Act of Tilsit
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The Act of Tilsit (Lithuanian: Tilžės aktas) was an Act that was signed in Tilsit by two dozen leaders of Lietuvininks (Lithuanians from Lithuania Minor) on November 30, 1918. They demanded unification of Lithuania Minor and Lithuania-proper into a single Lithuanian state, thus detaching the areas of East Prussia from Germany which were inhabited by Lithuanians.
Given the fact that this demand was pushed after the end of World War I which Germany had lost, it was hoped by some Lithuanians that the whole of Lithuania Minor would be detached from East Prussia. While this did not happen, the part of the Lithuania Minor north of Neman River, the Memel Territory up to the city of Memel (Klaipėda) was detached from Germany and placed under French supervision under the League of Nations. The rest of Lithuania Minor, located south of Neman River, including the town of Tilsit, where the act was signed, stayed a part of Germany.
Eventually, the Act of Tilsit would be used as an important ideological pretext for the Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, after which Memel Territory (Klaipėda region) was adjoined to Lithuania.
In March 1939, Lithuania was forced to cede Klaipėda region to the Nazi Germany. Some of the signers of the Tilsit Act were later persecuted by the Nazis for treason.
[edit] References
- A.A. Gliožaitis "Tilžės akto reikšmė" ("Voruta", 1998, 1999 No 43-47)
- Algis A. Regis, "Tilžės aktas" ("Lietuvių dienos”, No 1 (361), 1986)
- Petras Cidzikas "Tilžės aktas - vilties aktas" ("Voruta", No 23 (521), 2002)
- Romualdas Ozolas "Tilžės aktas: alternatyvos ir imperatyvai" ("Donelaičio žemė", No 1-2, 2004)
