Despite difficult circumstances and lack of some of the basic supplies, between March 1919 and October 1920, the school prepared three classes of 434 men who were sent to the front.

The cadets also participated in suppressing several anti-government coups, including by the Polish Military Organisation in 1919 and by the Voldemarininkai in 1934.

[1] As a reliable and loyal force, they were used to guard the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania when it convened in 1920 or the former Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras during his trial.

Lithuania declared independence in February 1918, but began forming the Lithuanian Army only in December 1918 at the outbreak of the Lithuanian–Soviet War.

Officers of the new military units were mostly Lithuanians who had served in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I.

[7] His deputy, Pranas Tvarionas, copied the curriculum from a 4-month praporshchik school he attended in Chistopol,[7] found premises on Donelaitis Street near the St. Michael the Archangel Church,[8] hired lecturers and staff, and acquired supplies from kitchen utensils to textbooks to national coat of arms.

[9] British and French Military Representatives provided some limited support; for example, French captain René Cohendet taught physical education[10] while British colonel Henry Rowan-Robinson and General Frank Percy Crozier attended tactical practices.

[11] The cadets were initially referred to by a Russian–German term junker until philologist Kazimieras Būga proposed Lithuanian equivalent kariūnas which was officially adopted in May 1922.

[13] In addition to their studies, the cadets also guarded various strategic objects if needed and participated in ceremonial events (e.g. inauguration of the first president).

[13] The class was sent to the front in the Lithuanian Wars of Independence where five of them died and 28 were awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis.

[39] Due to particularly difficult situation in the front, the cadets guarded and patrolled Kaunas and participated in the liquidation of the coup d'état attempt by the Polish Military Organisation.

[43] However, just two weeks later, it was forced to hastily evacuate back to Kaunas due to the Żeligowski's Mutiny leaving much of its supplies and equipment behind.

[16] Since Lithuania was no longer engaged in any active conflicts, the education curriculum was expanded to include greater variety of military specialties and extended to two years starting in 1922.

[17] To eliminate inconsistencies and contradictions in the curriculum, the War School was temporarily for about two years subordinated to the Higher Officers' Courses in November 1923.

[45] As some cadets had only three or four years of prior education, they lacked some basic knowledge of mathematics and other general subjects to master the more specialized military topics such as artillery or topography.

[24] As part of a broader military reform was initiated by Stasys Raštikis, a new school statute was adopted in July 1935.

[51] Starting with the fifth class which graduated in November 1930, the number of aspirant students grew substantially to account for the military needs in case of a mobilization.

[54] Topics covered included ballistics, pyrotechnics, functions and maintenance of all the different weapons used by the Lithuanian military.

The curriculum, in essence, was the same as the regular 2-year course for cadets, only shortened to 10 months, which did not take into account the previous experience and education of these men.

Each Sunday, the men attended a Catholic mass at the St. Michael the Archangel Church and then marched back to the school singing mainly songs by Maironis and attracting public attention.

[60] The school also commemorated 9 October (the start of the Żeligowski's Mutiny in 1920) and 17 December (the military coup d'état in 1926) – alarm was sounded in the middle of the night and the cadets had to dress in full gear to showcase their readiness.

[49] In May 1940, the graduating cadets successfully passed final exams and were sent for training to a proving ground north of Pabradė.

[69] On 15 June, the morning after the Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania, the men returned to Kaunas by train via Vilnius.

There were no masses or parades, the national anthem was replaced by The Internationale, the ceremonial swords and Lithuanian insignia on uniforms were removed.

[74] Cadets showed dissatisfaction with the new regime; for example, they sang Tautiška giesmė or tossed communist posters.

[76] The school hastened the completion of studies for the 22nd class (69 cadets were assigned to the 29th Territorial Rifle Corps on 15 September).

This foreshadowed massive changes in school's personnel: out of 45 officers on 1 September only 18 were left by the end of December.

[73] During that time, 56 Lithuanian officers, including General Stasys Raštikis, were temporarily reassigned from their units to the school.

[81] This Red Army infantry school evacuated to Vitebsk when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941.

[85] There is some evidence that three men were executed by the Soviets (Alfonsas Gricius, Vytautas Cijūnėlis, Vaclovas Levūnas).