[1] Due to political tensions between Poland and Lithuania as well as wider Polonization policies, Rytas faced increasing difficulties and restrictions in maintaining its schools.
After the Polish ultimatum of March 1938, diplomatic relations were established between Poland and Lithuania and Rytas was allowed to operate again in May 1939.
It could not resume its activities due to World War II and was abolished again soon after the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in June 1940.
[5] Its statute was approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on 29 November 1912 and the founding meeting took place at the clergy house of the Church of All Saints, Vilnius on 31 January 1913.
[6] The society's goals were to establish and fund Lithuanian-language primary schools, evening classes for adults, a seminary for teachers, reading rooms, bookshops, and other educational institutions in the Roman Catholic spirit.
Initially, the Germans banned Rytas, but after modifications to its statute, it was allowed to operate schools but not to establish new chapters.
[5] In July 1924, Minister Stanisław Grabski sponsored a law which regulated schools of ethnic minorities.
[5] At the same time, seminary director Kristupas Čibiras, Rytas chairman Petras Kraujalis, and 23 other Lithuanian teachers and activists were arrested.
[5] Teachers at Rytas schools often initiated the establishments of a local chapter of the Society of Saint Casimir for the Education and Care of Young People which became more active in 1927.
Realizing that it was losing ground, Rytas began focusing on education of adults and establishing reading rooms.
[5] The rooms organized readings of books and periodicals, discussions, lectures, courses for children and adults, various social events and gatherings, etc.
[5] Police raided reading rooms, confiscated the books, and closed them due to "threat to public order and security".
[5] Sensing that its could be abolished, in 1937–1938, Rytas transferred its archives and movable property to the Lithuanian Scientific Society, which was headquartered in the same Vileišis Palace.
[15] The move did not help as both Rytas and the Scientific Society, as well as seven other Lithuanian organizations, were suspended by the starosta of Vilnius in January 1938.
[5] After the Polish ultimatum of March 1938, diplomatic relations were established between Poland and Lithuania and Rytas was allowed to operate again on 20 May 1939.
After the invasion of Poland in September 1939, Vilnius Region was occupied by the Soviet Union and then partially transferred to Lithuania in October according to the Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty.
[16] Lithuanian activists felt that areas of southeastern Lithuania where Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania won majorities in the municipal elections neglected the education in the Lithuanian language and decided to reestablished Rytas to counter this bias.
[16] Algimantas Masaitis, long-time director of a Lithuanian school in Marijampolis, Vilnius District Municipality, became its chairman.