LithuaniaSoviet

LithuaniaSoviet refers to the period of Lithuanian history when the country was under Soviet occupation and rule. Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in 1940, annexing it as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. This occupation was interrupted by Nazi Germany's invasion in 1941, but Soviet control was re-established in 1944.

During Soviet rule, Lithuania experienced significant political and social upheaval. The Lithuanian economy was integrated into the Soviet system, with collectivization of agriculture and nationalization of industries. Large-scale deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia and other remote regions of the Soviet Union occurred, particularly in 1941 and 1944-1949, often targeting intellectuals, landowners, and perceived political opponents. Resistance movements, known as the Forest Brothers, actively fought against Soviet forces for years, but were eventually suppressed.

Lithuania remained part of the Soviet Union for nearly fifty years. In the late 1980s, with the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms, a strong independence movement emerged in Lithuania. On March 11, 1990, Lithuania declared the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, becoming the first Soviet republic to declare independence. This led to a period of international tension and a Soviet military crackdown, but ultimately Lithuania regained its full sovereignty. The Soviet period left a lasting impact on Lithuania's political, economic, and social landscape.