The Lithuanian conferences during World War I refer to ten conferences held by Lithuanian activists during World War I in Switzerland and Sweden. They articulated the vision of independent Lithuanian state free of Russian, German, and Polish influence and as such were an important step towards the Act of Independence of Lithuania in February 1918.
The historical Grand Duchy of Lithuania was in a union with the Kingdom of Poland from the 1385 Union of Krewo until it became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the Third Partition in 1795. During World War I, Lithuania was occupied by the German Empire and political freedom within Lithuania was restricted by Ober Ost officials. Only one conference, the Vilnius Conference in September 1917, was allowed in Lithuania. The Lithuanians were concerned with the fate of Lithuania after the war as its powerful neighbors (Russia, Germany, Poland) had their own plans. The conferences in Switzerland and Sweden, as neutral countries, provided an avenue for them to discuss political realities and create visions for the future of independent Lithuania. The conferences also facilitated exchange of information and ideas, coordination of financial aid and political efforts.[1]
The first conferences were organized by Juozas Gabrys and held in Switzerland, which became a hub of Lithuanian activities after Gabrys moved there from Paris. He had a talent for public relations and ran the Lithuanian Information Bureau which supplied European powers with information on Lithuania and its aspirations.[2] The first conferences were more meetings and discussions between private individuals, but they steadily grew in clout and recognition.[3]