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The '''Lithuanian Riflemen's Union''' ('''LRU''', {{lang-lt|Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga}}), also referred to as '''Šauliai''' (''the Riflemen''; from {{lang-lt|šaulys|links=no}} for ''rifleman''), wasis a paramilitary non-profit organization supported by the [[Government of Lithuania]]., Theirthat activitiesis wereactive in three main areas: military training, sport, and culture, but differedthis differs between peace and wartime.
In peacetime, the mission of the LRU was to prepare the citizensit ofprepares [[Lithuania]]'s citizens for armed and unarmed resistance, ensureensures public safety and defenddefends theLithuania's integrity and independence of Lithuania. In wartime it was also towould support the [[Lithuanian Armed Forces]] with its fighting units, and to use other units to help ensure internal stability, and defend critical infrastructure.
==History==
===Establishment===
[[File:12th Regiment of the Lithuanian Riflemen Union in Panevėžys.jpeg|thumb|Event of the 12th Regiment of the Lithuanian Riflemen Union in Panevėžys in 1930]]
The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union was established in [[Kaunas]] on 27 June 1919 as a shooting section within the Lithuanian Sport Union. Several historic events determine its establishment – Lithuania had just declared independence and was asserting it in wars against the Bolshevik [[Red Army]], the Western[[West Russian Volunteer Army]] and the young [[Polish Armed Forces]].
[[Vladas Putvinskis]] and [[Matas Šalčius]] were the Union's most important activists behind the Union, and Putvinskis became its first commander and its main ideologue. Both of them hadalmost thesimultaneously ideathought of creating a paramilitary group at almost the same time, but thethey scope that theydifferently envisioned wasits differentscope.
In 1919, Matas Šalčius, together with [[Antanas Vienuolis|Antanas Vienuolis-Žukauskas]], {{Ill|Faustas Kirša|lt}} and other employees of the Press Office decided to form an organisation that would be able to protect Kaunas city; they intended to call it the Steel Battalion. At the same timeConcurrently another initiative was launched by athe Putvinskis-led group headed by Putvinskis, and they prepared a statute for the organisation's statute. TheirThey aim wasaimed to support the Lithuanian military in theall entire Lithuanianof territoryLithuania. In June 1919, the Press Office employees invited Putvinskis to their meeting. Putvinskis joined the organisation and became one of the most active members.
There were many famous and important Lithuanians among the founders of the Union, including writers [[Antanas Vienuolis|Antanas Vienuolis-Žukauskas]], [[Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas]], and [[Balys Sruoga]], poet Faustas Kirša, painter [[Antanas Žmuidzinavičius]] and zoologist [[Tadas Ivanauskas]]. In the beginningInitially, only civilians participated, but later soldiers and officers started to actively join its ranks. This reflected the mainorganisation's aim of the organisation – to unite civilians who wanted to support the military.
The ideology and the guiding principles of the LRU were influenced by earlier similar organisations: [[Sokol]] in [[Czechoslovakia]], [[White Guard (Finland)|SuojeluskuntaCivil Guard]] in [[Finland]], and a Swiss paramilitary organisation in Switzerland. Putvinskis stated that: "the Riflemen's Union is an organisation of free citizens, who volunteer their time and efforts for the sake of protecting their homeland."
===Administrative division===
The LRU had three main areas of activities in 1919-1940 – culture, sport, and military training. The riflemen's units had theatres, libraries, and sport clubs alongside orchestas and military bands. The union published the weekly magazine ''[[Trimitas (magazine)|Trimitas]]''. The riflemen were required to educate themselves and to participate in educating the society. To help with that they aimed at building riflemen centres in all cities and towns, where the union was active, with their duty being to national defense. Centres were built in Utena, [[Tauragė]], [[Alytus]], and some other cities and towns. The centres served as meeting and training places for riflemen, and housing their clubs, administration and cultural activities.
The organisation received a unique legal basis. In 1921, 1924, and 1935, laws on the LRU were passed that defined theits activities of the organisation and its functions, intended to restrict theits autonomy of the LRU and tie it as closely as possible to the [[Ministry of National Defence (Lithuania)|Ministry of Defence]] and [[Lithuanian Armed Forces|the armed forces]]. In 1935, the LRU became directly subordinate to the [[Chief of Defence (See the [[List of governments of Lithuania (1918–40)|ListChief of governments of Lithuania in 1918-1940Defence]]). The law abolished dual leadership – previously the organisation had been led by the Chairman of the Central Board, elected by riflemen, and by the LRU Commander, appointed by the Minister of Defence. Thus the riflemen were fully integrated in the country's defensive structure of the country, and the district military commanders became commanding officers of rifle regiments.
In 1935, the LRU had 33,276 members, of whom 24,976 were soldiers. The organisation had 7,371 rifles and 32 machine guns.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Vaičenonis|first=J.|year=2002|editor-last=Dovydaitis|editor-first=S.|editor2-last=J.|editor2-first=Vaičenonis|title=Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga valstybės gynyboje 1935–1940 m.|journal=Lietuvos šaulių sąjungos istorijos fragmentai|publication-place=Kaunas|pages=117}}</ref>
By 1940, the LRU had become one of the country's most popular and largest organizations in the country, with about 62,000 members, both men and women. The LRU had units of university students, including the student corporations Saja and Živilė. Many famous politicians ([[Antanas Smetona]], [[Rapolas Skipitis]], [[Mykolas Sleževičius]], [[Juozas Urbšys]]), artists and other members of the cultural elite ([[Antanas Žmuidzinavičius]], [[Unė Babickaitė|Unė Babickaitė-Graičiūnienė]] also known as Une Bay, [[Antanas Vienuolis|Antanas Vienuolis-Žukauskas]], Petras Vaičiūnas), scientists ([[Tadas Ivanauskas]], [[Augustinas Janulaitis]], Liudas Vailionis, Antanas Graugrokas) were active in the union. Even though most members originated from the farmer class, the main principles of the Union also appealed to other classes. Members of the organization are registered in the journal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://briai.ku.lt/leidiniai/sauliu-zinynas/ |title=Lietuvos šaulių sąjungos nariai (1919–1940 m.): informacinis žinynas |publisher=Klaipėda University |access-date=2017-12-24}}</ref>
Members of the organization are registered in the journal<ref>{{cite web|url=http://briai.ku.lt/leidiniai/sauliu-zinynas/ |title=Lietuvos šaulių sąjungos nariai (1919–1940 m.): informacinis žinynas |publisher=Klaipėda University |access-date=2017-12-24}}</ref>
===Soviet and German occupation===
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