Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of the states that made up the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1990, except for a short time during World War II. Before this period, Lithuania was an independent country. In June 1940, the Red Army moved into Lithuania, following an agreement between the Soviet Union and Germany. Lithuania became part of the Soviet Union as a government controlled by the Soviets.

From 1941 to 1944, Germany took over Lithuania during the war. When German forces left in 1944, the Soviet Union took control again and kept it for the next 45 years. Even though it was part of the Soviet Union, many countries in the west still saw Lithuania as its own independent country.

In 1989, Lithuania began to claim its sovereignty. On March 11, 1990, Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so. This led the way for other states to seek freedom as well. After some difficult events in early 1991, the Soviet Union finally recognized Lithuania's independence on September 6, 1991. Today, Lithuania is again an independent country, and it remembers its time under Soviet control as a period that it considers unlawful.

History

Background

Main article: Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

On 23 August 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. This agreement divided Europe into areas of influence, with Lithuania placed in the Soviet Union's area. Later, the Soviet Union pushed for military bases in Lithuania, which brought the country under stronger Soviet control.

Occupation and annexation

Main article: Occupation of the Baltic states

In 1940, the Soviet Union demanded that Lithuania allow Soviet troops into the country. After some resistance, Lithuania agreed, but this led to the country being taken over. A new government was set up under Soviet control, and elections were held that were not fair. The new leaders declared that Lithuania wanted to join the Soviet Union, and soon after, Lithuania became part of the Soviet Union.

German invasion and the second Soviet occupation

In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and took over Lithuania. After Germany was pushed back, the Soviet Union returned in 1944 and began to re-establish control. Elections were held again, but they were not free or fair, and the Communist Party took control.

Sovietisation

The Soviet Union worked to change Lithuania to fit its style of government and economy. Farms were grouped together into large collectives, and many people were moved to new towns that grew around factories. The Soviet Union also tried to change the way people thought about their history and culture, promoting its own ideas and controlling what was taught and shown.

Armed resistance

Main articles: Lithuanian partisans and Guerrilla war in the Baltic states

After the Soviet Union took control again, some people in Lithuania fought back, hoping to bring back their country's independence. They hid in the woods and attacked Soviet forces, but many were caught and faced serious consequences. Their efforts showed that many people still wanted Lithuania to be independent.

Deportations

Main article: Soviet deportations from Lithuania

The Soviet authorities forced many Lithuanians to leave their homes and move far away to work in harsh conditions. Thousands of people were taken from their homes and sent to different parts of the Soviet Union, where they had to work and live under very difficult circumstances.

Dissident movement

Even after the armed resistance ended, people in Lithuania continued to work for independence in secret. They shared books and ideas, celebrated their history, and kept hope alive for a free Lithuania. In the 1970s and 1980s, these efforts grew, and more people began to speak out against Soviet rule.

Collapse of Soviet rule

In the late 1980s, problems in the Soviet Union gave new hope to those wanting independence. Public meetings and events grew, and in 1990, Lithuania declared that it was once again an independent country. The Soviet Union eventually recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991.

Independence restored

Main article: Lithuania

Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union on 11 March 1990. The country argued that it did not need to follow the Soviet rules for leaving because the original joining was not legal. After some tension, the Soviet Union recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991, and the Soviet Army left the country by 1993.

Politics

The leaders of the main political party in Lithuania during the Soviet time were:

• Antanas Sniečkus, 1940–1941; 1944–1974
• Petras Griškevičius, 1974–1987
• Ringaudas Songaila, 1987–1988
• Algirdas Brazauskas, 1988–1989

Economy

Further information: Eastern Bloc economies

Collectivization happened in the Lithuanian SSR from 1947 to 1952. In 1990, the GDP per capita of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was $8,591. This was higher than the Soviet Union’s average of $6,871 but lower than nearby countries like Norway ($18,470), Sweden ($17,680), and Finland ($16,868).

Lithuania was an important part of the Soviet economy. It produced many things that the Soviet Union needed, such as electric welding tools, metal-cutting machines, and furniture. Even though Lithuania was a small part of the Soviet Union, it contributed a lot to its industries and farming.

The economy of the Eastern Bloc, which relied on strict government planning, eventually collapsed because of long-term problems. Attempts to fix it only made things worse. Lithuania also sent a large amount of money to support the Soviet Union’s budget during its time as part of the USSR.

In astronomy

A small object in space, called minor planet 2577 Litva, was found in 1975 by a Soviet astronomer named Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh. It was named to honor the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.