This article discusses the process of the integration of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union (LRU)into the state’s defence system in the 1920s and 1930s. The key features and boundaries ofthe process are outlined, on the basis of archival materials and research literature. An analysisof relations between the military authorities and the LRU reveals individual characteristics ofthe relationship between the riflemen and the army. The regional context of the process isevaluated within the limitations of the sources available, by presenting the situations of similarparamilitary organisations in Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Poland during the period in question.Key words: paramilitarism, Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, Ministry of Defence, Lithuanianarmy, military defence of Lithuania. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ahuk.v28i0.92
