Italų požiūris į Lietuvos kariuomenę paskelbus nepriklausomybę

Straipsnyje remiantis Italijos archyvų šaltiniais apžvelgiama Italijos karinių ir diplomatinių pareigūnų pateikta informacija apie Lietuvą ir jos kariuomenę kovų dėl nepriklausomybės metais ir tarpukariu. Pristatomas jų požiūris į Lietuvos kariuomenę, įvairias Lietuvai tarpukariu iškilusias problemas, santykius su Vokietija, Lenkija ir Sovietų Sąjunga. In the article, on the basis of the material in the Italian archives, the author presents the information on the attitude of the Italian officials and officers towards the Lithuanian Armed Forces during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence and the Interwar Period up to the Soviet occupation in 1940. In the period from 1919 to 1939, the Baltic region received more attention from the French than the Italians as France sought to establish its areas of influence behind Germany and thus prevent German attacks. In this respect, Italy had no strategic defence interests in the Baltic states as its opportunities were very poor. Nevertheless, it was also involved in the events happening in the Baltic region. In 1919–1920, it was important to keep peace to force the Germans to withdraw from the Baltic states. As Italy was one of the four main winners of the World War I and great powers, it granted Klaipėda, at that time Mėmelis, the status of the territory protected by the Entente. Furthermore, it participated in the Polish-Lithuanian conflict over Vilnius. The Italian observer did not provide any assessment of the soldiers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence. He simply presented the facts and described them as enthusiasts full of patriotic spirit. During the Interwar Period, Lithuania and Italy maintained good and close diplomatic relations. The Lithuanian government was always heard in Rome. Over the years, Italian sympathy for Lithuanians increased, especially after the military coup in Lithuanian in 1926, however, it did not lead to a greater military cooperation between the states. The functions of the military attaché to Lithuania were performed by the Italian attaché to Germany, therefore, Germany was the main focus. Rome did not care much about the Lithuanian Armed Forces, because in the event of a conflict, the only effective solution could be diplomatic negotiations, not a weapon. Nevertheless, the fact that the Italian government knew the problems Lithuania faced is proved by the diplomatic correspondence of the Royal Minister in Kaunas with Warsaw, Berlin and other capitals.