Kaunas Fortress

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Kaunas Fortress
Lithuania
Fortress plan from the 19th century
Built	19th-20th centuries
Construction materials	Bricks, reinforced concrete
In use	from 19th century end
Controlled by	Imperial Russia, German Empire, Lithuania
Battles/wars	1915

Kaunas Fortress is the remains of a fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. The fortress was originally constructed as an imperial Russian redoubt of the Class 1 or "first class" grade. Its gradual construction lasted from 1882 to 1915. During its heyday, the fortress was the largest defensive structure in the entire state, occupying 65 km² (25.1 mi²).^[1]

The fortress was battle-tested in 1915, when Germany attacked the Russian Empire: the fortress withstood eleven days of assault before capture. After the battle, the fortress' military importance declined as advances in weaponry rendered it increasingly obsolete and it was used for civilian and garrison purposes.

When Lithuania was occupied during the Second World War, parts of the fortress complex were used as a detention, interrogation and execution purposes. Some sections of the fortress have since been restored to their original form and the Ninth Fort houses a museum and memorial devoted to the victims of wartime mass executions that took place there.

Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 Fall of the Fortress in World War I 4 Post-World War I to present 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Background

Due to its strategic location near the confluence of two rivers, Nemunas and Neris, as well as nearby hilltops and major trade routes, the city of Kaunas has long been a key geopolitical feature of the region. During the course of the city's history and the many wars that took place in Lithuania, defensive structures were built in the surrounding area by Lithuanians, Germans, Swedes, and Russians — a testament to the strategic importance of the site.^[1]

The idea of building a fortress in the eventual location of its construction was first discussed at the end of the 18th century, but it became a critical concern during the the French invasion of Russia in 1812 led by Napoleon, when the Grande Armée, without major difficulties, managed to cross the Nemunas river near Kaunas on its push towards Moscow.^[2]

In 1861 a branch of the railroad from Saint Petersburg to Warsaw opened in Kaunas, increasing the importance of the city.^[3] Railroads played a key role in the region during military campaigns of the period, since they were the primary means of transporting military equipment and supplies: moreover, Lithuania and Kaunas were at the western border of the Russian Empire, which made Kaunas an obstacle to possible attacks from the west, preventing further incursions towards Riga and Vilnius. In order to control the region, its attackers would need to first neutralize Kaunas. Facing this possibility and evaluating the natural advantages of the city, Russian officials decided to strengthen their western border by building a fortress in the city. After several delays, on 7 July 1879 an edict was issued by Tsar Alexander II, ordering the construction of a fortress in the city.^[1]

[edit] Construction

As originally planned, the fortress was intended to encompass a huge site including seven forts and nine defensive batteries, deployed in concentric loops. Supporting buildings, such as barracks, new roads, and an ammunition depot, were also planned. In 1882 construction began on the fortress.^[4] About 4,000 workers were mustered for the construction project.^[5]The main structures of the fortress were concentrated in Freda, Panemunė, Aleksotas, and the new section of the city, significantly affecting the daily life of Kaunas citizens.

The first forts were built using bricks reinforced with thick ramparts of earth, which were incorporated into the surrounding relief, making them harder to breach.^[2] The forts were symmetrical, usually having five faces, with provisions for infantry and artillery positions. The year 1887 marked the end of the first construction phase.^[4][6] At the same time, administrative rules were established which placed restrictions on the height of its civil buildings and controlled the fortress' impacts on the city and its surrounding areas.^[7] The fortress was designated first-class, marking its importance and defensive capabilities, in that year, and Otto Klem was named its first commandant.^[6]

Fortress construction [5]
Structure	Starting date	Finishing date
I battery	1882	1889
I fort	1883	1889
II battery	1883	1888
II fort	1883	1888
III battery	1883	1888
III fort	1883	1889
IV battery	1884	1888
IV fort	1883	1889
V battery	1884	1888
V fort	1883	1889
VI battery	1883	1888
VI fort	1883	1889
VII battery	1884	1888
VII fort	1884	1889
VIII battery	1883	1888
VIII fort	1890	~1907
IX battery	1883	1888
IX fort	1901	1913[1]

In 1890 work began on an eighth fort, known as Linkuva, constructed using new techniques, particularly reinforced concrete.^[2] During the same year, massive groundworks were laid along with additional defensive structures, effecting the complete enclosure of the city center between its two rivers, the Nemunas and Neris. By 1890 seven forts had been completed, supporting roads had been constructed, and a railroad bridge over the Nemunas had been adapted for military transport. By now, expenditure on the fortress had reached over nine million rubles.^[4] That same year, plans were made to add a church to serve the fortress garrison. The first bricks were laid in 1891, and it was completed in 1893.

The complex of forts and defensive structures was divided into four sectors. The first followed the left bank of the Nemunas to its confluence with the Jiesia River and included the three earliest forts. The second sector extended from the Jiesia to Pažaislis monastery, and included two forts. The third lasted from the right to the left bank of the Nemunas, this sector included also two forts; the fourth and last sector stretched from the right bank of the Neris to the left bank of the Nemunas. The fourth sector encompassed two forts, including the newest — the Ninth Fort.^[4]

As new building and weapons technologies developed, the fortress was renovated again and again in order to maintain its relevance as a military redoubt. In 1912 an initiative was launched to expand and reconstruct the fortress.^[6] The project called for an additional twelve new forts and batteries with supporting buildings and defensive structures and the end of reconstruction was scheduled for 1917.^[8] The older forts were to be completely encircled by the new construction. The construction was to have employed the newest military technologies.^[1] During the early realization of the plan, new defensive entrenchments were built, and the old forts were strengthened with concrete. However, when action began on the Eastern Front during World War I, work on the fortress was halted.^[2] In 1915 only one fort, the Ninth, was in conformance with the new technological criteria, while the Tenth Fort was partially complete. Despite the fact that the fortress's new construction was not fully accomplished, its internal railroad, supporting buildings, and military structures still covered about 65 square kilometres and posed tremendous challenges for attackers.^[1]

[edit] Fall of the Fortress in World War I

In 1915, Germany and the Central Powers began an offensive against Russia, and the front began to approach Lithuania and Kaunas. At the end of July of the same year, the German army made its final push towards Kaunas Fortress. At that time about 90,000 soldiers were prepared to defend it, commanded by Vladimir Grigoriev (Russian: Владимир Григорьев).^[9] The Germans brought four divisions to the operation, which were placed under the command of Karl Litzmann.^[7]

While moving towards the Fortress, the Germans began constructing a railroad for their 42-centimetre Gamma-Gerät howitzer (Big Bertha), which was brought to the front soon afterwards. The howitzer's shell weighed about 1000 kilograms (1.1 S/T) and had a range of 12 kilometres (7.46 mi).^[10] After several days of the siege, more guns of various calibers were deployed.

The German army concentrated its attack on the First, Second and Third Forts, the complex's oldest structures. This decision meant that the entire fortress was not surrounded by advancing forces, providing flexibility for its defenders to regroup and resupply. On August 8, the Germans intensified their bombardment, but a Russian garrison withstood attempts to breach the defensive perimeter several times. After several days, the bombardment of the fortress reached its peak; the defenders sustained a tremendous number of casualties, which reached from 50 to 75 percent.^[4] On August 14, over one thousand defending troops were killed.^[4] Nevertheless, its defenders managed to maintain control of the fortress that day. On the next day, August 15, the precision Gamma-Gerät's shell destroyed the First Fort, and an offensive action began on the Second Fort. The fight was now within the confines of the greater fortress complex.

At the cost of many casualties the Third Fort managed to stave off the advance of the Germans, but not for long, and on the same day the defenders evacuated the fort and withdrew. On the next day the Fourth Fort was abandoned, and the Fifth Fort was conquered on the next. In a chain reaction, the other forts began capitulating. The defensive commander Vladimir Grigoriev left his soldiers and escaped to Žiežmariai.^[6] When the Germans crossed the Nemunas river they managed to capture the Sixth and Seventh Forts, and the remaining two forts were captured soon afterwards. After eleven days of fighting, the first-class fortress was lost.^[1]

The defensive forces sustained 20,000 casualties, and around 1,300^[11] weapons were captured by the Germans.^[9] The fortress commander, Vladimir Grigoriev, was arrested and tried by Russian authorities, and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for failure to properly perform his duties. He also suffered the revocation of all his awards, military degrees, and honors. The Germans went on to use materials from the Fortress to serve their needs in the front.^[7]

Researches identifies several factors, which effected rather fast fall of the fortress. Apart that fortress was not renewed completely, but it also suffered from lack of experience crew.^[12][13] Crew, which had most experience fighting in the fortifications, there dispatched to the open ground fights.^[12] Due to frequent rotation of defenders, there was insufficient time to familiarize with the area and forts.^[12] Fortress communication lines there dispatched on open ground, therefore sustainable German bombardment disrupted it and defenders there unable to restore communications fully with command center and other forts.^[12][13] Absence of support from outside meant that fortress was left alone with enemy that proved to be a crucial factor.^[12]

[edit] Post-World War I to present

After Lithuania regained its independence on February 16, 1918, the Fortress was placed under engineering staff supervision. Those materials that had not been taken by the Germans were used to re-supply Lithuanian military needs, and for the construction of the armored train Gediminas, named after Grand Duke of Lithuania, Gediminas. In 1920 the Kaunas Fortress Board was formed and charged with the task of administering the Fortress. Due to the development of new military technologies, its reconstruction was seen as inappropriate as well as vastly expensive. Nevertheless sections of the Fortress were given to various official institutions: for example, one of the forts was used as a prison and another as an archive.^[4] As city Kaunas expanded old fortress' roads became public streets, therefore newly attached plots' structure and their roads there more or less influenced by fortress.^[14]

When Lithuania was re-occupied by Germans and Russians during World War II, the Fortress was used for interrogations and for mass executions.^[15] Mass murder took place in IV and VII forts, in VI fort was established POW camp for soldiers of Red Army.^[16] However the most notorious in this regard was the Ninth Fort: it housed political prisoners during the Soviet occupation, but its role in the Nazi regime was extremely brutal. About 10,000 Jews brought from Europe and around 30,000 local Jews and members of other nationalities were murdered there.^[17]

When WWII turned unfavored to Germans and then front line was moved back and reached proximity of Lithuania, there were attempts to prepare defensive, for this purpose was used and fortress structures and forts.^[16] On August 1, 1944 Kaunas was captured by Red Army, remaining fortress structures there used for military needs, several original structures there demolished, redeveloped. On 1948 in Fortress commandant's headquarter was established command staff of 7th Guard paratroopers, in barracks were stationed and soldiers of the 108th paratroopers regiment. ^[16] V fort served as of air-defense regiment, however most of the forts served as depots.^[16] During expansion and development of the city fortress structures suffered as well, like during the construction of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute ground layer entrenchments of one defensive sector were destroyed.^[16]

On 1958, Ninth Fort was declared as a museum.^[18] Soon afterwards in 1959 the first exposition was opened, dedicated to execute crimes there.^[18] Later on exhibit there expanded to cover whole fortress history. A 32-metre tall memorial to the victims was constructed there in 1984. However in the most parts of former fortress Soviet military was present, which continued until withdrawal of Soviet forces after Lithuania's independence reestablishment. After withdrawal of foreign forces military bases there disbanded in all, apart IV and VII, forts.^[19]

As of early 2007, only the Ninth Fort had been completely renovated. The other forts await their preservation. Modern exhibition of Ninth fort museum devoted to Holocaust, Lithuania's occupation, Soviet terror, etc.^[18] Museum holds over 65 000 showpieces.^[18] In 2005 an international project was launched, "Baltic Culture and Tourism Route Fortresses", with the goal of promoting transnational scientific cooperation in monument protection as well as creating strategies of reconstruction and management and Kaunas Fortress is part of this project.^[20]

[edit] See also

• Kaunas Castle
• Ninth Fort

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (German) Gamma-gerät in pictures
• 360 panorama of the 9th Forth Memorial for the victims of World War II