On This Day

Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the ‎1926 coup d'état‎ is successful

The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (Lithuanian: 1926-ųjų perversmas) was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by...

The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (Lithuanian: 1926-ųjų perversmas) was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by Antanas Smetona. The coup took place on 17 December 1926 and was largely organized by the military; Smetona's role remains the subject of debate. The coup brought the Lithuanian Nationalist Union, the most conservative party at the time, to power. Previously it had been a fairly new and insignificant nationalistic party. By 1926, its membership reached about 2,000 and it had won only three seats in the parliamentary elections.

Historical Significance

The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (Lithuanian: 1926-ųjų perversmas) was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by Antanas Smetona.

Events Before

  1. Norway's capital, Kristiania, changes its name to Oslo

    Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality.

  2. Benito Mussolini dissolves the Italian Parliament and proclaims himself dictator of Italy, taking the title Il Duce (the

    Benito Mussolini dissolves the Italian Parliament and proclaims himself dictator of Italy, taking the title Il Duce (the Leader)

  3. Actress Gloria Swanson (25) weds aristocrat Henri de la Falaise (26) in Paris, France

    Actress Gloria Swanson (25) weds aristocrat Henri de la Falaise (26) in Paris, France

  4. Heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey (29) weds actress Estelle Taylor (30)

    Heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey (29) weds actress Estelle Taylor (30)

  5. German lawyer and future Nazi war criminal Hans Frank (24) weds German secretary Brigitte Herbst (29) in Munich, Germany

    German lawyer and future Nazi war criminal Hans Frank (24) weds German secretary Brigitte Herbst (29) in Munich, Germany, until his execution in 1946

Events After

  1. Vernon L. Smith is born

    Vernon L. Smith, American economist and nobel laureate, known for american economist and nobel laureate, was born on 1927-01-01.

  2. Communist uprising in West Sumatra

    Communist uprising in West Sumatra

  3. Louis B. Mayer head of film studio MGM announces the creation of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

    Louis Burt Mayer was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924.

  4. American comedian Jack Benny (32) weds American salesgirl Sadie Marks (later known as Mary Livingstone) (22) at the Clay

    American comedian Jack Benny (32) weds American salesgirl Sadie Marks (later known as Mary Livingstone) (22) at the Clayton Hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, until his death in 1974

  5. American "The Sun Also Rises" novelist Ernest Hemingway (27) and 1st wife Elizabeth Hadley Richardson (35) divorce after

    American "The Sun Also Rises" novelist Ernest Hemingway (27) and 1st wife Elizabeth Hadley Richardson (35) divorce after 6 years of marriage

More from the 1920s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 17, 1926?
The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (Lithuanian: 1926-ųjų perversmas) was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by Antanas Smetona. The coup took place on 17 December 1926 and was largely organized by the military; Smetona's role remains the subject of debate. The coup brought the Lithuanian Nationalist Union, the most conservative party at the time, to power.
Why is Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the ‎1926 coup d'état‎ is succe... significant?
The 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état (Lithuanian: 1926-ųjų perversmas) was a military coup d'état in Lithuania that replaced the democratically elected government with a authoritarian regime led by Antanas Smetona.

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