Juozas Urbšys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juozas Urbšys
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania | |
| In office December 5, 1938 – June 16, 1940 |
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| President | Antanas Smetona |
| Prime Minister | Vladas Mironas Jonas Černius Antanas Merkys |
| Preceded by | Stasys Lozoraitis |
| Succeeded by | Stasys Lozoraitis (as Chief of Diplomacy) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 29, 1896 Šeteniai, Kėdainiai District, Russian Empire (now Lithuania) |
| Died | April 30, 1991 (aged 95) Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Resting place | Petrašiūnai Cemetery, Kaunas |
| Citizenship | Lithuanian |
| Spouse | Marija Urbšienė-Mašiotaitė |
| Education | Riga Polytechnical Institute Chuhuiv Military School |
| Occupation | Diplomat, politician, military officer, translator |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Imperial Russian Army Lithuanian Army |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 1918–1922 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War I Lithuanian War of Independence |
Juozas Urbšys (born February 29, 1896 – died April 30, 1991) was an important Lithuanian diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country when dealing with other nations. He was the last person in charge of foreign affairs for independent Lithuania before it was occupied in 1940. He was also a translator, meaning he changed texts from one language to another.
Urbšys served in the military from 1916 to 1922. After that, he joined the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the part of the government that handles relationships with other countries. In 1938, he became the head of this ministry. He stayed in this role until Lithuania was occupied in 1940.
The Soviet Union (a large country that included Russia) arrested Urbšys in 1940. They sent him to Siberia, a very cold region, where he spent 13 years in different prisons. Juozas Urbšys lived long enough to see Lithuania become independent again in 1991. He passed away that same year and was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery in Kaunas.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Juozas Urbšys was born on February 29, 1896. His birthplace was Šeteniai, a village near Kėdainiai. He went to school in Panevėžys and finished in 1914. Later, he continued his studies in Riga, Latvia.
His studies were stopped when World War I began. He joined the army in 1916. A few years later, he finished his education at Chuguyevo Military School in Ukraine. He returned to Lithuania in 1918. This was after Lithuania became an independent country again. He continued to serve in the Lithuanian military until 1922.
A Career in Diplomacy
After his time in the military, Urbšys started working in foreign service. This means he worked as a diplomat. From 1922 to 1927, he worked in Berlin, Germany. His next job was in Paris, France, where he stayed until 1932.
Urbšys was then named Lithuania's special representative to Latvia. He did not stay in this role for long. In 1934, he became the head of the political department in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In 1938, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. This was a very important job.
His time as foreign minister happened during big changes in the world.
Dealing with Germany
In 1939, there were rumors that Nazi Germany wanted to take back the city of Klaipėda. This city is a port on the Baltic Sea. Klaipėda and its area had been part of Germany before 1919.
Urbšys was in Rome for an event in March 1939. On his way back, he stopped in Berlin. He wanted to understand what was happening with Klaipėda. On March 20, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany's foreign minister, met with Urbšys. Ribbentrop demanded that Lithuania give Klaipėda to Germany. He also threatened military action if they refused.
Urbšys told the Lithuanian government about this demand. Lithuania was told to decide quickly. Germany warned that any fighting would lead to a military response. Lithuania did not have international support. So, it had no choice but to accept Germany's demand. Lithuanian diplomats called this a "necessary evil." They hoped it would protect their country's independence.
Facing the Soviet Union
Another major event happened in October 1939. Urbšys visited the Soviet Union. He met with Vyacheslav Molotov, who was a top Soviet official. Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, also joined the meeting.
During their talk, a plan for a mutual assistance pact was presented. This pact led to Red Army troops being stationed in Lithuania. The city of Vilnius and its surrounding area were returned to Lithuania. This area had been taken by Poland in 1920.
However, about a year later, the Soviet authorities gave Lithuania another demand. This demand ended Lithuania's independence. Urbšys's job as foreign minister ended in 1940.
Imprisonment and Later Life
After the Soviet occupation, Juozas Urbšys was sent to prison. He was first held in a prison in Tambov. Later, he was moved to other prisons. He spent 11 of his 13 years in prison in solitary confinement. This means he was kept alone in his cell.
He was released in 1954. But he was not allowed to live in what was then the Lithuanian SSR. He was finally allowed to return to Lithuania in 1956.
Urbšys then earned a living by translating books. He translated works from French language into Lithuanian. He became well-known again after his memoirs were published in 1988. Memoirs are a type of autobiography. His book was one of the first to talk about Lithuanian history under Soviet rule.
After Lithuania became independent again, Urbšys was honored. He was named an honorary citizen of Kėdainiai in 1990. He also became an honorary citizen of Kaunas in 1991. His health was not good, so he could not fully take part in the new political process. But the Lithuanian people respected him greatly. Urbšys died on April 30, 1991. His body was displayed at Kaunas' War Museum. Then, he was buried in Petrašiūnai Cemetery.
His last political act was on August 23, 1988. A speech he recorded was played at a Sąjūdis rally. Sąjūdis was a movement for Lithuanian independence. In his speech, he talked about the Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty.
Near the end of his life, a Swedish diplomat visited Urbšys. This was on September 9, 1990. Urbšys was living in a simple apartment in Kaunas. The diplomat asked about possible Lithuanian military resistance in 1940. Urbšys said it would have been impossible. He explained that Lithuania's situation was different from Finland's. Finland fought the Winter War against the Soviets. But Finland had a better location and strong defenses. Urbšys also said that resistance might have made the occupation even worse.
Two schools have been named after Juozas Urbšys. These are Kaunas 29th Secondary School and a school in Tiskūnai.
Awards
- Order of Vytautas the Great (Lithuania), Officer's Cross
- Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania), Commander's Grand Cross and Officer's Cross
- Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden), Commander 1st class (1935)
Works
Juozas Urbšys translated books by Georges Duhamel and Pierre Beaumarchais. These were from French to Lithuanian. His memoir, Lithuania During the Fatal Years, 1939-40, was published in 1988.
