Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республик Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika |
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Unrecognized Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1941, 1944–1990/91) De facto sovereign entity (1989–90) |
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Motto Visų šalių proletarai, vienykitės! (Lithuanian) "Workers of the world, unite!" |
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Anthem Anthem of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic |
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Location of the Lithuanian SSR within the Soviet Union.
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Capital | Vilnius | |||||
Languages |
Official languages: Lithuanian · Russian Minority languages: Latvian |
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Demonym |
Lithuanian Soviet |
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Government | Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party Soviet socialist republic | |||||
First Secretary | ||||||
• | 1944–1974 | Antanas Sniečkus | ||||
• | 1988–1990 | Algirdas Brazauskas | ||||
Chairman of the Supreme Council | ||||||
• | 1990–1991 | Vytautas Landsbergis | ||||
Historical era | World War II · Cold War | |||||
• | Soviet occupation | 16 June 1940 | ||||
• | SSR established | 21 July 1940 | ||||
• | Illegally annexed by USSR, Lithuania continued de jure | 3 August 1940 | ||||
• | Nazi occupation | 1941 | ||||
• | Soviet re-occupation SSR re-established |
1944 | ||||
• | Singing Revolution | 1988 | ||||
• | Sovereignty declared | 18 May 1989 | ||||
• | Restoration of Independence declared | 11 March 1990 | ||||
• | Independence recognized | 6 September 1991 | ||||
Area | ||||||
• | 1989 | 65,200 km² (25,174 sq mi) | ||||
Population | ||||||
• | 1989 est. | 3,689,779 | ||||
Density | 56.6 /km² (146.6 /sq mi) | |||||
Calling code | +7 012 | |||||
Today part of | Lithuania |
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; Lithuanian: Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika; Russian: Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Litovskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), also known as Soviet Lithuania or Lithuania was a republic of the Soviet Union. It existed from 1940 to 1990.
Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state, during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Lithuania after it had been occupied by the Soviet army on 16 June 1940, in conformity with the terms of the 23 August 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
Between 1941 and 1944, the German invasion of the Soviet Union caused its de facto dissolution. However, with the retreat of the Germans in 1944–1945, Soviet hegemony was re-established, and existed for fifty years. As a result, many western countries (including the United States) continue to recognize Lithuania as an independent, sovereign de jure state subject to international law represented by the legations appointed by the pre-1940 Baltic states which functioned in various places through the Lithuanian Diplomatic Service.
On 18 May 1989, the Lithuanian SSR declared state sovereignty within its borders during perestroika. On 11 March 1990, the Republic of Lithuania was declared to be re-established as an independent state and the declaration (while considered illegal by the Soviet authorities) was recognized immediately prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union itself recognized Lithuanian independence on 6 September 1991.