Reflections of Kaunas events in May 1972 in the Lithuanian diaspora periodicals

Romas Kalanta’s self-immolation and later events in Kaunas in May 1972 resulted in a great response in the Lithuanian diaspora and in its press comments. The majority of diaspora reacted to these events enthusiastically, treating them as a continuation of the armed anti-Soviet resistance that had taken place in Lithuania in 1940 - 1950s. However, not everybody in the diaspora press congratulated the extreme ways of resistance - some authors objected to them. Some moderate periodicals analysed this unrest in more details and tried to predict further situation in Lithuania. The third group of periodicals presented different interpretations of the Soviet regime. Despite various evaluations by different authors, Kaunas events rallied the Lithuanian diaspora and revitalised the vision of restoration of the Lithuanian independence