Handbook of European Intelligence Cultures by James M. Nyce & Bob de Graaff

Author:James M. Nyce & Bob de Graaff [Nyce, James M. & Graaff, Bob de]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
ISBN: 9781442249417
Google: BCPkrQEACAAJ
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2016-11-15T23:56:33.121262+00:00

Strategic Culture and History

The first traces of intelligence operations of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) could be found in the Middle Ages. Even after the union with the Kingdom of Poland in 1569, the GDL retained separate armed forces, which fought bloody wars with Russia, Sweden, and other emerging powers. As in other European countries, intelligence collection at that time was used primarily for military purposes. In 1795, after the third partition of the Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth, the biggest chunk of Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. Russia suppressed the Lithuanian resistance movement and successfully crushed the rebellions of 1831 and 1863. The Russian intelligence service Okhrana was active in keeping the Lithuanian population under control, but it was not able to counter the national awakening movement of the late nineteenth century.

After 125 years of occupation, in 1918 the reestablished Lithuanian state was hardly able to rely on her former masters for intelligence services or the historical legacy of the GDL. State building started from scratch. After several attempts and reorganizations, Lithuania established two major intelligence agencies that are still active today—the State Security Department, civilian, and the Second Branch under the Ministry of Defence as a military intelligence agency.

Between the two world wars, Lithuania’s intelligence agencies aimed collection efforts at three main potential adversaries: Poland, Germany, and the Soviet Union. Among them, Poland was perceived as a priority for intelligence collection. Both countries were legally at war until 1939, and the Polish occupation of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, was perceived as the biggest national tragedy. Counter-intelligence efforts were also important as Poland, the Soviet Union, and Germany operated extensive spying networks in Lithuania. International cooperation, even with closest neighbors such as Latvia and Estonia, was extremely limited.

After Lithuania lost its independence in 1940, the Soviets seized the existing files and property of the Lithuanian intelligence agencies. Staff of intelligence agencies who did not manage to escape to the West were killed or deported to Siberia. Some, though, continued their duties by joining the ranks of the partisans in 1944. Highly organized underground resistance to the Soviet occupation lasted at least until 1953. Lithuanian guerrilla fighters established five geographical military districts, each of them having limited military intelligence collection capabilities. Their fight against the Soviet NKVD without promised assistance from the West doomed them to fail. The Soviet intelligence apparatus quickly penetrated the guerrillas’ networks; many leaders were captured, killed, or exiled/imprisoned.

Still, in 1951, the leaders of the armed resistance met in the small town of Linkaiciai in the middle of Lithuania and issued a Declaration of Independence. Jonas Zemaitis-Vytautas was declared the president of the country. However, despite heroic efforts, the partisan movement lost momentum. Massive deportations, collectivization, and penetration exhausted the resistance movement. Zemaitis was caught in 1953, interrogated personally in Moscow by the chief of Soviet Union Ministry of Internal Security (MGB) Lavrentii Beria, and shot.

During the Soviet occupation, the Lithuanians were subject to the ruthless supervision of the Soviet Union’s internal intelligence services, chiefly the Committee for State Security (KGB).

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