Declaration
Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, 1990
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania declared on 11 March 1990 that the sovereign powers of the State of Lithuania, abolished by foreign forces in 1940, were re-established, becoming the first Soviet constituent republic to declare independence.
What happened
On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the Act on the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, which provided: "The execution of the sovereign powers of the State of Lithuania abolished by foreign forces in 1940, is re-established, and henceforth Lithuania is again an independent state."[1] The Act also stated that Lithuania's 1918 Act of Independence and a 1920 Constituent Assembly decree "never lost their legal effect and comprise the constitutional foundation of the State of Lithuania."[1] The Supreme Council approved the Act with 124 members voting in favour and six abstaining, with none opposed.[1] The Soviet leadership, under Mikhail Gorbachev, declared the Act illegal and, through 1990, imposed economic sanctions on Lithuania.[2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania adopted the Act on the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, providing: "The execution of the sovereign powers of the State of Lithuania abolished by foreign forces in 1940, is re-established, and henceforth Lithuania is again an independent state." The Act stated that the 1918 Act of Independence and a 1920 Constituent Assembly decree "never lost their legal effect." The Supreme Council approved the Act with 124 in favour, six abstaining, and none opposed.
- Wikipedia contributors, Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania (Wikipedia) link, translated text and vote count. Source record
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2.
Claim: Following economic sanctions Moscow imposed on Lithuania through 1990, Soviet military and KGB forces stormed the Vilnius TV tower and broadcasting centre on the night of 12-13 January 1991, ramming tanks into unarmed civilians and firing on the crowd; 14 civilians were killed and hundreds wounded. The failure of Soviet forces to fully reassert control amid civilian resistance is widely seen as having exposed the weakening grip of Soviet power over Lithuania.
- Thirty Years After Soviet Crackdown In Lithuania, Kremlin Accused Of Rewriting History (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) link, article text. Source record