Lithuania

Pre-historyThe first settlers of Lithuania

arrived in approximately 12, 000 B. C.

Between the 5th and 8th centuries tribal groupings formed in the western territories: Prussians, Yotvingians, Curronians, Zemgalians, Lithuanians and Latgallians.

In 1009, the name of Lithuania was mentioned for the first time in the written account of the mission of St. Bruno.

Monarchy and toleranceIn the Middle Ages, Lithuania had

already had its state: the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Following the coronation of Mindaugas, Lithuania was recognized by and accepted into the family of the Western Europe as an equal member of the political system.

With the official adoption of Christianity in 1387, Lithuania chose to follow the Western path of development: the following period saw the spread of the written language, schools were opened, Lithuanian students travelled to study to European Countries

Lithuania was also a country of many nations and religions.

From the Baltic to the Black SeaWe won one more

important victory in the Battle of Žalgiris (Grünwald) in 1410 when in alliance with the Kingdom of Poland we defeated the Order of Teutonic Knights.

After the battle, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached the peak of its power, with its territory stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

First written Constitution in EuropeThe Lithuanian Statutes

as the legal framework testify to the fact that Lithuania became an integral part of Western Europe as early as of the 16th century. The legal thought reached further heights at the end of the 18th century when a Constitution was adopted on 3rd May 1791. It was the first constitution in Europe (preceding the French Constitution), and the second in the world.

THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY IN EASTERN EUROPE

Vilnius University, founded in 1579, was the first higher education school not only in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but in the whole Eastern Europe.

Fall of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

From the XVIII century an attempt was made to carry out reforms in 1791, and on May 3, a constitution was established, but it was already too late and the three divisions destroyed the state. The first - in 1772. The second - in 1793. The third - in 1795. The state was divided by the Russian Empire, Kingdom of Prussia, the Austrian Empire.

Lithuania in the XIX centuryWe had rebelled against

Russia 2 times: first was in 1830 and the second one was in 1863.

After failed attempts of regaining our independence, we had suffered many restrictions and repressions.

After resisting those restrictions we were able to regain our independence on February 16th, 1918.

1940 Soviet Ultimatum to LithuaniaThe Soviet Union

issued an Ultimatum to Lithuania before midnight of June 14, 1940. The Soviets, using a formal pretext, demanded to allow an unspecified number of Soviet soldiers to enter the Lithuanian territory and to form a new pro-Soviet government

Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia, fell into the Russian sphere.

SOVIET OCCUPATION AND ANNEXATION OF LITHUANIA

On 15 June 1945, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania again, and mass deportations of the Lithuanian population to remote areas of the Soviet Union started on 14 of June.

Yet we have survived these hardships: we endured occupations, first by the Soviets, then by the Nazi Germany.

Many Lithuanians joined partisan groups to fight for Lithuania's independence.

SINGING REVOLUTIONOn 23 August 1989, we

joined our hands to form a human chain stretching 650 kilometres across Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn to mark the 50th anniversary of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact as a result of which Lithuania lost its independence. The Baltic Way was a symbolic action that separated the Baltic States from the Soviet Union and by which our people expressed their will to be free.

We did not have to wait long. In 1990, the independent State of Lithuania was re-established. However, our people’s will was opposed by the Soviet Union authorities which, in 1991, sent to Vilnius their well trained and heavily armed paratrooper units.

But even under the threat of violence we responded to the Soviet Union's aggression peacefully – without arms, singing songs with an endless faith in our victory. That is why these events are commonly referred to as the Singing Revolution. This was the third time in history that Lithuania started an epoch of independent life.

EU AND NATO MEMBERSHIPFollowing its EU and

NATO membership in 2004, Lithuania again reunited with the European family. Once an EU member, Lithuania has become an official donor country and has been giving aid to Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, South Caucasus, Afghanistan and Iraq