Konstantinas Žukas

Konstantinas Žukas (6 January 1885 – 22 January 1962) was a Lithuanian colonel who was the Minister of Defence from 19 June 1920 to 7 April 1921. At the same time, he was the chief commander of the Lithuanian Army during the Polish–Lithuanian War.

Žukas learned to operate a telegraph informally and started working as railway telegraphist at the age of 12. He moved to work for the railway in Achinsk and Krasnoyarsk, but lost his job due to his involvement in the Russian Revolution of 1905. He then volunteered to the Russian Imperial Army and attended Vilnius Military School. He served as communications officer in the 121st Penza Infantry Regiment and the 31st Infantry Division. In 1918, he returned to Lithuania and joined the Lithuanian Army in February 1919. He became commander of the 1st Reserve Battalion and the front between the border with Germany and Merkinė. In this capacity, Žukas dealt with the Sejny Uprising which forced the Lithuanians to retreat behind the Foch Line in September 1919.

In April 1920, Žukas was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania as a member of the Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union. Žukas became the minister of defence in the government of Prime Minister Kazys Grinius in June and supreme commander of the Lithuanian Army in July 1920. Žukas negotiated with the Soviets regarding their withdrawal from Vilnius which was recognized to Lithuania by the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty. He also negotiated with Poland in an attempt at preventing hostilities in the Polish–Lithuanian War. The Lithuanian Wars of Independence ended in November 1920, but Lithuania lost both Vilnius Region and Suwałki Region to the Second Polish Republic.

Žukas worked to establish the Higher Officers' Courses (opened in April 1921) and the Kaunas War Museum (opened in February 1921). On 7 April 1921, he resigned from both the command of the army and the Ministry of Defence. He then served as the second assistant to the Chief of the General Staff, commander of the 4th Border Division, and chief of staff of the 2nd military district. He resigned from the military in 1925. In 1944, he retreated to Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1949. He died in January 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio.