The Foreign Policy of the Third Seimas − Between Illusions and Pragmatism

Abstract

The Third Seimas of Lithuania, which began its work in June of 1926, had been the most expressive, the most radical and the most ambitious Lithuanian political “project” to be undertaken since the declaration of the Independence Act of February 16, 1918. The political events of the summer and autumn of 1926, however, demonstrated that the establishment of Lithuania lacked a common political vision, rationalistic solutions and civil responsibilities for the nation’s well-being. In their reports, foreign diplomats indicated that the Seimas led by the Populists and Social Democrats often hurried events entirely losing sense of political reality and political responsibility regarding the nation.

The author investigates the mechanism of contrasting two myths in historiography: the first Republic had reached the peak of Lithuanian parliamentary democracy and consummation of political pluralism, which was destroyed by the plot executed by venturesome right-wing militaries and politicians faithful to the cause of dictatorship. In this way, there is a juxtaposition of the supposedly ideal parliamentary democracy represented by the coalition majority of the leftist centre and politically irresponsible, deficient, dictatorship-oriented and conservative wing of the political right.

This contrasting of the two historiographical myths motivates the reader to emotionally identify himself/herself with the myth which is more culturally and ideologically acceptable as well as contemplate the national history in a critical manner and poise the question − could historically “a more primitive” political system in principle defeat “a more perfect” system?