Back مرسوم استقلال ليتوانيا Arabic Declaración d'Independencia de Lituania AST Lietovuos naprigolnoma akts BAT-SMG Акт аб незалежнасці Літвы Byelorussian Акт незалежнасьці Летувы BE-X-OLD লিথুয়ানিয়ার স্বাধীনতা আইন Bengali/Bangla Declaració d'Independència de Lituània Catalan Zákon o nezávislosti Litvy Czech Litauens uafhængighedserklæring Danish Akt der Unabhängigkeitserklärung Litauens German
| Act of Independence of Lithuania | |
|---|---|
 Hand-written original of the document | |
| Ratified | February 16, 1918 |
| Location | Rough draft: House of the Signatories |
| Author(s) | Jonas Vileišis, Petras Klimas, Mykolas Biržiška, Steponas Kairys |
| Signatories | 20 representatives of the Council of Lithuania |
| Purpose | To announce separation from the Russian Empire |
The Act of Independence of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Aktas) or the Act of February 16th,[1] also the Lithuanian Resolution on Independence (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Nepriklausomybės Nutarimas), [Note 1] 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 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 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.[2] 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.[3] Independent Lithuania, although it would soon be battling 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.[4] 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.[5] Lithuania, breaking away from 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. [6]
- ^ Didžiąja ar mažąja rašyti žodį „aktas“ dokumento, kuriuo atkurta Lietuvos Nepriklausomybė, pavadinime?, State Commission on the Lithuanian language
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
elwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vardys, Vytas Stanley; Judith B. Sedaitis (1997). Lithuania: The Rebel Nation. Westview Series on the Post-Soviet Republics. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-8133-1839-4.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
makswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
VARwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
LRSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search