page_title: Vaclovas Sidzikauskas
hierarchical_section_title: Vaclovas Sidzikauskas
caption_attribution_description: English: Vaclovas Sidzikauskas, Lithuanian diplomat, lawyer Lietuvių: lt:Vaclovas Sidzikauskas, Lietuvos diplomatas, teisininkas
context_page_description: Vaclovas Sidzikauskas was a prominent diplomat in interwar Lithuania and post-war anti-communist.
  Educated at the University of Fribourg and Moscow 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 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.
context_section_description: Vaclovas Sidzikauskas (April 10, 1893 – December 2, 1973) was a prominent diplomat in interwar Lithuania and post-war anti-communist.
  Educated at the University of Fribourg and Moscow 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).
caption: Portrait of Sidzikauskas from Album of Lithuania published in 1921
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