Editing History of Lithuania (section)

==Independence restored (1990–present)==

===Struggle for independence (1990–1991)===
[[File:Unarmed Lithuanian citizen standing against Soviet tank, Vilnius, January 13, 1991.jpg|thumb|Unarmed Lithuanian citizen standing against a Soviet tank during the [[January Events]].]]
[[File:Leaders of the Supreme Council of Lithuania on 11 March 1990.jpg|thumb|300px|Leaders of the [[Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Supreme Council of Lithuania]] on 11 March 1990, after promulgation of the [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania]] in [[Vilnius]]]]
In early 1990, candidates backed by [[Sąjūdis]] won the [[1990 Lithuanian parliamentary election|Lithuanian parliamentary elections]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=281&p_d=3248&p_k=2 | title=Supreme Council (Reconstituent Seimas) 1990-1992 | date=1999-12-07 | publisher=Seimas | access-date=2008-02-23 | archive-date=8 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008185641/https://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=281&p_d=3248&p_k=2 | url-status=live }}</ref> On 11 March 1990, the [[Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR]] proclaimed the [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania]]. The Baltic republics were in the forefront of the struggle for independence, and Lithuania was the first of the Soviet republics to declare independence. [[Vytautas Landsbergis]], a leader of the Sąjūdis national movement,<ref name="Snyder 98-102">Snyder (2003), pp. 98–102</ref> became the head of state and [[Kazimira Prunskienė]] led the Cabinet of Ministers. Provisional fundamental laws of the state were passed.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/>

On 15 March, the Soviet Union demanded revocation of the independence and began employing political and economic sanctions against Lithuania. On 18 April, Soviets imposed [[Soviet economic blockade of Lithuania|economic blockade of Lithuania]] which lasted until the end of June. The Soviet military was used to seize a few public buildings, but violence was largely contained until January 1991. During the [[January Events]] in Lithuania, the Soviet authorities attempted to overthrow the elected government by sponsoring the so-called National Salvation Committee. The Soviets forcibly took over the [[Vilnius TV Tower]], killing 14 unarmed civilians and injuring 140.<ref name=bbc-onthisday>{{cite news|title=On This Day 13 January 1991: Bloodshed at Lithuanian TV station|work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/13/newsid_4059000/4059959.stm|access-date=2011-09-13|date=13 January 1991|archive-date=9 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109010731/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/13/newsid_4059000/4059959.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> During this assault, the only means of contact to the outside world available was an amateur radio station set up in the Lithuanian Parliament building by Tadas Vyšniauskas whose call sign was LY2BAW.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amateur radio station in Lithuanian Parliament during Soviet military rampage in Jan 1991| date=11 April 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZtBsUQ9nkA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/NZtBsUQ9nkA| archive-date=2021-11-14 | url-status=live|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The initial cries for help were received by an American amateur radio operators with the call sign N9RD in [[Indiana]] and WB9Z in [[Illinois]].{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} N9RD, WB9Z and other radio operators from around the world were able to relay situational updates to relevant authorities until official [[United States Department of State]] personnel were able to go on-air. Moscow failed to act further to crush the Lithuanian independence movement, and the Lithuanian government continued to function.

During the national referendum on 9 February 1991, more than 90% of those who took part in the voting (84.73% of all eligible voters) voted in favor of an independent, democratic Lithuania. During the [[1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt]] in August, [[Soviet Armed Forces]] troops took over several communications and other government facilities in Vilnius and other cities, but returned to their barracks when the coup failed. The Lithuanian government banned the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] and ordered confiscation of its property. Following the failed coup, Lithuania received widespread international recognition on 6 September 1991 and was admitted to the [[United Nations]] on 17 September.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/>

===Contemporary Republic of Lithuania (1991–present)===
[[File:Flag of Lithuania.svg|thumb|200px|[[Flag of Lithuania]]]]
As in many countries of the former Soviet Union, the popularity of the independence movement ([[Sąjūdis]] in the case of Lithuania) diminished due to worsening economic situation (rising unemployment, inflation, etc.). The Communist Party of Lithuania renamed itself as the [[Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania]] (LDDP) and gained a majority of seats against Sąjūdis in the [[1992 Lithuanian parliamentary election|Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1992]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Krupavicius |first1=A. |title=The Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1996 |journal=Electoral Studies |date=December 1997 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=541–549 |doi=10.1016/S0261-3794(97)87813-4 }}</ref> LDDP continued building the independent democratic state and transitioning from a centrally [[planned economy]] to a [[market economy|free market economy]]. In the [[1996 Lithuanian parliamentary election|Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1996]], the voters swung back to the rightist [[Homeland Union]], led by the former Sąjūdis leader [[Vytautas Landsbergis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=LITHUANIA: parliamentary elections Seimas, 1996 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2189_96.htm |website=archive.ipu.org |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903131230/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2189_96.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of the economic transition to [[capitalism]], Lithuania organized a [[privatization]] campaign to sell government-owned residential real estate and commercial enterprises. The government issued investment vouchers to be used in privatization instead of actual currency. People cooperated in groups to collect larger amounts of vouchers for the public auctions and the privatization campaign. Lithuania, unlike Russia, did not create a small group of very wealthy and powerful people. The privatization started with small organizations, and large enterprises (such as telecommunication companies or airlines) were sold several years later for hard currency in a bid to attract foreign investors. Lithuania's monetary system was to be based on the [[Lithuanian litas]], the currency used during the interwar period. Due to high inflation and other delays, a temporary currency, the [[Lithuanian talonas]], was introduced (it was commonly referred to as the ''Vagnorėlis'' or ''Vagnorkė'' after Prime Minister [[Gediminas Vagnorius]]). Eventually the litas was issued in June 1993, and the decision was made to set it up with a [[fixed exchange rate]] to the [[United States dollar]] in 1994 and to the [[Euro]] in 2002.
[[File:Vilnius Modern Skyline At Dusk, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg|thumb|left|265px|[[Vilnius]], the capital of Lithuania]]

Despite Lithuania's achievement of complete independence, sizable numbers of [[Russian Armed Forces]] troops remained in its territory. Withdrawal of those forces was one of Lithuania's top foreign policy priorities. Russian troop withdrawal was completed by 31 August 1993.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/> The first military of the reborn country were the [[Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces]], who first took an oath at the Supreme Council of Lithuania soon after the declaration of independence. The [[Lithuanian military]] built itself to the common standard with the [[Lithuanian Air Force]], [[Lithuanian Naval Force]] and [[Lithuanian Land Force]]. Interwar paramilitary organisations such as the [[Lithuanian Riflemen's Union]], [[Young Riflemen]], and the [[Scout Association of Lithuania|Lithuanian Scouts]] were re-established.
[[File:100th anniversary of the restoration of statehood 07.jpg|thumb|Celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the [[Act of Independence of Lithuania|restoration of statehood of Lithuania]] with foreign leaders (Vilnius, 2018)]]

On 27 April 1993, a [[Pennsylvania–Lithuania National Guard Partnership|partnership with the Pennsylvania National Guard]] was established as part of the State Partnership Program.<ref>Congressional Research Service: "The National Guard State Partnership" https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41957.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125101932/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41957.pdf |date=25 January 2021 }}. Retrieved 24 October 2012.</ref>

Seeking closer ties with the West, Lithuania applied for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]) membership in 1994. The country had to go through a difficult transition from planned to free market economy in order to satisfy the requirements for [[European Union]] (EU) membership. In May 2001, Lithuania became the 141st member of the World Trade Organization. In October 2002, Lithuania was invited to join the European Union and one month later to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; it became a member of both in 2004.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/>

As a result of the broader [[2008 financial crisis]] and [[Great Recession]], the Lithuanian economy in 2009 experienced its worst recession since the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991. After a boom in growth sparked by [[Accession of Lithuania to the European Union|Lithuania's 2004 accession to the European Union]], the [[Gross domestic product]] contracted by 15% in 2009.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/> Especially since Lithuania's admission into the [[European Union]], large numbers of Lithuanians (up to 20% of the population) have moved abroad in search of better economic opportunities to create a significant demographic problem for the small country.<ref name="True Lithuania">True Lithuania www.truelithuania.com, accessed 14 June 2012</ref> On 1 January 2015, Lithuania joined the [[eurozone]] and adopted the European Union's single currency as the last of the Baltic states.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kropaite |first1=Zivile |title=Lithuania joins Baltic neighbours in euro club |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30635826 |website=BBC News |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=1 January 2015 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703111641/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30635826 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 4 July 2018, Lithuania officially joined [[OECD]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania officially becomes the 36th OECD member |url=https://lrv.lt/en/news/lithuania-officially-becomes-the-36th-oecd-member |website=lrv.lt |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=5 July 2018 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703105900/https://lrv.lt/en/news/lithuania-officially-becomes-the-36th-oecd-member |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Dalia Grybauskaitė]] was the first female [[President of Lithuania]] (2009–2019) and the first president to be [[2014 Lithuanian presidential election|re-elected]] for a second consecutive term.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania President Re-elected on Anti-Russian Platform |url=https://www.voanews.com/europe/lithuania-president-re-elected-anti-russian-platform |website=Voice of America |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=26 May 2014 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703105904/https://www.voanews.com/europe/lithuania-president-re-elected-anti-russian-platform |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was succeeded by [[Gitanas Nausėda]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gitanas Nausėda sworn in as Lithuania's new president |url=https://emerging-europe.com/news/gitanas-nauseda-sworn-in-as-lithuanias-new-president/ |work=Emerging Europe |date=15 July 2019 |access-date=18 September 2023 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015004748/https://emerging-europe.com/news/gitanas-nauseda-sworn-in-as-lithuanias-new-president/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 11–12 July 2023, the [[2023 Vilnius summit|NATO summit]] was held in Vilnius, which was attended by heads of state or government members of NATO countries and its allies.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 NATO Summit |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/216570.htm |website=NATO |language=en |access-date=18 September 2023 |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922050539/https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/216570.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>