Council of Lithuania

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For a historical term of Jewish autonomy in Grand Duchy of Lithuania, see Council of Four Lands.

In

Lithuanian people and was entrusted to establish an independent Lithuanian state.[1] On 16 February 1918, the members of the council signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania and declared Lithuania an independent state based on democratic principles. 16 February is celebrated as Lithuania's State Restoration Day. The council managed to establish the proclamation of independence despite the presence of German troops in the country until the autumn of 1918. By the spring of 1919, the council had almost doubled in size. The council continued its efforts until the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
(Lithuanian: Steigiamasis Seimas) first met on 15 May 1920.

Historical background and Vilnius Conference

After the last

Russian Revolution in 1917, opportunities for independence opened up. Germany, avoiding direct annexation, tried to find a middle path that would involve some kind of union with Germany.[2] In the light of upcoming peace negotiations with Russia, the Germans agreed to allow the Vilnius Conference, hoping that it would proclaim that the Lithuanian nation wanted to be detached from Russia and wished for a closer relationship with Germany.[3] However, the conference, held between 18 and 23 September 1917, adopted a resolution that an independent Lithuania should be established and that a closer relationship with Germany would depend on whether it recognized the new state.[3] On 21 September, the attendees at the conference elected a 20-member Council of Lithuania to establish this resolution. The German authorities did not allow that resolution to be published, but they did permit the council to proceed.[3] The authorities censored the council's newspaper, Lietuvos aidas (Echo of Lithuania), preventing the council from reaching a wider public audience.[1] The conference also resolved that a constituent assembly be elected "in conformity with democratic principles by all the inhabitants of Lithuania".[4]

Membership

Main article: Signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania
The original 20 members of the council. Jonas Basanavičius is sitting in the center of the front row. Antanas Smetona is seated to his immediate left.

The twenty men who composed the initial council were of different ages (the youngest was 25; the oldest 66), social status, professions, and political affiliations. There were eight lawyers, four priests, three

financiers, a doctor, a publisher, and an engineer.[5] Eight of the members were Christian democrats and seven were not affiliated. All except one had gained degrees in tertiary education.[6] The council's last surviving member, Aleksandras Stulginskis, died in September 1969.[7]

During the first meeting on 24 September,

Shimshon Rosenboim) and one was Folkist (Nachman Rachmilewitz).[11]

By the spring of 1919, the council had almost doubled in size.[3]

Declaration of Independence

Main article: Act of Independence of Lithuania
The original hand-written Act of Independence of Lithuania with twenty original signatures of signatories

Soon after the council was elected, major developments took place in Russia. The

Bolsheviks to power. They signed a truce with Germany on 2 December 1917 and started peace negotiations. Germany needed some documentation of its relationship with Lithuania. In the so-called Berlin Protocol Germany offered to recognize Lithuanian independence if the latter agreed to form a firm and permanent federation with Germany, based on conventions concerning military affairs, transportation, customs, and currency.[3] The council agreed, on the condition that Lithuania would decide its own internal affairs and foreign policy. The Germans rejected this proposal. On 11 December, the council adopted a resolution agreeing to a "firm and permanent alliance" with Germany on the basis of the four conventions. Only fifteen members voted for this resolution, but all twenty signed it.[3]

The Germans broke their promise and did not recognize the state and did not invite its delegation to the negotiations of Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Lithuanians, including those living abroad, disapproved of the 11 December declaration.[1] The declaration, seen as pro-German, was an obstacle in establishing diplomatic relations with England, France and the United States, the enemies of Germany.[12] On 8 January 1918, the same day that Woodrow Wilson announced his Fourteen Points, the council proposed amendments to the declaration of 11 December calling for a constituent assembly. The amendments were rejected by the Germans and it was made clear that the council would serve only advisory functions.[1] The council was torn apart and a few members threatened to leave. On 16 February, the council, temporarily chaired by Jonas Basanavičius, decided to re-declare independence, this time mentioning nothing specific about a relationship with Germany. That was left for a constituent assembly to decide. 16 February is celebrated as Lithuania's State Restoration Day.[13]

Establishing independence

The Germans were not satisfied with the new declaration and demanded that the council go back to the 11 December decision.

King of Lithuania as Mindaugas II on 13 July 1918. The decision was very controversial and four members of the council left in protest.[14]

Germany did not recognize the new king and its relationship with the council remained tense.

armistice in Compiègne. The council began to organize an army, police, local government, and other institutions. It also expanded to include ethnic minorities (Jews and Belarusians).[8] There were no women in the council, despite a petition that gathered 20,000 signatures.[15]

The

Freedom Wars started and political processes were derailed during the turmoil.[16] Lithuanian elections to the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania were not held until April 1920.[17] The council was not replaced by a parliament (Seimas) until 2 August 1922, when the Constitution of Lithuania was adopted.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-312-22458-3
    .
  2. ^
    LCCN 75-80057
    .
  3. ^
    LCCN 74114275
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-7391-0027-1
    .
  5. ^ "Lietuvos taryba" (in Lithuanian). National Museum of Lithuania. Archived from the original on 14 May 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
  6. ^ Jegelevičius, Sigitas. "Vasario 16-osios Akto signatarai" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2006.
  7. Lithuanian National Museum. Archived from the original
    on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  8. ^
    ISBN 9986-9216-9-4. Archived from the original
    on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
  9. ^
    ISBN 9780199668021
    .
  10. ISBN 9788390306858
    .
  11. ISBN 978-615-5053-17-7
    .
  12. ISBN 9986-9216-9-4. Archived from the original
    on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
  13. ^ (in Lithuanian) Lietuvos Respublikos švenčių dienų įstatymas, Žin., 1990, Nr. 31-757, Seimas. Retrieved on 2007-02-07.
  14. ^ a b "Karališkojo kraujo paieškos: Lietuva ir šimto dienų karalius" (in Lithuanian). Bernardinai.lt. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
  15. ISBN 978-90-04-19172-3
    .
  16. ISBN 978-1-134-71222-9
    .
  17. ISBN 978-0-8108-7536-4
    .
  18. ISBN 978-0-520-02600-1
    .

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Council_of_Lithuania&oldid=1214790093"