Vaclovas Sidzikauskas (10 April 1893 – 2 December 1973) was a prominent diplomat in interwar Lithuania and post-war anti-communist.
Educated at the University of Fribourg and Moscow Imperial University, Sidzikauskas joined the newly established Lithuanian Ministry of Justice. In October 1919, he was sent to Switzerland and, after the resignations of Jurgis Šaulys, became the Lithuanian diplomatic representative to Switzerland and a member of several Lithuanian delegations to the League of Nations. Sidzikauskas was transferred as the Lithuanian representative in Berlin in June 1922. The position became a key posting in Lithuanian foreign affairs after the Klaipėda Revolt in January 1923. He was one of the negotiators of the Klaipėda Convention which recognized Klaipėda Region (Memelland) as an autonomous part of Lithuania. When conflicts arose with Germany over the interpretation of the convention, Sidzikauskas negotiated with German officials and represented Lithuania at the League of Nations. Twice, in 1926 and 1931, Sidzikauskas represented Lithuania at the Permanent Court of International Justice. In October 1931, he was transferred to London.
His diplomatic career was cut short by a corruption scandal. Convicted of misappropriation of funds, Sidzikauskas resigned from diplomatic posts in November 1934. He became director of the Lithuanian subsidiary of the Shell Oil Company in 1936 and joined Lithuanian cultural life by contributing articles to Lithuanian press and chairing the Union of Lithuanian West (Lietuvos vakarų sąjunga) which sought to strengthen cultural ties between the Klaipėda Region and Lithuania. After the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in June 1940, NKVD attempted to recruit Sidzikauskas as an agent. He fled to Nazi Germany where he spent 20 months in the Soldau and Auschwitz concentration camps. He was freed with the help of his old diplomatic contacts. At the end of the war, he joined the Supreme Committee for the Liberation of Lithuania (VLIK) and in 1947 became chairman of its Executive Council which had aspirations of becoming the Lithuanian government-in-exile. These ambitions soured the relationship between VLIK and the Lithuanian Diplomatic Service. In 1950, Sidzikauskas moved to United States and became active in various anti-communist organizations. In 1951, he became chairman of the Committee for a Free Lithuania, an initiative of the National Committee for a Free Europe, and chaired it until his death in 1973. He also briefly chaired the Assembly of Captive European Nations (twice, in 1960–1961 and 1965–1966) and VLIK (1964–1966).
Early life and education Sidzikauskas was born in Šiaudinė village in Suwałki Governorate in 1893. His younger brother Vladas became lieutenant colonel in the Lithuanian Army. After completion of two-year primary education, he enrolled at the Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary in 1906. Upon graduation in 1911, he went on to study law at the University of Fribourg. However, his studies were cut short when his father died. He had to return to Lithuania and take up teaching to earn a living.
At the start of World War I, Sidzikauskas evacuated to Moscow where he passed exams and enrolled at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Moscow Imperial University to avoid being conscripted to the Russian Imperial Army. After a year, he transferred to the Faculty of Law. In Moscow, he met other Lithuanians that later became prominent figures in Lithuanian politics, including future Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs Petras Leonas, future Lithuanian envoy to Moscow Jurgis Baltrušaitis, future Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys. Sidzikauskas joined Lithuanian activities. He became secretary of Moscow section of the Lithuanian Society for the Relief of War Sufferers and joined the Democratic National Freedom League (Santara), a moderate liberal political party that sought to find the middle path between the political left and right. The party was later reorganized as the Farmers' Party and was not very successful.
In spring 1918, authorized by the Council of Lithuania, Sidzikauskas organized the evacuation of Lithuanian students and teachers back to Vilnius. The first Lithuanian government was formed only after the Armistice of Compiègne in November 1918. Leonas became Minister of Justice and invited Sidzikauskas to join the newly established ministry. Sidzikauskas agreed and was promoted to director of the Administration Department on 1 February 1919. In March, Sidzikauskas, as a representative of the Democratic National Freedom League, was a member of a six-men commission that negotiated the formation of the coalition Cabinet of Prime Minister Mykolas Sleževičius. Due to lack of personnel, he was also acting director of the Civil and Criminal Law and the Prisons Department. In this capacity he had to deal with communist prison riots and to arrange prisoner exchange with the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. On 24 July, he personally traveled to Daugailiai on the Lithuanian–Soviet front to exchange 15 prominent Lithuanians, including Mečislovas Reinys, Liudas Gira, Felicija Bortkevičienė, Antanas Tumėnas, for 35 communists.
Diplomatic career Diplomatic representative: Bern, Berlin, London
In October 1919, Sidzikauskas returned to Switzerland in hopes of completing his studies at the University of Fribourg while working at the Lithuanian mission in Switzerland. He became the first secretary to Jurgis Šaulys. However, just five weeks later, Šaulys resigned due to a conflict with Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras over four Lithuanian organizations that were closed. Thus young and inexperienced Sidzikauskas became the Lithuanian representative in Switzerland on 6 December 1919. On 12 December Sidzikauskas visited Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the recognition of Lithuanian passports. The next day, he received a response that the existing status quo was equivalent to Swiss recognition of Lithuania de facto. In May 1920, after the first session of the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania, Sidzikauskas visited Giuseppe Motta regarding de facto recognition of Lithuania which was granted on July 19 along with a promise to support Lithuania's membership in the League of Nations. Switzerland became one of the first countries to recognize Lithuania de jure. Lithuania became a full member of the League of Nations on 21 September 1921.
In 1922, Sidzikauskas inspected Lithuanian consulates in Constantinople, Sofia, and Bucharest and audited their practices of issuing Lithuanian passports and visas. He found instances of major corruption as only a small percentage of passports were issued according to regulations. The consulates were closed a result. After his return from the Genoa Conference, Sidzikauskas was transferred to Berlin from 1 June 1922. The Lithuanian mission in Switzerland was closed in January 1923.
Berlin soon became a key position in Lithuanian foreign affairs,Žalys. Diplomatijos istorija I, p. 75 particularly after January 1923 when Lithuania organized the Klaipėda Revolt and took over the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) which was detached from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. Sidzikauskas became heavily involved with negotiating Klaipėda's status and maintaining good relations with Germany which was the largest trading partner of Lithuania and its key supporter against Poland. While residing in Berlin, starting in April 1924, Sidzikauskas also represented Lithuania in the Kingdom of Hungary and the Austrian Republic. Sidzikauskas supported the December 1926 coup by Lithuanian military and helped to convince President Kazys Grinius to resign in favor of Antanas Smetona. He also took care to observe constitutional formalities so that not to jeopardize Lithuania's international recognition. In early 1927, it was decided to close the Lithuanian delegation at the League of Nations and to replace Dovas Zaunius with Sidzikauskas as the Lithuanian non-resident envoy to Switzerland. In 1927–1928, Sidzikauskas led negotiations of the German–Lithuanian Trade Treaty which allowed Lithuanian farmers to export meat. Germany became the dominant trade partner, and Lithuanian exports to Germany grew from 127 million litas in 1927 to 200 million in 1930.Žalys. Diplomatijos istorija I, p. 391
In early 1931, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dovas Zaunius devised a plan to replace some of the long-term Lithuanian representatives. Petras Klimas was to be transferred from Paris to Berlin, Sidzikauskas from Berlin to London, Kazys Bizauskas from London to Moscow, and Jurgis Baltrušaitis from Moscow to Paris.Žalys. Diplomatijos istorija II part I, p. 37 However, only Sidzikauskas was moved, on 1 October 1931, as Bizauskas was recalled to Kaunas.Žalys. Diplomatijos istorija II part I, p. 39 At the same time, he represented Lithuania in The Hague, Netherlands. Sidzikauskas defended Lithuania in two cases brought before the Permanent Court of International Justice. He also helped the Lithuanian government to open economic negotiations with the United Kingdom, when, as a result of the Great Depression, United Kingdom established import quotas for bacon, one of the key exports of Lithuania, in November 1932. He was removed from London in January 1934. After a corruption scandal, Sidzikauskas fully retired from diplomatic life in November 1934.
International negotiator: between Poland and Germany
Early on, Sidzikauskas became involved in various proceedings of the League of Nations. As a representative of Lithuania, he signed such international agreements as the Barcelona Convention and Statute on Freedom of Transit of 1921 and the Slavery Convention of 1926. In April 1921, Sidzikauskas became a member of the Lithuanian delegation, led by Ernestas Galvanauskas, to negotiate with the Second Polish Republic regarding Vilnius Region which Poland captured as a result of the Żeligowski's Mutiny in October 1920.Čepėnas. Naujųjų laikų, p. 643 The negotiation was mediated by Paul Hymans whose plan was to transfer Vilnius to Lithuania if it agreed to join a federation with Poland. Lithuanian public vehemently opposed such plans and Galvanauskas even survived an assassination attempt. After the Klaipėda Revolt in January 1923, Sidzikauskas became one of the negotiators of the Klaipėda Convention which was concluded in May 1924.Čepėnas. Naujųjų laikų, pp. 784, 786