During World War I, he was mobilized to the Imperial Russian Army and served in the Romanian Front where he became close friends with Antanas Merkys.

Despite success in the field and evaluation as a capable officer, his military career was dampened by rumors and suspicions that he sympathized with the Bolsheviks and socialists.

After the completion of training with the German Reichswehr in 1929, Vitkauskas became inspector of the infantry and helped Stasys Raštikis, commander of the army, to implement much needed reforms.

In June 1941, just before the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Vitkauskas was sent to the Military Academy of the General Staff in Moscow where he studied and later taught until early 1946.

Vitkauskas was born in the Užbaliai [lt] village, then part of the Congress Poland, a puppet state of the Russian Empire.

His father traveled to United States where he worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania for seven years to save up enough money to buy 12 hectares (30 acres) of land in Lankeliškiai [lt].

During the Russian Revolution of 1905, Vitkauskas and his elder brother helped smuggling publications and weapons from East Prussia to Marijampolė.

[9] He returned to his native village in October and joined the fledgling Lithuanian government to become the county governor of Vilkaviškis.

[11] That cast a doubt on Vitkauskas' loyalties and on 15 January 1920 he was demoted to commander of a machine gun company with the 7th Infantry Regiment.

Vitkauskas contacted the commander of Russian forces in Grodno who promised to send 48th and 49th Infantry Regiments but they never showed.

[15] Vitkauskas managed to get permission from the Russian commander to gather the men and continue to Ashmyany which they reached on 30 September 1919.

[17] While the 7th Infantry Regiment was recuperating and regrouping in Vilnius, Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski began an attack towards the city on 8 October 1920.

[18] Despite success in the field and evaluation as a capable officer, Vitkauskas was demoted to commander of a company of the 7th Infantry Regiment on 2 August 1921.

[20] At the time, the brigade was commanded by Antanas Merkys, a friend from the Romanian Front,[21] who trusted Vitkauskas to become his deputy.

After the May 1926 elections to the Third Seimas, Christian Democrats lost their majority and Vitkauskas' command was made permanent and he was awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (2nd type, 1st class).

[23] In December 1926, Vitkauskas together with many other military officers traveled to Kaunas for the celebration of the 60th birthday of President Kazys Grinius.

[25] When he did not report on time, rumors started spreading about his political leanings reviving old suspicions of his socialist sympathies.

In Lithuania, he spent a significant amount of time at the proving grounds educating others on machine guns, anti-aircraft and anti-tank defenses, mortars.

He had no formal military education, but Stasys Raštikis, commander of the army, valued his hard work, initiative, and dedication.

[21] According to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 and the subsequent German–Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty, Lithuania became part of the Russian sphere of influence.

[35] Delayed by the Winter War with Finland, Soviet Union began heightening tensions in late spring 1940 just as Nazi Germany was winning the Battle of France.

[42] Two days later, as directed by Soviet envoy Vladimir Dekanozov, a new government led by Prime Minister Justas Paleckis was formed.

Already in July, the purge of the army started – Lithuanian officers were dismissed and replaced by more communist-leaning personnel, more vocal opponents of the Soviet regime were arrested.

[47] On 11 July, even before the elections to the People's Seimas, Soviet Commissar of Defense Semyon Timoshenko announced the creation of the Baltic Military District.

[50] Vitkauskas, together with Justas Paleckis, Icikas Meskupas-Adomas, and Antanas Sniečkus, was personally received by Joseph Stalin on 9 August.

[48] The next day he met with the Commissar of Defense Timoshenko and the Chief of the General Staff to discuss the liquidation of the Lithuanian Army.

[54] On 1 September, he was appointed commander of the 29th Rifle Corps; Feliksas Baltušis-Žemaitis became his deputy but soon was replaced by Russian major general Anatoly Rozanov (Анатолий Николаевич Розанов).

[51] On 15 June 1941, just a week before the Nazi German invasion of Russia, Vitkauskas was sent to the Military Academy of the General Staff in Moscow to complete courses for higher officers.

[57] According to Vitkaukas' wife, the orders to depart to Moscow were urgent and Vitkauskas was placed under armed guard at the railway station.

[64] Opinions range widely: from a traitor and a sleeper Soviet agent[65] to a desperate man who contemplated suicide (according to Jonas Černius) and mourned the loss of independence (according to his daughter).