Jonas Žemaitis - Former President of Lithuania, Timeline and Facts
Home › Lithuanian › Jonas ŽemaitisMarch 15, 1909463 viewsJonas Žemaitis's Personal Details
Jonas Zemaitis was the Chairman of the Lithuanian Movement for Freedom, posthumously recognized as the President of Lithuania
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | March 15, 1909 |
| Died on | November 26, 1954 |
| Nationality | Lithuanian |
| Famous | Leaders, Revolutionaries, Presidents, Former President of Lithuania |
| Nick names | Vytautas |
| Known as | Jonas Žemaitis, Generolas Jonas Žemaitis, Generolas Žemaitis |
| Cause of death |
|
| Birth Place | Palanga |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Jonas Žemaitis |
| Mother | Petronėlė Daukšaitė |
| Sun Sign | Pisces |
| Born in | Palanga |
| Famous as | Former President of Lithuania |
| Died at Age | 45 |
// Famous Former President of Lithuania
Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician and a former President of the country. This biography profiles his childhood, life, political career, achievements and timeline
Antanas Smetona
Antanas Smetona was the first president of Lithuania. This biography gives detailed information about his childhood, life, works and timeline.
Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus is the former President of Lithuania. This biography of Valdas Adamkus provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Jonas Žemaitis's photo
Who is Jonas Žemaitis?
Jonas Zemaitis was the Chairman of the Lithuanian Movement for Freedom, posthumously recognized as the President of Lithuania. He was one of the leaders of armed resistance against the Soviet occupation in his native land, Lithuania. A zealous patriot, Jonas Zemaitis fought for the rights of his people till the very end and ultimately laid down his life for the cause he believed in, and thus became immortalized as a hero in Lithuanian history. It might seem ironical that the great revolutionary actually had a pleasant childhood, growing up in a big dairy farm. After completing his schooling he joined the military and it was there that he began developing his revolutionary ideals. He started his military career as a lieutenant and went on to further his training at the Fontainebleu school of artillery (Ecole d’Artillerie de Fontainebleau) after which he acquired the rank of a captain and went on to join the flocks of Lithuanian military forces. He was very passionate about the honor of his country and never shied away from risking his life for Lithuania. During the 1940s he rose in prominence as a part of the Lithuanian Freedom Army and the Lithuanian partisans and eventually became recognized as the Head of State of contemporary occupied Lithuania, posthumously in 2009
// Famous Presidents
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt and has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his peace initiatives. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read on the following biography.
Idi Amin
A Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin is remembered for his brutal regime and crime against humanity. Check this biography to know in details about his life, childhood, profile and timeline.
Childhood & Early Years
Jonas Zemaitis was born on 15 March, 1909 in Palanga, in what was then Russian Empire (now Lithuania). His parents were Jonas Žemaitis and Petronėlė Daukšaitė. Even though his parents were not religious, the boy was christened in Palanga's church.
From 1910 to 1917, he was in Poland with his parents. There he grew up in his uncle’s big dairy farm and attended a primary school. He had a nice and enjoyable childhood.
He returned to Lithuania in 1917 and settled down in Kiaulininkai village where his grandparents lived.
He attended the Raseiniai Gymnasium and graduated in 1921. He started studying in the Kaunas Military School in 1926 and finished his studies in 1929.
Career
He began his career in the Second Flock Of Artillery as a commander. The second artillery was deployed to Klaipėda in 1935. It was a time of political unrest and tensions in the nation. During this time he became involved in a street fight to defend the honor of an officer and was shot at. He was quickly operated upon and thus his life was saved.
He then studied at the Fontainebleu school of artillery (Ecole d’Artillerie de Fontainebleau) from 1936 to 1938. The school provided him the opportunity to improve his French and German skills. He then acquired the rank of a captain and joined the flocks of Lithuania military forces.
The USSR occupied Lithuania in 1940 and he continued his active service in the 617th flock of artillery. During this tumultuous period, many people were arrested and many people retired. But Jonas Zamaitis took an oath as a captain to serve the Soviet Union and was appointed the director of training in the 617th artillery unit. In this position he trained the next generation of soldiers for the People’s Army.
In 1941, Lithuanian units of the People’s Army were stationed at the Pabradė military base. Here he did something completely unexpected—he surrendered himself to captivity under the Germans along with a group of soldiers.
He did not want to serve the Nazis, and it is known that Lithuanians who refused to serve the Nazis were held at POW camps until summer of 1942. He was interrogated and later allowed to return home to his family. For a while, he worked as a technician of peat extraction.
In 1944, he joined the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force, organized by Povilas Plechavičius—the Lithuanian military officer—after the latter addressed the Lithuanian people over the radio on 16 February, 1944.
The Germans became worried over the devotion of the Lithuanian officers’ corps and decided to disband them. As a part of their plans, Povilas Plechavičius was sent to Salaspils concentration camp to learn military discipline, and the army soon fell apart.
Zamaitis went into hiding following the disbanding of the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force. But soon he was discovered by the Lithuanian prtisans who asked him to join them and thus he took an oath on his sacred honor and became a member of the Lithuanian Freedom Army and the Lithuanian partisans.
He rose through the ranks and became the leader of the army. In 1949 he established the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters and became its chairman. Till the very end he contributed towards the partisan resistance to Soviet occupation.
Awards & Achievements
He was posthumously awarded the rank of Brigadier General and was officially named as the fourth President of Lithuania in March 2009.
Personal Life & Legacy
Jonas Zemaitis married Elena Valionytė in 1940 and had a son, Laimutis. However due to unavoidable circumstances, his son had to be raised by other people.
He suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and became paralyzed in December 1951. At that time he was in hiding and by 1953 his place of hiding was discovered by Soviet agents. Being disabled, he was easily arrested and transported to Moscow where he was interrogated by Lavrentiy Beria.
He was executed in the Butyrka prison on November 26, 1954.
// Famous Revolutionaries
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee clan. This biography profiles his childhood, life and timeline.
Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military leader who was instrumental in independence of several Latin American countries from the Spanish rule. This biography profiles his childhood, life, achievements and timeline.
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata was a Mexican revolutionary leader and one of the most important figures of the Mexican Revolution.Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
Jonas Žemaitis biography timelines
- // 15th Mar 1909Jonas Zemaitis was born on 15 March, 1909 in Palanga, in what was then Russian Empire (now Lithuania). His parents were Jonas Žemaitis and Petronėlė Daukšaitė. Even though his parents were not religious, the boy was christened in Palanga's church.
- // 1910 To 1917From 1910 to 1917, he was in Poland with his parents. There he grew up in his uncle’s big dairy farm and attended a primary school. He had a nice and enjoyable childhood.
- // 1917He returned to Lithuania in 1917 and settled down in Kiaulininkai village where his grandparents lived.
- // 1921 To 1929He attended the Raseiniai Gymnasium and graduated in 1921. He started studying in the Kaunas Military School in 1926 and finished his studies in 1929.
- // 1935He began his career in the Second Flock Of Artillery as a commander. The second artillery was deployed to Klaipėda in 1935. It was a time of political unrest and tensions in the nation. During this time he became involved in a street fight to defend the honor of an officer and was shot at. He was quickly operated upon and thus his life was saved.
- // 1936 To 1938He then studied at the Fontainebleu school of artillery (Ecole d’Artillerie de Fontainebleau) from 1936 to 1938. The school provided him the opportunity to improve his French and German skills. He then acquired the rank of a captain and joined the flocks of Lithuania military forces.
- // 1940The USSR occupied Lithuania in 1940 and he continued his active service in the 617th flock of artillery. During this tumultuous period, many people were arrested and many people retired. But Jonas Zamaitis took an oath as a captain to serve the Soviet Union and was appointed the director of training in the 617th artillery unit. In this position he trained the next generation of soldiers for the People’s Army.
- // 1940Jonas Zemaitis married Elena Valionytė in 1940 and had a son, Laimutis. However due to unavoidable circumstances, his son had to be raised by other people.
- // 1941In 1941, Lithuanian units of the People’s Army were stationed at the Pabradė military base. Here he did something completely unexpected—he surrendered himself to captivity under the Germans along with a group of soldiers.
- // 1942He did not want to serve the Nazis, and it is known that Lithuanians who refused to serve the Nazis were held at POW camps until summer of 1942. He was interrogated and later allowed to return home to his family. For a while, he worked as a technician of peat extraction.
- // 16th Feb 1944In 1944, he joined the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force, organized by Povilas Plechavičius—the Lithuanian military officer—after the latter addressed the Lithuanian people over the radio on 16 February, 1944.
- // 1949He rose through the ranks and became the leader of the army. In 1949 he established the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters and became its chairman. Till the very end he contributed towards the partisan resistance to Soviet occupation.
- // Dec 1951 To 1953He suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and became paralyzed in December 1951. At that time he was in hiding and by 1953 his place of hiding was discovered by Soviet agents. Being disabled, he was easily arrested and transported to Moscow where he was interrogated by Lavrentiy Beria.
- // 26th Nov 1954He was executed in the Butyrka prison on November 26, 1954.
- // Mar 2009He was posthumously awarded the rank of Brigadier General and was officially named as the fourth President of Lithuania in March 2009.
// Famous Leaders
Edi Rama
Edi Rama is the current Prime Minister of Albania. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee clan. This biography profiles his childhood, life and timeline.
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the current President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt and has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his peace initiatives. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read on the following biography.
Leo Varadkar
Cam Leo Varadkar is the current Taoiseach—the Prime Minister—of the Republic of Ireland. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, and was responsible for awakening India spiritually. Check this biography to know in detail about his life, profile and timeline.
Jonas Žemaitis's FAQ
What is Jonas Žemaitis birthday?
Jonas Žemaitis was born at 1909-03-15
When was Jonas Žemaitis died?
Jonas Žemaitis was died at 1954-11-26
Where was Jonas Žemaitis died?
Jonas Žemaitis was died in Moscow
Which age was Jonas Žemaitis died?
Jonas Žemaitis was died at age 45
Where is Jonas Žemaitis's birth place?
Jonas Žemaitis was born in Palanga
What is Jonas Žemaitis nationalities?
Jonas Žemaitis's nationalities is Lithuanian
What is Jonas Žemaitis nick names?
Jonas Žemaitis's nickNames is Vytautas
What is Jonas Žemaitis's cause of dead?
Jonas Žemaitis dead because of Execution
Who is Jonas Žemaitis's father?
Jonas Žemaitis's father is Jonas Žemaitis
Who is Jonas Žemaitis's mother?
Jonas Žemaitis's mother is Petronėlė Daukšaitė
What is Jonas Žemaitis's sun sign?
Jonas Žemaitis is Pisces
How famous is Jonas Žemaitis?
Jonas Žemaitis is famouse as Former President of Lithuania