Lithuanian Riflemen's Union
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Lithuanian Riflemen's Union or Union of Lithuanian Riflemen (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Šaulių Sąjunga) often referred to as shaulists[1]is a nationalistic[2][3] paramilitary organisation with historical significance.
It was at its most powerful after World War I and before World War II, when it was prestigious and seen as a defender of the nation: when Lithuania was occupied, it would conduct guerrilla warfare. It also supported an controversial case when in the so-called Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, the Memel territory was occupied with the help of Riflemen from Greater Lithuania. The former German area was later annexed as Klaipėda Region.
After Soviet invasion of Poland, the disputed Vilnius region was transferred by Soviets to Lithuania. After Soviet Union occupied Lithuania, however, the Russians quickly dissolved the organisation, and many members were arrested and sentenced to death. Nonetheless during the period of Lithuanian independence in 1939-1940 and German occupation (1941-1943), the organization became infamous for supporting anti-Polish actions as well as pogroms against the Jews[2]. Some of its members volunteered to serve the Germans,[3] forming a core of the infamous Ypatingasis būrys responsible - along with German police - for the Ponary massacre.[4][5]
After Lithuania redeclared independence in 1990, the organization was recreated, but it is not influential now. A branch called Young Riflemen (Jaunieji Šauliai) is a paramilitary organisation for children, similar to Lithuanian Boy Scouts (Lietuvos Skautija). It is not very popular now. Current membership of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union is 7,000; in the interwar period it was 61,000. Sixty-one percent of members are Young Riflemen (12-18 years old), 8% are Active Riflemen (people who formerly were in army, 18-45 years old) and the remaining 31% are Inactive Riflemen.
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- ^ It should be noted that sources use this nickname to refer to the infamous Ypatingasis būrys organizations from the Second World War, many of whose members came from LRU.
- ^ a b (English) Tadeusz Piotrowski (1997). Poland's Holocaust: Ethnic Strife, Collaboration with Occupying Forces and Genocide.... McFarland & Company, p. 162. ISBN 0-7864-0371-3.
- ^ a b Kazimierz Sakowicz, Yitzhak Arad, Yale University Press, 2005, ISBN 0300108532 Google Print, p.12
- ^ (Polish) Czesław Michalski, Ponary - Golgota Wileńszczyzny (Ponary — the Golgoth of Wilno Region). Konspekt nº 5, Winter 2000–2001, a publication of the Academy of Pedagogy in Kraków. Last accessed on 10 February 2007.
- ^ (Polish) Stanisław Mikke, 'W Ponarach'. Relation from a Polish-Lithuanian memorial ceremony in Panerai, 2000. On the pages of Polish Bar Association
