Fourth Seimas of Lithuania

Fourth Seimas of Lithuania
Fourth Seimas of Lithuania
Overview
Legislative body	Seimas
Jurisdiction	Lithuania
Term	1936–1940
Election	1936 Lithuanian parliamentary election
Members	49
Chairman	Konstantinas Šakenis
Party control	Lithuanian Nationalist Union

The Fourth Seimas of Lithuania was the fourth parliament (Seimas) elected in Lithuania after it declared independence on 16 February 1918. The elections took place on 9 and 10 June 1936, a bit less than ten years after the Third Seimas was dissolved by President Antanas Smetona.^[1] The Seimas commenced its work on 1 September 1936. Its five-year term was cut short on 1 July 1940 when Lithuania lost its independence to the Soviet Union. It was replaced by the People's Seimas in order to legitimize the occupation.^[2] Konstantinas Šakenis was the chairman of the Seimas.

Background

After a military coup d'état in 1926, Smetona assumed the power and continued to strengthen his position. In 1935–1936, Smetona's prestige was declining as a trial against 122 Nazi activists in the Klaipėda Region caused Nazi Germany to declare a boycott of Lithuanian imports of agricultural products.^[3] This caused an economic crisis in Suvalkija (Southern Lithuania), where farmers engaged in violent protests.^[4] Advisers to Smetona tried to convince him that a Seimas could share the criticisms that was aimed solely at the President.^[3]

Elections

In early 1936, before the election, all public organizations had to re-register with the government. Political parties, however, were not re-registered and had to close.^[5] The Lithuanian Nationalist Union remained the only party in Lithuania. A new electoral law provided that the nominations of the candidates must come not from parties but from counties and municipal councils which were appointed by the central government. The votes were to be cast not for party lists, but for specific individuals.^[1] The number of representatives was reduced from 85 to 49. Such changes provided that the Nationalists got 42 seats; remaining seven seats were taken by the Young Lithuania, a youth branch of the Nationalists Union.^[5]

The Seimas functioned primarily as an advisory to the President: it debated proposals, made recommendations, and confirmed President's decisions.^[5] Its main purpose was to adopt a new constitution. It was accomplished on 11 February 1938. The new constitution provided for even more powers to the president.^[1] Up to that point all constitutions defined Lithuania as an independent democratic republic; the 1938 constitution dropped words "democratic" and "republic".^[5]

Members

49 men were elected to the Seimas:^[6]

Pranas Adamkavičius
Izidorius Aleksa
Pranas Aleksandravičius
Pranas Barkauskas
Juozas Bikinas
Povilas Brazdžius
Antanas Bričkus
Juozas Buožis
Julius Čaplikas
Pranas Dailidė [lt]
Petras Dilys
Michael Fesling (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
Pranas Galvydis
Jonas Gečas
Alfonsas Gilvydis
Mykolas Gylys
Klemensas Graužinis (died on 7 August 1939 and was replaced by Ksaveras Andrašiūnas)
Bronius Gudavičius
Julius Indrišiūnas
Jonas Jakimavičius
Stasys Jakubauskas
Simanas Janavičius
Jonas Jasutis
Antanas Jučas
Michael Jurgaleit (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
Juozas Kalpokas
Aleksandras Kniuipis
Jonas Kudirka
Vladas Kurkauskas
Mečislovas Kviklys
Juozas Laukaitis
Juozas Maurukas
Antanas Merkys
Jonas Pakalniškis (Johann Pakalnischis) (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
Antanas Petrauskas
Alfonsas Pimpė
Stasys Putvinskis (resigned in summer 1939 for health reasons and was replaced by Vladas Kaveckas)
Jonas Raudonis
Antanas Repčys
Juozas Rimkus
Justinas Sadauskas
Kipras Stankūnas
Kazys Statulevičius
Konstantinas Šakenis [lt]
Petras Šegamogas
Juozas Šėža
Bronius Tallat Kelpša
Jonas Viliušis
Valentinas Žalkauskas

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Seimas". Encyclopedia Lituanica. Vol. V. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. p. 101. LCCN 74-114275.
^ "Fourth Seimas 1936–1940". Seimas. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
^ ^a ^b Eidintas, Alfonsas (1991). Lietuvos Respublikos prezidentai (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Šviesa. pp. 125, 128. ISBN 5-430-01059-6.
^ Eidintas, Alfonsas; Vytautas Žalys; Alfred Erich Senn (September 1999). Ed. Edvardas Tuskenis (ed.). Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940 (Paperback ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 123. ISBN 0-312-22458-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kamuntavičius, Rūstis; Vaida Kamuntavičienė; Remigijus Civinskas; Kastytis Antanaitis (2001). Lietuvos istorija 11–12 klasėms (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Vaga. pp. 385–386. ISBN 5-415-01502-7.
^ Ragauskas, Aivas; Tamošaitis, Mindaugas, eds. (2007). Lietuvos Respublikos Seimų I (1922-1923), II (1923-1926), III (1926-1927), IV (1936-1940) narių biografinis žodynas. Didysis Lietuvos parlamentarų biografinis žodynas (in Lithuanian). Vol. 3. Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas. pp. 739–740. ISBN 978-9955-20-345-2.