Brief History of the Lithuanian Military and 29th Territorial Rifle Corps. 1940-1941
	Prior to the Soviet Occupation on June 15, 1940, Lithuanian like most nations, had its own military structure. It was organized and equipped similarly to it’s western counterparts. However, on the eve of the Russian occupation, the Lithuanian Government made no attempt to mobilize its armed forces to offer resistance despite the fact that it had received information regarding the pending invasion. The Lithuanian Government accepted the Soviet ultimatum, fulfilling the invading nation’s plan to annex Lithuania. The constitution of Lithuania was still in force, but the military leadership took no action to protest Soviet rule and simply took its orders from the new puppet government. The Russian military was now easily tasked with the neutralization and liquidation of the Lithuanian armed forces. This was undertaken in two stages. Beginning with the occupation, the Soviet military began the neutralization of the Lithuania’s military. This was to last until August, 1940. From August till December, 1940, the liquidation took place. This was accomplished by reforming the existing military into the 29th Lithuanian Territorial Rifle Corps, under the command of the Red Army. This decision was made on 14 August by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. On 23 February, 1941, the officers and men of the 29th swore their military oath to the flag of the Red Army. Roughly 3000 officers and soldiers were listed as unreliable by the NKVD. Initially consisting of 28,005 servicemen and officers, the Lithuanian military was reduced to roughly 12,000 men and officers to serve in the 29th Territorial Corps. A total of 414 officers were sent to Soviet camps, of which 195 were executed. June of 1941 brought the German invasion of the east, Operation Barbarossa. The German forces entered Lithuania through the port city of Memel and across the border of East Prussia. The 29th Territorial Corps was quickly ordered to retreat to Russia. Roughly 20,000 officers and men had no desire to leave Lithuania and a revolt ensued. Approximately 120 Lithuanians were killed during the desertions. The majority of troops that deserted congregated in Vilnius and were organized by the German Occupational force into a few Lithuanian “self defense” battalions. Despite this, Lithuanians failed to rally in massive numbers to the Germans as occurred in the other Baltic States. Of the original 29th Corps, a mere 3,000 men actually made the retreat to Russia, along with 355 of the 1000 cadets of the Infantry Officer’s School in Vilnius. Because of these mass desertions, the 29th was officially disbanded. The men that remained loyal to Russia were split up and placed in various Red Army divisions. In December of 1941, the majority of these troops were recalled to form the nucleus of the newly authorized 16th Lithuanian Rifle Division.
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