Silvestras Žukauskas (Polish: Sylwester Żukowski, Russian: Сильве́стр Константи́нович Жуко́вский, romanized: Silvester Konstantinovich Zhukovsky; 31 December 1860[nb 1] – 26 November 1937) was a Lithuanian General.

Žukauskas joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1881, studying at the Vilnius Military School from 1883 to 1887, reaching the rank of polkovnik in 1913.

When World War I started, he commanded the new 314th Novooskolsk Infantry Regiment, fighting at its head in present-day Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

In early 1919, as Chief of the General Staff of the newly created Lithuanian Army, he pushed the invading Soviet forces out of Lithuania by the end of August 1919 with a successful offensive.

However, he was dismissed from command as the organizers of the Polish coup d'état attempt planned to make him a military dictator.

These tensions forced him out of the command twice more, but he was brought back in February 1920 after communist-inspired soldier's mutiny in Kaunas and in October 1920 following the Lithuanian defeat in the Battle of Sejny.

In 1927, on the 40 year anniversary of Žukauskas becoming an officer, the government gifted him the Davalgonys estate near Ramučiai, which was frequently visited by Lithuania's president Antanas Smetona and his wife.

[8] In October 1894, he married Josephine Hasdorff (Juzefina Hasfordaitė) of German descent and Evangelical Lutheran faith.

In July–August 1905, he completed artillery courses for officers in Orenburg and was assigned to the 33rd Infantry Division as the commander of its machine gun company.

[11] As Russian Army mobilized in preparation for World War I, Žukauskas was reassigned as commander of the newly created 314th Novooskolsk Infantry Regiment which was being formed in Kursk.

It fought in the present-day Raseiniai District Municipality until mid-July 1915 when it was reassigned to the 3rd Army Corps and rapidly retreated from Šiauliai to Salos Manor.

After the capture of Riga by the Germans in September 1917, the division was returned to present-day Estonia to guard the Baltic coast near Pärnu.

[26] Žukauskas frequently visited the front lines and commanded the men directly earning, the trust and respect of Lithuanian soldiers.

[28] However, on 26 September 1919, Žukauskas was dismissed as commander of the army because of his role in the Polish coup d'état attempt in August 1919.

[29] Poland's Chief of State Józef Piłsudski sought a union with Lithuania in hopes of reviving the old Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (see Międzymorze federation).

[32][33] One of his contemporaries, Vincas Grigaliūnas-Glovackis [lt], called Žukauskas as "of Polish culture" and "close to Poles and Russians".

[35] In early August he had a meeting in Kaunas with major Tadeusz Kasprzycki, Piłsudski's envoy to Lithuania, during which he supposedly said that he considers himself Polish and that he took the lead of Lithuanian Army only to bring about an agreement with Poland.

[36] Žukauskas did not have children but adopted and raised his niece who lived in Poland and was engaged to a Polish military officer.

[38] Nonetheless, his aide-de-camps general Witold Dołęga-Otocki [pl] (Vytautas Otockis, later colonel in the Polish Army) and Leonardas Vojtekūnas were arrested.

[39] He was later appointed as a Lithuanian representative to the Entente commission, chaired by French General Henri Niessel, that was tasked with overseeing the evacuation of the Bermontians from the Baltic States.

[41] On February 23, he was once again named Chief Commander of the Lithuanian Army replacing Pranas Liatukas, who was arrested by the rebels.

Poland launched an offensive towards Kyiv where his family members still resided waiting for an opportune time to return to Lithuania.

[42] After the Lithuanian loss in the Battle of Sejny against Poland, Kazys Ladiga was dismissed as commander of the army on 1 October.

[47] Upon being recalled into military service by President Aleksandras Stulginskis, Žukauskas served once again as the commander of the Lithuanian Army from 6 June 1923 to 26 January 1928.

During peacetime, he focused on improving military discipline and education and made efforts to remain close to the men.

[51] He continued to participate in military organizations and advise General Stasys Raštikis (commander of the Lithuanian Army in 1935–1940) and President Smetona.

Žukauskas' grave was demolished in 1959 after the occupying Soviet authorities converted the Kaunas City Old Cemetery into Ramybė Park.