Antanas Merkys

President of Lithuania

20 January 1887 Bajorai, near Skapiškis, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire

5 March 1955(1955-03-05) (68) Vladimir Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

15 June 1940 – 17 June 1940

Antanas Merkys ( pronunciation  (help ·info ) ; 1 February 1887 – 5 March 1955) was the last Prime Minister of independent Lithuania, serving from November 1939 to June 1940. When the Soviet Union presented an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding that it accept a Soviet garrison, President Antanas Smetona fled the country leaving Merkys as acting president. Merkys ostensibly cooperated with the Soviets, and illegally took over the presidency in his own right. After three days, Merkys handed power to Justas Paleckis, who formed the People's Government of Lithuania. When Merkys attempted to flee the country, he was captured and deported to the interior of Russia, where he died in 1955.