In 1926, a successful coup d'état established the longest-serving presidency in Lithuanian history
A swift military coup in 1926 fundamentally altered the course of Lithuanian politics, bringing Antanas Smetona to power and establishing an authoritarian presidency that would last for over a decade.
On December 17, 1926, the Lithuanian military overthrew the democratically elected government, fearing a potential communist takeover. This coup d'état paved the way for Antanas Smetona to assume the presidency, a role he would hold until the Soviet occupation in 1940.
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