Editing History of Lithuania (section)

===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"/>