War School of Kaunas () was a military school for junior officers in Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. It was established in January 1919 during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence copying the example of Russian 4-month praporshchik schools established during World War I. Despite difficult circumstances and lack of some of the basic supplies, between March 1919 and October 1920, the school prepared three classes of 434 men who were sent to the front. 15 of these graduates were killed in action. The cadets also participated in suppressing several anti-government coups, including by the Polish Military Organisation in 1919 and by the Voldemarininkai in 1934. As a reliable and loyal force, they were used to guard the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania when it convened in 1920 or the former Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras during his trial.
After the wars, the length of study was extended to one year in 1920, two years in 1922, and three years in 1935. Starting in 1926, the school began aspirant courses for the reservists. Courses for more senior officers were offered by the Higher Officers' Courses. From 1932, the school published journal Kariūnas (Cadet) every two months. Before the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in June 1940, the school prepared 20 classes of 1,631 junior officers and 14 classes of 2,585 reserve officers. The last 21st class graduated already after the occupation. The school was moved to Vilnius and reorganized into an infantrymen school for the Red Army.
History Establishment Lithuania declared independence in February 1918, but began forming the Lithuanian Army only in December 1918 at the outbreak of the Lithuanian–Soviet War. Officers of the new military units were mostly Lithuanians who had served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. After the Uprising of 1863, Russian government considered Lithuanians to be unreliable and would not admit them to Russian military academies or promote them to commanding officers. During World War I, due to lack of officers, these restrictions were relaxed and a number of Lithuanians graduated from temporary 4 to 5-month military courses and were promoted to junior officers (usually to praporshchik) though only a few managed to get to more senior positions. Mobilization of these former Imperial Russian officers was announced on 15 January 1919, but only about 400 responded instead of the expected 800 to 1,000.
On the same day, daily Lietuva announced admission procedures to the war school in Kaunas, but at that time the school had neither staff nor premises. Its first director, polkovnik Jonas Galvydis-Bykauskas, was appointed only ten days later. His deputy, Pranas Tvarionas, copied the curriculum from a 4-month praporshchik school he attended in Chistopol, found premises on Donelaitis Street near the St. Michael the Archangel Church, hired lecturers and staff, and acquired supplies from kitchen utensils to textbooks to national coat of arms. British and French Military Representatives provided some limited support; for example, French captain René Cohendet taught physical education while British colonel Henry Rowan-Robinson and General Frank Percy Crozier attended tactical practices. The cadets were initially referred to by a Russian–German term junker until philologist Kazimieras Būga proposed Lithuanian equivalent kariūnas which was officially adopted in May 1922.
+ Graduates of the War School Class Graduation date Junior officers Aspirants 1st 6 July 1919 96 2nd 16 December 1919 224 + 32 aviators 3rd 17 October 1920 82 4th 18 December 1921 209 5th 15 October 1923 79 6th 28 September 1924 48 7th 7 September 1925 53 8th 7 September 1926 21 1 December 1926 14 9th 8 September 1927 56 30 October 1927 46 10th 8 September 1928 44 2 November 1928 86 11th 6 October 1929 44 6 November 1929 81 12th 25 October 1930 67 1 November 1930 229 13th 24 October 1931 78 29 October 1931 475 15 September 1932 240 14th 31 October 1932 78 15th 15 September 1933 85 187 16th 15 September 1934 56 144 17th 15 September 1935 59 132 18th 15 September 1936 130 212 15 September 1937 254 19th 12 May 1938 140 27 September 1938 239 20th 16 September 1939 108 18 September 1939 246 21st 19 August 1940 72 2 October 1940 284Total 1,829 + 32 2,869
First three classes
The school began operations on 8 March and on 1 April had an official opening ceremony attended by many officials, including Chairman of the Council of Lithuania Antanas Smetona and Minister of Defence Antanas Merkys. Its first class had 124 cadets who each received a monthly salary of 10 German marks and later 50 Lithuanian auksinas. This class was the youngest: cadets were mostly 17–19-year-olds. Cadets could choose their specialty: infantry, machine gun, artillery, cavalry, pioneer. In addition to their studies, the cadets also guarded various strategic objects if needed and participated in ceremonial events (e.g. inauguration of the first president). 96 of them graduated on 6 July and later were promoted to lieutenants. The class was sent to the front in the Lithuanian Wars of Independence where five of them died and 28 were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis.
The second class of 300 cadets began their studies on 31 July 1919. They were chosen from some 800 candidates. Due to particularly difficult situation in the front, the cadets guarded and patrolled Kaunas and participated in the liquidation of the coup d'état attempt by the Polish Military Organisation. Upon graduation on 16 December, 200 men were promoted to lieutenants and 24 to sub-lieutenants. Ten men of the second class died in the front, 15 were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis, and 23 received the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. The second class was joined by 34 cadets of the Military Aviation School. It was the only class of aviation students as the Military Aviation School was liquidated on 18 December.
The third class of 152 cadets began their studies on 16 January 1920. At the time, there was a lull in the front and the lack of officers was less urgent. Therefore, the length of study was extended to one year. A new school statute was adopted in March which made the school a direct subordinate of the General Staff. When soldiers of Kaunas garrison, affected by poor living conditions and socialist revolutionary moods, began a mutiny on 21–23 February 1920, the cadets were a reliable force that the government could use against the garrison. They also guarded the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania when it convened on 15 May. After Soviet Union handed Vilnius to Lithuania according to the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty, the school relocated to Vilnius on 25 September. There it took the abandoned building of the former Vilnius Military School of the Russian Empire. However, just two weeks later, it was forced to hastily evacuate back to Kaunas due to the Żeligowski's Mutiny leaving much of its supplies and equipment behind. In order to stop the Polish advance, 75 lieutenants and 7 sub-lieutenants from the third class were sent to the front on 17 October.
Post-war curriculum The fourth class was hastily assembled and classes commenced on 15 November 1920. At 400 men it was the largest incoming class, but only 209 graduated on 18 December 1921. Among the graduates were several aviators including Steponas Darius. Since Lithuania was no longer engaged in any active conflicts, the education curriculum was expanded to include greater variety of military specialties and extended to two years starting in 1922. The school reoriented itself from catering to urgent needs of the front to more long-term strategic goals. In December 1922, the school was relocated from the city center to Panemunė which was better suited to military needs. Two companies of cadets of 81 and 69 men participated in the Klaipėda Revolt in January 1923.
To eliminate inconsistencies and contradictions in the curriculum, the War School was temporarily for about two years subordinated to the Higher Officers' Courses in November 1923. Due to the chaotic first years, the curriculum was not well planned and depended for most part on the instructor. As some cadets had only three or four years of prior education, they lacked some basic knowledge of mathematics and other general subjects to master the more specialized military topics such as artillery or topography. Therefore, in 1924, the school began a 3-year preparatory course for those with less than six years of prior education. In 1928, this preparatory course was eliminated reserving admissions only to those with an 8-year school diploma. To gain admission, men had to take and pass exams in Lithuanian language and history as well as pass medical examination. Therefore, only a small number of candidates would be admitted. For example, in 1928, out of approximately 150 applicants only 52 were admitted.
Initially, the curriculum lacked such basic classes as military history or military geography due to lack of qualified instructors. However, the curriculum was continuously improved and by 1927–1928 it was comparable to those of similar military schools in other countries. Many officers of the General Staff were assigned a teaching position. In 1924, classes included religious education, tactics, military equipment, machine guns, mortars, shooting range, military administration, military law, military history, topography, fortifications, artillery, Lithuanian language and literature, knowledge of the homeland, physics and chemistry, algebra, trigonometry, typology, hygiene, world history, French and German languages, physical education (gymnastics). In 1932, classes included religious education, general tactics, infantry tactics, military history, military law, military psychology, military organisation, commissariat, topography, pioneer subjects, chemistry, artillery, cavalry, aviation, mortars, heavy machine guns, communications, German language, physical education, dance and singing.
As part of a broader military reform was initiated by Stasys Raštikis, a new school statute was adopted in July 1935. The studies were extended to three years. After an initial 2–3 week training in school, the men would be sent for a 7-month in-the-field training in various regiments. There they familiarized with realities of the armed forces, learned weapons, and participated in field practices. Then they returned to the school to study military history, tactics (general, infantry, artillery, cavalry), military engineering (pioneer), topography, communications, military law, shooting, hygiene, explosives, chemical weapons, physical education, horse riding, religious education, German and Russian languages, dancing and singing, etiquette. During all three years, cadets participated in foot drills. In January 1940, the school had 55 instructors.
Aspirant and other courses