Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, short: Lithuanian SSR (in Lithuanian: Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika, short: Lietuvos TSR) was the name given on July 21, 1940 to Lihuania, after the Soviet rule was established there on June 15 1940. On August 3 1940 it became a part of the Soviet Union, i.e. the 14th constituent republic of the USSR. Its territory was subsequently invaded by Germany in 1941, and the Soviet rule was reestablished there in 1944.

The United States, United Kingdom, and other western powers first considered the annexation of Lithuania by the USSR illegal in 1940. But fully recognized USSR and all its parts after World War II.

In addition to the human and material losses suffered due to war, thousands of civilians were killed and tens of thousands of people deported from Lithuania by the Soviet authorities until Joseph Stalin's death in 1953.

In comparison with other parts of the USSR its economy fared better and today Lithuania remains one of the wealthiest of the formerly Soviet-controlled states.

The leadership of the 'Lithuanian SSR' renamed the state the 'Republic of Lithuania' again and on March 11, 1990 all legal ties of sovereignty were cut with the Soviet Union as Lithuania declared the restitution of its independence. Some officials of the Soviet Union treated Lithuania as the Lithuanian SSR until August 1991, when full international recognition of Lithuania's restored independence followed the failure of the hardline communist putsch in the Soviet Union.

Image:Lithuania flag large.png

This Lithuania-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Image:Hammer and sickle.png This Soviet Union-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.