Povilas Plechavičius

Povilas Plechavičius
Povilas, date unknown

Povilas Plechavičius (1890–1973) known also as Paweł Plechowicz was an Imperial Russian and then Lithuanian military officer and statesman with polish roots. In the service of Lithuania he rose to the rank of General of the army in the interwar period. He is best known for his actions during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence, for organizing the 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état and for leading a Lithuanian self-defence force during the German occupation of Lithuania.

Povilas Plechavičius was born February 1, 1890, in present-day Mažeikiai district municipality to Lithuanian farmer Ignas Plechavičius. His mother was Lithuanian noblewoman Konstancija Bukontaitė. He was educated mostly in Russia. In 1908 he graduated from a gymnasium in Moscow, in 1911 from Institute of Commerce, and in 1914 from Orenburg cavalry war school. During World War I he fought with the Russian army against the German Empire and Austria-Hungary.

Povilas Plechavičius did return to his homeland in the summer of 1918 and began organizing local militia together with his Brother, Aleksandras. Povilas Plechavičius was assigned military commander of Skuodas and its surroundings by the Lithuanian Council. On November 13, 1918 Plechavičius enlisted as a volunteer to the Lithuanian army. Being skilled at military organization, and together with his brother, and with the support of the local population they succeeded in creating volunteer partisan units to fight against the Bolshevik invasion of North-West Lithuania, and later helped to drive out the Bermontians.