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.
Five people, including Petras Kubiliūnas, were sentenced to death by a military tribunal presided by Edvardas Adamkavičius.
[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.
[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.