Kazys Grinius

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Kazys Grinius
Third President of Lithuania
In office June 7, 1926 – December 17, 1926
Preceded by	Aleksandras Stulginskis
Succeeded by	Antanas Smetona
Born	December 17, 1866 Selima, Lithuania
Died	June 4, 1950 Chicago, Illinois, USA
Political party	Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union
Spouse	Joana Pavalkytė-Griniuvienė

Kazys Grinius (pronunciation (help·info), December 17, 1866 – June 4, 1950) was the third President of Lithuania, from June 7, 1926 to December 17, 1926.

When Grinius was born in Selema, near Marijampolė, Lithuania was part of the Russian empire. As a young man, he became involved in Lithuanian political activities, and was persecuted by the Tsarist authorities.

In 1896 he married Joana Pavalkytė. For some time they lived in Virbalis. In 1899 son Kazys was born. In 1902 daughter Gražina was born. During World War I they lived in Kislovodsk. In 1918 during Red Army attack his wife and daughter were killed. They were burried in Kislovodsk cemetery.

When Lithuania regained its independence in 1918, Grinius became a member of the National Assembly as a member of the Peasant Populist Party. He served as Prime Minister from 1920 until 1922, and signed a treaty with the Soviet Union. He was elected President in 1926, but served for only six months, as he was deposed in a coup by Antanas Smetona, under the pretext that there was an imminent communist plot to take over Lithuania.

When Germany invaded Lithuania in 1941, Grinius refused to collaborate with the Germans because of his opposition to the occupation of Lithuania by any foreign power. He fled to the West, when the Soviet army reoccupied Lithuania in 1944, and emigrated to the United States in 1947.

He died in Chicago, Illinois, in 1950. After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, his remains were returned and buried in Lithuania.

[edit] See also

• List of Presidents of Lithuania

[edit] External links

• Information about Kazys Grinius

Preceded by Ernestas Galvanauskas	Prime Minister of Lithuania 19 June, 1920 – 2 February 1922	Succeeded by Ernestas Galvanauskas
Preceded by Aleksandras Stulginskis	President of Lithuania June 7, 1926 – 18 December 1926	Succeeded by Jonas Staugaitis

Persondata
NAME	Grinius, Kazys
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Third President of Lithuania from 7 June 1926 until 17 December 1926
DATE OF BIRTH	17 December 1866
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lithuania
DATE OF DEATH	4 June 1950
PLACE OF DEATH	Chicago, Illinois