesitant to use real force against the Germans. This might have provided a pretext for a German invasion. As a result, the Lithuanians had largely lost control of the city (late-1938). Only days after seizing Czechoslovakia, Hitler moved on Memel. A Lithuanian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Juozas Urbšys traveled to Berlin. There he was forced to sign an agreement presented him by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop (March 23, 1939). The Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany transferred the Memel to the Reich. The Lithuanians were granted a free trade zone, access to the port facilities they had built at considerable cost. Hitler accompanied a naval force sent to reclaim Memel. This action probably would have been accepted as part of British Primeminister Chamberlain's appeasement policy because Memel had a large German populstion. Hitler had, however, fundamentally changed European power politics by seizing what remained of Czechoslovakia a few days earlier.

Poland--Vilinus (March 1938)

Lithuanian-Polish relations had been poisoned throughout the inter-War era by the Polish seizure of Vilinus (1920). With tensions rising in Europe, the Poles decided it was important to finally end this irritant in their foreign polivy. The world's attention was focused on the Anchhluss (March 1938). Poland used the occassion to present a series of demands on Lithuania. Relations between the two countries had remained acrimonious since Poland had seized Vilinus. The Lithuanians had closed the border. Extensive negotiations ensued for several years with no progress. Faced with Polish military action, the Lithuanians finally agreed to the Polish demands, including recognition of the existing border, meaning Polish possession of Vilinus (March 16). The Lithuanian capitulation effectively ended the crisis (March 19).

Germany--Memel/Klaipėda (March 1939)

Next Lithuania lost Memel/Klaipėda which before World War I had been a part of East Prussia before World War I. There was a substantial ethnic-German population in Memel. As in the Sudetenland, they became strongly pro-NAZI in the 1930s, hoping that Hitler would seize the city and return it to the Reich. What we do not have t this time is anyb infirmation on how the ethnic German minority was treated in Lithuania. During the last Lithuanian elections to the local Parliament, the Memel NAZIs won 26 out of 29 seats (December 1938). As a result, Memel became essentially a German city. Hitler ordered them to cause trouble as he had instructed the Sudetens. As a result, the Lithuanian authorities had increasing trouble maintaining order in the city and were hesitant to use real force against the Germans as it might provide a pretext for a German invasion. As a result, the Lithuanians largely lost control of the city. Only days after seizing Czechoslovakia, Hitler moved on Memel. A Lithuanian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Juozas Urbšys traveled to Berlin. There as a German naval task force was preparing to seize the city, Urbšys in the early morning hours was forced to sign an agreement presented him by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop (March 23, 1939). The Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany transferred the Memel to the Reich. The Lithuanians were granted a free trade zone, access to the port facilities they had built at considerable cost. Hitler accompanied a naval forece sent to reclaim Memel. Armed sailors landed to seize the city hours after the agreement was signed. This action probably would have been accepted as part of British Primeminister Chamberlain's appeasement policy because Memel the seizure was done without military action and Memel had a predominately German populstion. Hitler had, however, fundamentally changed European power politics by seizing what remained of Czechoslovakia a few days earlier. It would prove to be Hitler’s last territorial gain before he invaded Polsnd, launching World War II (September 1939). the war broke out. Hitler formally annexed Memel to the Reich (October 1939). It served as a base for the Kreigsmarine during World War II.






HBC







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main Lithuania World War II page]
[Return to Main country page]
[Return to Main World War II European campaign page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 2:22 AM 12/4/2011
Last updated: 5:38 AM 12/5/2011