Fourth Seimas of Lithuania

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.

Fourth Seimas of Lithuania
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Sixth Seimas (as restored Seimas)		→
Overview
Legislative bodySeimas
Jurisdiction Lithuania
Term1936–1940
Election1936 Lithuanian parliamentary election
Members49
ChairmanKonstantinas Šakenis
Party controlLithuanian Nationalist Union

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]

  1. Pranas Adamkavičius
  2. Izidorius Aleksa
  3. Pranas Aleksandravičius
  4. Pranas Barkauskas
  5. Juozas Bikinas
  6. Povilas Brazdžius
  7. Antanas Bričkus
  8. Juozas Buožis
  9. Julius Čaplikas
  10. Pranas Dailidė
  11. Petras Dilys
  12. Michael Fesling (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
  13. Pranas Galvydis
  14. Jonas Gečas
  15. Alfonsas Gilvydis
  16. Mykolas Gylys
  17. Klemensas Graužinis (died on 7 August 1939 and was replaced by Ksaveras Andrašiūnas)
  18. Bronius Gudavičius
  19. Julius Indrišiūnas
  20. Jonas Jakimavičius
  21. Stasys Jakubauskas
  22. Simanas Janavičius
  23. Jonas Jasutis
  24. Antanas Jučas
  25. Michael Jurgaleit (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
  26. Juozas Kalpokas
  27. Aleksandras Kniuipis
  28. Jonas Kudirka
  29. Vladas Kurkauskas
  30. Mečislovas Kviklys
  31. Juozas Laukaitis
  32. Juozas Maurukas
  33. Antanas Merkys
  34. Jonas Pakalniškis (Johann Pakalnischis) (resigned on 22 March 1939 after the incorporation of Klaipėda Region to Nazi Germany)
  35. Antanas Petrauskas
  36. Alfonsas Pimpė
  37. Stasys Putvinskis (resigned in summer 1939 due to health reasons and was replaced by Vladas Kaveckas)
  38. Jonas Raudonis
  39. Antanas Repčys
  40. Juozas Rimkus
  41. Justinas Sadauskas
  42. Kipras Stankūnas
  43. Kazys Statulevičius
  44. Konstantinas Šakenis
  45. Petras Šegamogas
  46. Juozas Šėža
  47. Bronius Tallat Kelpša
  48. Jonas Viliušis
  49. Valentinas Žalkauskas

References
  1. Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Seimas". Encyclopedia Lituanica. Vol. V. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. p. 101. LCCN 74-114275.
  2. "Fourth Seimas 1936–1940". Seimas. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  3. Eidintas, Alfonsas (1991). Lietuvos Respublikos prezidentai (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Šviesa. pp. 125, 128. ISBN 5-430-01059-6.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
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