Lithuanian Freedom Fighters' Tactics: Resisting The Soviet Occupation 1944-1953 by Darius Bernotas

Author:Darius Bernotas [Bernotas, Darius]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, United States, Europe, General, Germany, Russia & the Former Soviet Union
ISBN: 9781782897088
Google: KxpvCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T05:04:25+00:00

LFF Tactics in the Unconventional Armed Resistance Phase (May 1946-November 1948)

Leadership

Despite the fact that during the second phase of resistance the Soviets increasingly suppressed the LFF, its leadership continued to influence members of the resistance by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to carry on resistance to reach the end state-that is, to re-gain Lithuanian independence.

Although armed resistance and moving throughout the areas of operation posed increasing danger, the LFF leadership continued to emphasize the importance of visiting the subordinate units “in order to consult, stress the discipline issues, and inspire partisans to fight.”{115} The LFF leadership’s continuous presence among troops instilled the sense of purpose and motivated the partisans while providing direction to adapt resistance tactics and methods in order to continue fighting against superior enemy.

While directing the resistance, the LFF leadership emphasized the importance of military discipline and a just conduct of armed conflict. Even though the Soviets escalated violence by torturing captured LFF members, suppressing LFF family members and other non-combatants, committing war crimes on behalf of LFF thus trying to cut off local populace support towards the armed resistance, etc., the LFF leadership managed to prevent escalation of LFF violence. The LFF leadership demanded that each partisan obey existing regulations. A Partisan Criminal Statute served as a tool regulating punishment procedures of the Soviet authorities and local collaborators when they committed a crime. It clearly stated under what conditions and how the Soviet authorities and civilians collaborating with them had to be prosecuted and what type of punishment could be adapted.{116} Thus the LFF leadership demanded absolute adherence to discipline and regulations on military conduct, preventing unnecessary casualties and minimized the amount of LFF violence. In turn, the LFF ability to direct and control the movement also enabled armed resistance to remain legitimate in the eyes of population which ensured continues support.

However, during the second phase of armed resistance increasing Soviet efforts to destroy the LFF provided substantial results. The Soviets managed to discover and neutralize more and more LFF leaders. Nevertheless, the LFF leadership demonstrated a unique motivation and ability to restore command and control. For example, in early 1947 after obtaining information on the Kęstutis military district commander’s bunker location, the Soviets besieged the bunker, killing and capturing the commander along with his subordinates. However, shortly after this event the Kęstutis military district staff organized a meeting of subordinate territorial units commanders and designated one of these commanders to assume military district commander’s position. Subsequently, a new chain of command was established ensuring uninterupted command and control of Kęstutis military district.{117} As newly assigned LFF commanders had gained substantial experience fighting the Soviets, they progressed through leadership positions, replacing killed commanders they continued effectively leading partisans and prevented the Soviets from gradually disintegrating LFF by targeting key leaders. Even though the Soviets increasingly targeted the LFF leadership in order to disrupt LFF units’ command and control during the second phase of armed resistance, the LFF leadership demonstrated flexibility, re-assigning key commanders and thus restoring uninterrupted command and control and preventing the Soviets from disintegrating the armed resistance.

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