Pranas Liatukas

Pranas Liatukas (29 January 1876 – 2 September 1945) was a Lithuanian lieutenant general. He was the acting commander of the Lithuanian Army from 7 October 1919 to 23 February 1920. At the same time, he acted as the minister of defence.

In 1902, Liatukas volunteered for the Russian Imperial Army and attended the Vilnius Military School. During World War I, he fought with the 80th Infantry Division in the Southwestern Front. He was shell shocked three times, but received Russian military orders and was promoted to polkovnik in September 1917. In 1918, he returned to Lithuania and volunteered for the newly established Lithuanian Army and became Chief of the Defence Staff on 24 December 1918. In March 1919, Liatukas became commander of the 2nd Infantry Regiment but was reassigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment after soldiers insisted on returning Vincas Grigaliūnas-Glovackis to the command of the 2nd Infantry Regiment.

Liatukas worked to organize the 3rd Infantry Regiment and later joined the Lithuanian offensive in the Lithuanian–Soviet War. In July 1919, Liatukas was appointed commander of the 1st Brigade (1st and 3rd Infantry Regiments and three battalions) that pushed Soviet forces across the Daugava River by the end of August 1919. On 7 October 1919, he was promoted to lieutenant general and given command of the Lithuanian Army. He organized Lithuanian units to fight in the Lithuanian–Bermontian War and ensured that German units withdrew from Lithuania by the end of 1919. He resigned from the commander post on 23 February 1920 after a soldiers' mutiny in Panemunė and retired from the military on 5 August 1920.

Liatukas then worked at the Lithuanian treasury and Bank of Lithuania. He retired in 1926 and lived on a state pension. On 30 January 1945, he and his son Vytautas were arrested by the NKVD. They were accused of participating in the anti-Soviet Lithuanian Freedom Army. Liatukas died in Lukiškės Prison on 2 September 1945.