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83-623: Lithuania declared independence from the Russian Empire on February 16, 1918. On June 12, 1920, following the Lithuanian–Soviet War , a Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty was signed. The Soviet Union recognized Lithuania's independence and its right to the Vilnius Region . The region was fiercely contested with Poland and fell under its control after Żeligowski's Mutiny in October 1920. It

166-674: A Soviet satellite. On October 28, the Lithuanian Army entered Vilnius for the first time since 1920. Before handing over the city to the Lithuanians, the Soviets robbed and transported to the Soviet Union all valuables: equipment from factories (including Elektrit ) and hospitals, vehicles and trains, cultural objects from museums and libraries. After the Russian troops left, Polish residents, seeing

249-582: A base in Samogitia (western Lithuania) to be the worst possible outcome. The Lithuanians preferred fewer, but bigger bases with no permanent runways for the aircraft. The Soviets initially proposed to have their bases in Vilnius, Kaunas , Alytus , Ukmergė , and Šiauliai . The final agreement was signed on October 28, the same day when the Lithuanian army marched into Vilnius. A day before, another agreement determined

332-520: A closer relationship with Germany would be conditional on Germany's formal recognition of the new state. On September 21, the 214 attendees at the conference elected a 20-member Council of Lithuania to codify this resolution. The German authorities did not allow that resolution to be published, but they did permit the Council to proceed. The Vilnius Conference also resolved that a constituent assembly be elected "in conformity with democratic principles by all

415-530: A common border. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland . The Wehrmacht pushed Polish forces behind the line agreed with the Soviets. Germans took control of the Lublin Voivodeship and eastern Warsaw Voivodeship . When on September 17 the Red Army invaded Poland , Soviet troops took over Vilnius Region , which according to the 1920 and 1926 Soviet–Lithuanian treaties was recognized to Lithuania. As

498-536: A constituent assembly decide these crucial matters of state. When peace talks started between Germany and Russia in 1918, German authorities asked the Lithuanian representatives to prepare two notifications of independence—one for Russia, in which Lithuania's ties with Russia would be denounced and nothing would be mentioned about an alliance with Germany, and a version to be released in Germany that would essentially repeat

581-491: A major diplomatic victory. The Lithuanian Nationalists Union , ruling political party in Lithuania since the 1926 coup , used celebrations of return of the city to increase its prestige and popularity. The government stressed its competence and the opposition emphasized Soviet generosity. While politicians publicly praised the Soviet Union and taunted "traditional Soviet–Lithuanian friendship," in private they understood this treaty

664-640: A museum. The Council first voted to approve the first part, the first two paragraphs up to the word drauge , of the Act. This section was approved unanimously. The second part, however, did not receive support from the four withdrawn members because they were not satisfied with the word " finally " in describing the duties of the Constituent Assembly (in "... the foundation of the Lithuanian State and its relations with other countries will be finally determined by

747-434: A neighborhood of Vilnius. The final location of the bases showed that the Soviets were more concerned with encircling Kaunas, the temporary capital , than with defending the country against a possible foreign attack. The treaty was presented as proof of Soviet respect for small nations and Stalin's benevolence by Soviet propaganda. Russians emphasized that it was the second time the Soviet Union gave Vilnius to Lithuania while

830-635: A result, Soviets and Germans re-negotiated the secret protocols of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. On September 28, 1939, they signed the Boundary and Friendship Treaty . Its secret attachment detailed that to compensate the Soviet Union for German-occupied Polish territories, Germany would transfer Lithuania, except for a small territory in Suvalkija , to the Soviet sphere of influence. The exchange of territories

913-829: The 16th Special Rifle Corps , 5th Rifle Division , and 2nd Light Tank Brigade. The bases were to be located in Alytus (infantry, artillery, and mechanized units with 8,000 troops), Prienai (infantry and artillery units with 2,500 soldiers), Gaižiūnai (mechanized and tank units with 3,500 troops), and in Naujoji Vilnia (headquarters, infantry and artillery units with 4,500 troops). For comparison, on June 1, 1940, Lithuanian army had 22,265 soldiers and 1,728 officers. While aircraft bases in Alytus and Gaižiūnai were under construction, Soviet aircraft were to be stationed in Kirtimai,  [ lt ]

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996-567: The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania , delivered on March 11, 1990, stated: The Act of Independence of February 16, 1918 of the Council of Lithuania and the Constituent Assembly (Seimas) decree of 15 May 1920 on the re-established democratic State of Lithuania never lost their legal effect and comprise the constitutional foundation of the State of Lithuania. This formulation emphasized

1079-490: The German Revolution started and Germany lost the war in the fall of 1918 – it was no longer in a position to dictate terms. The Council of Lithuania adopted the first provisional constitution on November 2. The functions of government were entrusted to a three-member presidium, and Augustinas Voldemaras was invited to form the first Cabinet of Ministers of Lithuania. Complete international recognition took several years;

1162-525: The Invasion of Poland and World War II , Musteikis supported Lithuania's neutrality and was against Adolf Hitler 's call to Lithuanians to attack Vilnius . After receiving the 1940 Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania on the night of June 14, 1940, during the last meeting of the Lithuanian government held in Kaunas , he urged that the ultimatum be rejected and argued for military resistance. On June 15, 1940, he called on

1245-593: The League of Nations failed to mediate the Polish–Lithuanian dispute. The Soviets also worked to assure Lithuanians that Soviet friendship is effective protection from and a welcome alternative to Nazi aggression. The Polish government-in-exile officially protested the treaty as it did not recognize Russian conquest and claimed sovereignty over territories of the Second Polish Republic . Lithuanians replied that

1328-551: The Lithuanian National Prize , the hoisting of the three Baltic States ’s flags at Daukantas Square , dedicated concerts at Cathedral Square in Vilnius and at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society hall, and the lighting of 16 fires along Gediminas Avenue . In 1992, an award was established in honor of Jonas Basanavičius, who led the Council of Lithuania when the Act of February 16

1411-522: The People's Seimas . The proclaimed Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was incorporated into the Soviet Union on August 3, 1940. Act of Independence of Lithuania The Act of Independence of Lithuania ( Lithuanian : Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Aktas ) or the Act of February 16th , also the Lithuanian Resolution on Independence ( Lithuanian : Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Nutarimas ),

1494-482: The Polish złoty to Lithuanian litas at a favourable rate, losing over 20 million litas. The Lithuanian government decided to implement a land reform similar to the land reform executed in the 1920s. Large estates would be nationalized and distributed to landless peasants in exchange for redemption dues payable in 36 years. Politicians hoped that such reform would weaken pro-Polish landowners and would win peasants' loyalty to

1577-595: The Soviet Union , stressed that it was simply re-establishing the independent state that existed between the world wars and that the Act never lost its legal power. Lithuania had a centuries-long tradition of statehood following the coronation of Mindaugas , the King of Lithuania . After the last Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire . During

1660-621: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk . It declared that the Baltic nations were in the German interest zone and that Russia renounced any claims to them. On March 23, Germany recognized independent Lithuania on the basis of the December 11 declaration. However, in substance, nothing had changed either in Lithuania or in the Council's status: any efforts to establish an administration were hindered. This situation changed when

1743-576: The United States and are buried there. The Act of February 16, proclaimed the re -establishment ( atstatyti ) of the Lithuanian state, making it the successor to the Lithuanian historical state, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . In this respect the Council deviated from the resolution adopted by the Vilnius Conference which called for establishment ( sudaryti ) of a Lithuanian state. However, it

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1826-599: The Vilnius Conference and the Act of January 8. The path to the Act was long and complex because the German Empire exerted pressure on the Council to form an alliance. The Council had to carefully maneuver between the Germans, whose troops were present in Lithuania, and the demands of the Lithuanian people. The immediate effects of the announcement of Lithuania's re-establishment of independence were limited. Publication of

1909-484: The Wars of Independence , became a reality. The laconic Act is the legal basis for the existence of modern Lithuania, both during the interwar period and since 1990. The Act formulated the basic constitutional principles that were and still are followed by all Constitutions of Lithuania . The Act itself was a key element in the foundation of Lithuania's re-establishment of independence in 1990 . Lithuania, breaking away from

1992-400: The "firm and permanent alliance with Germany", was completely omitted. Its final version was approved on January 8, 1918, the day that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announced his Fourteen Points . In its essence, the Act of January 8 did not differ from the Act of February 16. However, Ober Ost , the German military administration, rejected the changes. On January 26, in compliance with

2075-523: The 19th century, both the Lithuanians and the Poles attempted to restore their independence. Lithuanians rebelled during the 1830 November Uprising and the 1863 January Uprising , but their first real opportunity arose when both Russia and Germany were weakened during World War I . In 1915, Germany occupied western parts of the Russian Empire . After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Germany conceived

2158-679: The 9th Infantry Regiment of Marijampolė to cover the departure of President Antanas Smetona and to symbolically resist the Army of the Soviet Union ; the regiment marched but was stopped in Vilkaviškis . The same day he left for Germany with Smetona. He then relocated to the United States in 1949, where he lived in Roslindale and then Dorchester, Massachusetts . He died in Chicago in 1977. Musteikis

2241-520: The Act of December 11, stepped down. Jonas Basanavičius, who would later be called the patriarch of independence, was elected chairman. Germany failed to recognize Lithuania as an independent state, and the Lithuanian delegation was not invited to the Brest-Litovsk negotiations that started on December 22, 1917, between the Central Powers and Russia in order to settle territorial claims. During

2324-419: The Act of December 11. The Council decided to amend the first part of the Act of December 11. Petras Klimas included a sentence calling for the Constituent Assembly. Another important development was the statement that democratic principles would be the basis of the new state's governance, something that was declared by the Vilnius Conference, but omitted in the Act of December 11. The second part, mentioning

2407-452: The Act remained active in the cultural and political life of independent Lithuania. Jonas Vileišis served in the Seimas and as mayor of Kaunas , temporary capital of Lithuania ; Saliamonas Banaitis was involved in finance, opening several banks. Among the signatories were two future Presidents of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona and Aleksandras Stulginskis . Jonas Basanavičius , chairman of

2490-464: The Act was prohibited by the German authorities, and the text was distributed and printed illegally. The work of the Council was hindered, and Germans remained in control over Lithuania. The situation changed only when Germany lost World War I in the fall of 1918. In November 1918 the first Cabinet of Lithuania was formed, and the Council of Lithuania gained control over the territory of Lithuania. Independent Lithuania, although it would soon be battling

2573-459: The Act, three voted against it, one member abstained, and one did not participate. It is not entirely clear whether every member of the Council signed this document. The Act was written in German , and apparently no official Lithuanian translation was prepared. Therefore, different sources provide slightly different translations. The Act of December 11 pronounced Lithuania's independence, but also asked

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2656-414: The Constituent Assembly ..."). They were afraid that this word would give a pretext for the Council to usurp the powers of the Constituent Assembly, while the majority argued that the word simply expressed the non-negotiable and non-appealable nature of the future Assembly's decisions. Therefore, the Act was unanimously approved en bloc but did not have full-fledged support from all twenty men. Note:

2739-698: The Council of Lithuania, returned to an academic life, pursuing his research in Lithuanian culture and folklore. Five signatories died before World War II started; three died during the Nazi occupation . Those who did not emigrate to Western countries became political prisoners after Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Aleksandras Stulginskis and Petras Klimas were sent to prison in Siberia by Soviet authorities, but survived and returned to Lithuania; Pranas Dovydaitis and Vladas Mironas were also sent to Siberia but died there. Kazys Bizauskas disappeared during

2822-462: The German government for protection (clause 2) and called for "a firm and permanent alliance" with Germany. Since the Act specified that the alliance was to be formed based on conventions concerning military affairs, transportation, customs, and currency, many Lithuanians argued that the Council had overstepped its authority: the September resolution adopted by the Vilnius Conference clearly demanded that

2905-743: The German-language version of the February 16, 1918 document and the Act of December 11, 1917. The latter displays nineteen signatures (without that of Pranas Dovydaitis ). Germany confirmed the documents' authenticity on the following day and they were displayed publicly by two officials – Michael Roth , the German Minister of State for Europe , and Deividas Matulionis , Lithuania ambassador in Germany. On October 7, 2017, Lithuania Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius and Germany Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel signed an agreement that

2988-504: The Lithuanian army, exchanging military missions, and building fortifications on the western border with Germany similar to the Maginot Line in France. On October 7, Lithuanian delegation, including General Stasys Raštikis and Deputy Prime Minister Kazys Bizauskas , returned to Moscow. Stalin refused the proposed alternatives, but agreed to reduce the number of Soviet troops to 20,000 – about

3071-475: The Lithuanian brigadier general Musteikis , Urbšys said that Lithuanians refused Vilnius Region as well as the Russian garrisons, however then nervous Stalin replied that "No matter if you take Vilnius or not, the Russian garrisons will enter Lithuania anyway". Finally, the Soviets agreed to reduce the number of troops to 35,000. Urbšys then also bargained for more territories in the Vilnius Region, especially in

3154-420: The Lithuanian government, helped to subdue the riots. The territory presented an economic challenge to Lithuania: unemployment was rampant, food was in short supply, valuables were stolen by the Soviet army, war refugees were gathering from other former Polish territories. The Lithuanian army would provide up to 25,000 daily rations of hot soup and bread to residents of Vilnius. The Lithuanian government exchanged

3237-435: The Lithuanian state. By March 1940, 90 estates and 23,000 hectares were distributed. Lithuanians proceeded to "re-Lithuanize" cultural life in Vilnius Region. They closed many Polish cultural and educational institutions, including Stephan Batory University with over 3,000 students. Lithuanians sought to introduce the Lithuanian language in public life and sponsored Lithuanian organizations and cultural activities. Future of

3320-591: The Lithuanians that if they will not accept the Mutual Assistance Treaty, Vilnius will be attached to the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic . The most shocking demand was to cede part of Lithuanian territory to Germany. Lithuanians decided to postpone any negotiations regarding territory transfer to Germany until Germans expressed clear demands. Urbšys returned to Lithuania to consult the government. German officials confirmed that

3403-550: The Soviet Union informed Lithuania that it wished to open negotiations regarding future relationship between the two countries. The new Soviet–Lithuanian negotiations were supposed to formally resolve the status of the Vilnius Region. Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys arrived in Moscow on October 3. During the meeting Joseph Stalin personally informed Urbšys about the Soviet–German secret protocols and showed maps of

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3486-504: The Soviet authorities. The transfer upset their national aspirations to position Belarus as a successor to the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Lithuanian relations with the Vatican were expected to improve as the cause for tension, the Vilnius Region assigned to Poland by the Concordat of 1925 , now was under Lithuanian control. Lithuanian politicians attempted to show the regained Vilnius as

3569-417: The Soviets could station only up to 20,000 of their troops. The treaty did not decide the exact location of the Soviet bases and 18-member Soviet delegation, led by Mikhail Kovalyov , was sent to Lithuania to discuss the specifics on October 22. The Lithuanians sought to limit Soviet bases to Vilnius Region and southern Lithuania, offering Pabradė , Nemenčinė , Naujoji Vilnia , and Alytus . They considered

3652-451: The US affirmed it on July 28, 1922. Two copies of the Act were signed: the original and a duplicate. The original was given to Jonas Basanavičius to safeguard and protect. The original was never published or used in any public matters; its existence was first mentioned in the press in 1933. The duplicate was used in day-to-day business and was stored in the president's archives until June 15, 1940,

3735-469: The Vilnius Region caused frictions between political and military leaders in Lithuania. As the first Soviet troops moved into Lithuania on November 14, the government, which included four generals, resigned. A new civilian cabinet, led by controversial Prime Minister Antanas Merkys , was formed on November 21. Lithuanians were careful to follow the treaty to the letter and not give any excuses for Moscow to accuse them of treaty violations. At first, delayed by

3818-453: The Winter War, the Soviets did not interfere with Lithuania's domestic affairs and Soviet soldiers were well-behaved in their bases. The Lithuanian government started debating its options and what could be done to prepare for the future occupation. Despite various resolutions, nothing material was accomplished. Lithuania had no counterweight to Soviet influence: its own forces were small, Germany

3901-453: The colors of the functional sections correspond to the colored lines in the original text above. Soon after the signing, the Act was taken to Germany and handed to parties in the Reichstag . On February 18, the text was reprinted in German newspapers, including Das Neue Litauen , Vossische Zeitung , Tägliche Rundschau  [ de ] and Kreuzzeitung . In Lithuania a text of

3984-488: The continuity of the two legal Acts. The Act of February 16, 1918, and its successor, the Act of March 11, 1990, are regarded as two of the most important developments of Lithuanian society in the 20th century. February 16 in Lithuania is an official holiday. On this day various ceremonies are hosted all across Lithuania. The 2014 commemoration included laying flowers at the signatories’ graves in Rasos Cemetery , awarding

4067-416: The country. Even though not addressed directly, the Act renounced any attempt to resurrect the former Polish–Lithuanian union . The Act of February 16, 1918, is the legal basis for the existence of present-day Lithuania, both during the interwar period and since 1990. The Act became one of the key elements during the restoration of Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. A paragraph in

4150-402: The day when Lithuania received an ultimatum from the Soviet Union and lost its independence. After that date the document disappeared. Both the original and the duplicate were missing for decades; historians and adventurers hunted for them. In 2006, a team of engineers searched the walls of the former house of Petras Vileišis . Two facsimiles of the duplicate were produced, one in 1928 and

4233-458: The deal as a betrayal of Poland, protested against the Lithuanian government. On October 30 – November 1, when the bread price suddenly rose, clashes between local communists and Poles turned into a riot against the Jewish population. Many Jewish shops were raided and some 35 people were injured. Jews accused Lithuanian police of inaction and sympathizing with Polish rioters. Soviet soldiers, uninvited by

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4316-440: The earlier request, the two versions of the notification were approved, but they did not include the changes of January 8. The texts were prepared based on the Act of December 11. These concessions to the Germans created tensions among the council members. Four members – Mykolas Biržiška , Steponas Kairys , Stanisław Narutowicz and Jonas Vileišis – resigned from the Council in protest. Chairman Antanas Smetona , who supported

4399-428: The first and final official joint session between the Council and the German authorities, it was made clear that the Council would serve only as an advisory board. This situation gave additional backing to those Council members who were seeking independence without any ties to other countries. The prime concern at this point was to invite back those members who had left the Council. Negotiations were undertaken that led to

4482-472: The geopolitical strategy of Mitteleuropa – a regional network of puppet states that would serve as a buffer zone – and agreed to allow the Vilnius Conference , hoping that it would proclaim that the Lithuanian nation wanted to detach itself from Russia and establish a closer relationship with Germany. However, this strategy backfired; the conference, held on September 18–23, 1917, adopted a resolution that an independent Lithuania should be established and that

4565-614: The inhabitants of Lithuania". The Act of December 11 was the second stage in the progression towards the final Act of Independence. The first draft, demanded by chancellor Georg von Hertling , was prepared by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 1. Further changes were jointly prepared by the German chancellery and by a delegation of the Council of Lithuania. The delegation's members were Antanas Smetona , Steponas Kairys , Vladas Mironas , Jurgis Šaulys , Petras Klimas and Aleksandras Stulginskis . After discussion amongst

4648-718: The interwar period. The Soviet Union continued to support Lithuanian claims against sovereign Poland. The Soviets supported as well Lithuania's interests in the Klaipėda Region after the Klaipėda Revolt and signed the Soviet–Lithuanian Non-Aggression Pact in 1926, later extended it to 1944. On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence . According to

4731-658: The meaning of a legal document. The Council, including the withdrawn members, was invited to return the next day for its finalization. On the next day, February 16, 1918, at 12:30 pm, all twenty Council members met in the room of the Lithuanian Committee for Support of the War Victims, at 30 Didžioji Street in Vilnius. The building has since been known as the House of the Signatories ( Lithuanian : signatarų namai ) and houses

4814-532: The new border of eastern Lithuania: Lithuania received 6,739 km (2,602 sq mi) of territory with population of approximately 430,000. The territory comprised about one fifth of the Vilnius Region recognized to Lithuania by the Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty of 1920; population of Lithuania reached about 3.8 million. According to the final agreement, four military bases would be established in Lithuania with 18,786 military personnel from

4897-539: The original Act of Independence will be displayed for five years in the House of the Signatories where it was originally signed, making it the main symbol of the Lithuania's Centenary of the Restoration of the State celebrations. On December 22, 2017, experts from the Lithuanian Police Forensic Research Center after a thorough analysis announced that the hand-written act was written by one of

4980-423: The other in 1933. The 1928 facsimile is a closer reproduction of the Act in its original state. It contains spelling errors and the background is visually "noisy", while the 1933 facsimile shows the Act in an "improved" condition. In 2017, Lithuanian businessman Darius Mockus offered a 1-million- Euro reward to anyone who could find the original document and give it to the State of Lithuania. The offer's deadline

5063-461: The pact's secret protocols, Lithuania was assigned to the German sphere of influence while Latvia and Estonia, the other two Baltic states , were assigned to the Soviets. This different treatment could be explained by Lithuania's economic dependence on Germany. Germany accounted for approximately 80% of Lithuania's foreign trade and after the 1939 German ultimatum had control of Klaipėda , Lithuania's only port. Also, Lithuania and Russia did not have

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5146-413: The parties, a compromise was reached on the document's text. The German representative, Kurt von Lersner, insisted that not one word be changed in the agreed-upon text and that all the Council members sign the document. After the delegation returned to Vilnius, a session of the Council was held on December 11 in order to discuss the Act. It was adopted without any further changes. Fifteen voted in favor of

5229-416: The proclamation was prepared for printing in newspapers, particularly in Lietuvos aidas , the Council's newspaper established by Antanas Smetona; but the German authorities prohibited this publication. Although the majority of the copies of the issue were confiscated, the newspaper's editor, Petras Klimas , managed to hide about 60 of them. On March 3, 1918, Germany and the now- Bolshevik Russia signed

5312-432: The proposed treaty. After signing the treaty, Stalin invited the Lithuanian delegation to celebrate and watch two movies with him. Urbšys informed the Lithuanian government about signing of the treaty only in the morning of October 11 – at the time the treaty was already published by Soviet news agency TASS . The mutual assistance treaty contained nine articles: The treaty also had a secret supplement, which specified that

5395-519: The reformulation of previous versions of the Act. The four withdrawn members demanded that the Council return to the Act of January 8 and omit the mention of any alliance with Germany. After heated debates that lasted for several weeks, on February 15, at 10 am, the new revision of the Act was ready. It included, with minor stylistic changes, the wording of the Act of January 8 and promulgation and notification, drafted on February 1. Promulgation and notification do not carry legal weight and do not change

5478-417: The region was legally part of Lithuania. Poles resented the transfer and as soon as the Soviet Army left Vilnius, anti-Lithuanian riots broke out accusing Lithuanians of betrayal. France and Great Britain, traditional allies of Poland, also condemned the treaty. Belarusian activists who campaigned for Vilnius incorporation into the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic were arrested, deported, or executed by

5561-457: The secret protocols were real, and informed Lithuanians that transfer of the territory in Suvalkija was not an urgent matter. Eventually, Nazi Germany sold this territory to the Soviet Union for 7.5 million dollars on January 10, 1941, in the German–Soviet Border and Commercial Agreement . Lithuanians in principle agreed to sign the mutual assistance treaty, but were instructed to resist Soviet bases as much as possible. Alternatives included doubling

5644-414: The signatories Jurgis Šaulys hand. On December 22, 2017, yet another version of the Act of Independence of Lithuania was found by historian Darius Antanavičius in the Vatican Secret Archives that was sent to the Holy See . This version of the Act was printed in German language and signed by Antanas Smetona , Jonas Vileišis , Jurgis Šaulys and Justinas Staugaitis . Most of the signatories of

5727-399: The size of the entire Lithuanian army. Soviets wanted to sign the treaty right then to commemorate the 19th anniversary of Żeligowski's Mutiny and Lithuania's loss of Vilnius. Political rallies, organized in Vilnius demanding city's incorporation into the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic , put additional pressure on Lithuanians and provided a sense of urgency. Urbšys refused to sign and

5810-491: The spheres of influence. He demanded that Lithuania signed three separate treaties, according to which: Urbšys' protested the Soviet bases arguing that it would mean virtual occupation of Lithuania. Soviets argued that their army would protect Lithuania from possible attacks from Nazi Germany and that a similar treaty was already signed with Estonia. Urbšys argued that Lithuania's neutrality was enough to guarantee its security and proposed to strengthen Lithuanian army. According to

5893-449: The summer of 1941 while being transported to a Soviet prison in Minsk ; he is presumed to have been shot along with a number of other prisoners. Donatas Malinauskas was deported to Russia on June 14, 1941, during the massive June deportation . Several of the surviving signatories emigrated. Jurgis Šaulys and Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys died in Switzerland . Antanas Smetona , Mykolas Biržiška , and Steponas Kairys emigrated to

5976-421: The talks receded for the second time. In Lithuania, President Antanas Smetona doubted that it was worth gaining Vilnius for such a price and debated whether the negotiations could be broken off. Bizauskas argued that refusing the treaty would not prevent the Soviet Union from implementing its plan. The Soviet Union had already threatened Estonia with force in the case it refused their mutual assistance treaty and

6059-450: The treaty and abducting Russian soldiers from their bases. The Soviets demanded that a new government, which would comply with the Mutual Assistance Treaty, be formed and that an unspecified number of Soviet troops be admitted to Lithuania. With Soviet troops already in the country it was impossible to mount military resistance. The Soviets took control of government institutions, installed a new pro-Soviet government, and announced elections to

6142-400: The vicinity of Druskininkai and Švenčionys , territories with larger Lithuanian populations. The Soviets replied that the boundary draw by the 1920 peace treaty was inaccurate and that Belarusians also laid claims to the territory. The Soviets tentatively agreed that territories where a Lithuanian majority could be proven would be transferred to Lithuania. Nevertheless, the Soviets blackmailed

6225-552: Was a serious threat to Lithuanian independence. Popular attitude was reflected in a known slogan "Vilnius – mūsų, Lietuva – rusų" (Vilnius is ours, but Lithuania is Russia's). After the treaty was signed, Lithuania lost its neutrality and could not independently execute its foreign policy. For example, Lithuania could not support Finland when the Winter War broke out after Finland rejected a similar mutual assistance treaty proposed by Soviet Union. In international politics, Lithuania became

6308-466: Was also motivated by Soviet control of Vilnius: the Soviet Union could exert significant influence on the Lithuanian government, which claimed Vilnius to be its de jure capital. In the secret protocols, both Soviet Union and Germany explicitly recognized Lithuanian interest in Vilnius. On September 29, the next day after the Boundary and Friendship Treaty, Germany canceled planned talks with Lithuania and

6391-568: Was gathering forces in Vilnius Region in the east and in Latvia in the north. In such light, the government decided to demand as much territory as possible. However, when the delegation returned to Moscow, it found the atmosphere changed. The Soviets were inflexible, refused further negotiations, and intimidated the delegation to sign the treaty. They presented a new draft, which combined the mutual assistance pact and transfer of Vilnius into one agreement. The Lithuanian delegation had little choice but to sign

6474-615: Was in effect Russia's ally, Poland was conquered, France and Great Britain had bigger issues in western Europe. After the Winter War was over, Soviet Union turned its attention to the Baltic States . After months of intense propaganda and diplomatic pressure, the Soviets issued an ultimatum on June 14, 1940 – the same day when the world's attention was focused on the fall of Paris during the Battle of France . The Soviets accused Lithuania of violating

6557-513: Was made clear that the new state would be quite different from the old Duchy: it was to be organized only in ethnic Lithuanian lands (except for the Vilnius region which was majority Polish) and was to be governed by democratic principles, as opposed to the multi-ethnic Duchy that had been ruled by an aristocracy. The termination of the ties binding Lithuania to other states was addressed to Germany, Russia, and Poland, all of which had their own plans for

6640-549: Was set to February 16, 2018, when Lithuania will commemorate the 100th anniversary of its declaration of independence. On March 29, 2017, Vytautas Magnus University professor Liudas Mažylis announced he had found the original document in the Federal Foreign Office Political Archive in Berlin , Germany , hand-written in the Lithuanian language and signed by the twenty. He also announced that he had found

6723-460: Was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania , governed by democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital. The Act was signed by all twenty representatives of the Council, which was chaired by Jonas Basanavičius . The Act of February 16 was the result of a series of resolutions on the issue, including one issued by

6806-399: Was signed. The Jonas Basanavičius Prize is bestowed for distinguished work within the previous five years in the fields of ethnic and cultural studies. Kazys Musteikis Kazys Musteikis (November 22, 1894 – June 6, 1977) was a Lithuanian military brigadier general and served as Lithuanian minister of national defence from 1938 to 1940. In September 1939, at the beginning of

6889-567: Was then incorporated into the Republic of Central Lithuania which was a short-lived political entity without international recognition. The region was ceded to Poland in 1922 at the Peace of Riga after the Polish–Soviet War and confirmed internationally by the League of Nations . The Lithuanians refused to recognize Polish control and continued to claim legal and moral rights to the region throughout

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