Jurgis Aukštuolaitis

Jurgis Aukštuolaitis (birth/death dates unknown) was a controversial and opportunistic Lithuanian activist best known for his role in organizing the attempted coup against the Lithuanian government in August–September 1919.

Born to a family of a Prussian Lithuanian fisherman, Aukštuolaitis attended a missionary school in Berlin. During World War I, he served in the Imperial German Army. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, he briefly lead the German soldiers' council (Soldatenrat) in Vilnius. At the start of the Lithuanian–Soviet War, the Lithuanian government sent him to organize a battalion, known as the Samogitian Battalion, in Tauragė. He managed to recruit about 300 men, but frequently acted without approval of the government. In particular, he conspired with Vincas Grigaliūnas-Glovackis, commander of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, to join their forces with the Latvians and take control of Samogitia. He was arrested on 7 March 1919, but soon released due to a change in the cabinet of ministers.

He continued to work at the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence until July 1919. At the same time, he conspired with the Polish Military Organisation to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Mykolas Sleževičius and replace it by a pro-Polish cabinet. Aukštuolaitis was slated to become second-in-command to General Silvestras Žukauskas, the planned military dictator of the new Lithuanian government. However, the coup was discovered and Aukštuolaitis escaped to Vilnius and later to Klaipėda.

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