| Title |
(Para)medic training for combat gas attacks in 1920–1939 in Polish Vilnius and Lithuanian Kaunas: professional and civilian perspectives / |
| Translation of Title |
(Para)medikų rengimas kovinėms dujų atakoms 1920–1939 m. Lenkijos Vilniuje ir Lietuvos Kaune: profesinės ir pilietinės perspektyvos. |
| Authors |
Žalnora, Aistis ; Šimkutė, Viktorija |
| DOI |
10.15181/ahuk.v45i0.2658 |
| Full Text |
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| Is Part of |
Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis: Fighting for Freedom in the Eastern Baltic, 1918–1920 = Kovos už laisvę Rytų Baltijos regione 1918–1920 metais.. Klaipėda : KU Baltijos regiono istorijos ir archeologijos institutas. 2024, vol. 45, p. 321-350.. ISSN 1392-4095. eISSN 2351-6526 |
| Keywords [eng] |
anti-gas attack measures ; emergency preparedness ; history of medicine ; history of public health ; paramedic training |
| Abstract [eng] |
Between 1920 and 1939, Vilnius, the constitutional capital of Lithuania, was annexed by Poland, prompting the Lithuanian government and civil life to relocate to Kaunas, the temporary capital. Despite local tensions, both cities faced a shared geopolitical predicament in the 1930s, being between ‘Scylla and Charybdis’. Nazi Germany to the west and Bolshevik Russia to the east sought to revise the existing order, threatening Poland and the Baltic region respectively. Anticipating military attacks, both the Lithuanian and Polish governments began preparing in the early 1930s. Archival data reveal that the military, academic specialists and civilians underwent paramilitary training to address threats, such as gas and air attacks, and to develop crisis management strategies. Medical professionals played a critical role in devising measures to prevent and treat injuries from chemical warfare, leveraging medical expertise to mitigate potential losses. This article aims to examine and compare the medical and civilian preparedness for chemical attacks in Vilnius and Kaunas. Our research focuses on two objectives: analysing primary archival documents to uncover strategies by government bodies, military doctors, the Polish Red Cross, and related organisations; and reviewing the public press to understand societal perceptions of the looming military threat. |
| Published |
Klaipėda : KU Baltijos regiono istorijos ir archeologijos institutas |
| Type |
Journal article |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2024 |
| CC license |
|
