The group stemmed from the militarized Iron Wolf organization established in 1927 to help suppress opponents of President Antanas Smetona and Prime Minister Voldemaras.
After two unsuccessful counter-coups in 1927, the new government felt insecure and established the militarized Iron Wolf organization to help the new regime fight its opponents.
[7] After his dismissal, Voldemaras gave interviews to the opposition press and made vague hints about plans to return to power.
[8] On 30 November 1929, the office of the Supreme Staff of Iron Wolf was bombed giving Smetona an impetus for a full-scale prosecution of Voldemaras supporters.
[10] Smetona and his supporters attempted to reorganize remaining loyal members of Iron Wolf, but the organization was in total disarray and was officially closed on 24 May 1930.
According to a report by Augustinas Povilaitis, they planned an anti-Smetona coup already in November 1929, but they fell apart because Petras Kubiliūnas, the Chief of the General Staff of Lithuania, refused to support it.
[16] Steponas Rusteika [lt], chief of the criminal police who exiled Voldemaras and warned Smetona not to travel to Palanga, became the next target of voldemarininkai.
[17] Rusteika was a member of Iron Wolf but remained loyal to Smetona and therefore in the eyes of voldemarininkai was a traitor who deserved a death penalty.
[20] In February 1934, Voldemaras published an article in Tautos balsas criticizing the government policies in the Klaipėda Region and worsening relations with Nazi Germany.
[25] The men captured several strategic objects and sent a delegation to Smetona to negotiate the replacement of Prime Minister Juozas Tūbelis with Voldemaras.
[39] In October 1934, voldemarininkai planned to free imprisoned comrades from Kaunas Prison and use force to overthrow the government.
[41] Reportedly, this attempt was organized by the State Security Department to identify active members and leaders of voldemarininkai.
[44] As tensions were rising in Europe and Lithuania received an ultimatum from Poland in March 1938, anti-Smetona opposition became more active and began to coalesce.
[48] By November 1938, thanks to the efforts of Pranas Dielininkaitis [lt], Christian Democrats and Popular Peasants agreed on a joint platform and searched for ways to publicize it.
[50] Around this time voldemarininkai joined the Axis and Algirdas Sliesoraitis, former head of Iron Wolf, agreed to move to Klaipėda.
[51] Many members of the Axis were reluctant to ally with voldemarininkai but felt that they needed some military force in case things turned violent.
[57] On 29 December 1938, a meeting of 37 people established the Lithuanian Activist Union (Lietuvių aktyvistų sąjunga or LAS) in Klaipėda.
Sliesoraitis was elected as its general secretary, while Pajaujis, Valerijonas Šimkus, and Jonas Štaupas became members of the board.
[61] In exchange for financial and political support which would result in Voldemaras-led government, LAS promised that Lithuania would enter a military alliance with Germany and Italy.
[61] LAS was liquidated after Klaipėda Region was incorporated into Nazi Germany as a result of the German ultimatum to Lithuania of 23 March 1939.
[64][65] Augustinas Voldemaras returned to Kaunas from his exile in France at the end of August 1939, but was quickly arrested and left the country by January 1940.
[73] A number of voldemarininkai escaped to Germany where they joined Kazys Škirpa in organizing the Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF).
[74] When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Lithuanians organized an anti-Soviet uprising, declared independence, and LAF formed the Provisional Government of Lithuania.
Instigated by Franz Walter Stahlecker, commanding officer of Einsatzgruppe A, a group of voldemarininkai, including Algirdas Klimaitis and Kazys Šimkus, launched Kaunas pogrom on 25–27 June 1941.
[75] Despite their substantial participation in the uprising and LAF, no members of voldemarininkai or the Lithuanian Nationalist Union were selected for the Provisional Government.
[78] On the night of 23–24 July, voldemarininkai and men from the 3rd company of the Lithuanian TDA Battalion attempted to arrest Kaunas commandant Jurgis Bobelis [lt].
[80] Petras Kubiliūnas, leader of the 1934 coup, became the general counselor, the highest ranking Lithuanian in the German administration.
[61] In independent Lithuania, historian Gediminas Rudis presented Iron Wolf and voldemarininkai as tools used by Voldemaras for his political ambitions.
[91] Despite the official program, members of Iron Wolf beat a number of Jews during the night from 1 to 2 August 1929 in the Vilijampolė district of Kaunas.
[91] Historian Romuald J. Misiunas stated that "though anti-Semitism became part of their programme, it was, before the Russian occupation, more a matter of strategy than a primary aim to be pursued above all.