References to the First World War in Lithuanian Memoirs and Publications during the Interwar Period: ‘And Lithuania moaned under the iron fist of the invaders’

Abstract

Personal testimonies of the Great War, revealed in memoirs, diaries and publications byLithuanians, have already been used by historians seeking clarification of the reflection of themilitary experience in Lithuania. This article shows that a significant part of these testimoniesappeared in the interwar period due to the intentional collection and publication of materialon military history, and their publication was often not random, but also had a political aspect.Moreover, the article complements earlier knowledge of the fact that the Great War was referredto not only when mentioning the German occupation. The many references to the GreatWar in the writings of Lithuanian intellectuals, and in the writings and speeches of politiciansin the interwar period, had much more varied reasons. KEY WORDS: First World War, German occupation, military history, war experiences, memories,publications.