Lithuania becomes a part of the Soviet Union

On August 3 1940 at the 7th session of the Supreme Council of the USSR was adopted a resolution which stipulated an inclusion of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialistic Republic — the first among Baltic Republics into the USSR.

This event was preceded by a long diplomatic struggle for the sphere of influence in Baltic States. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939 also included a secret protocol dividing Northern and Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of interest. Thus Latvia and Estonia were supposed to become Soviet territories, whereas Germany had an interest in Lithuania. However after the beginning of World War II the situation changed and in accordance with a secret protocol to the German-Soviet Pact of 28 September 1939 the most part of Lithuania was also was assigned to the Soviet sphere.

In September-October 1939 the USSR concluded mutual aid treaties with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, thus the Soviet Union was entitled to station its troops in Baltic Republics and set up naval and air-force bases on their territories.

Presence of Soviet troops on the territory of Lithuania from October 1939 to July 1940 strained the internal political situation in the Republic. The left movement became more active due to guaranteed moral support of the Red Army. This came in handy to the Soviet Union leadership eager to enforce the process of Baltic States’ annexation to the USSR. On June 14 1940 the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania which demanded to allow Soviet soldiers to enter the Lithuanian territory and dismiss the current government. On June 15 Lithuania unconditionally accepted the ultimatum of the USSR.

Elections to the People’s Saeimas of Lithuania and Latvia and the State Duma (the Riigikogu) of Estonia were launched on 14-15 July 1940 As a result pro-Soviet leaders assumed the power in Baltic republics. The new government of Baltic states proclaimed that their republics were socialistic, and later addresses were submitted to the Supreme Council of the USSR with a request to be incorporated in to the Soviet Union.

On August 3 1940 Lithuania became the part of the USSR as a Lithuanian Soviet Socialistic Republic. On 5-6 August boarders of the Soviet Union were also spread to the Latvian SSR and Estonian SSR.

On August 25 1940 an extraordinary session of the People’s Saeima approved the Constitution of the Lithuanian SSR, which was based on the Constitution of the USSR. The People’s Saeima was proclaimed the temporary Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR and the Council of People’s Commissars was established.

Major part of the population of Baltic States considered the inclusion into the USSR as an occupation and refused to obey Soviet orders. During the “perestroika” Baltic Republics were among the first to start the movement towards the sovereignty, demanding an acknowledgement of their forcible inclusion into the USSR.

On March 11 1990 the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian Republic proclaimed independency of Lithuania, thus the Lithuanian SSR ceased to exist before the collapse of the Soviet Union. In September 1991 independency of Lithuania was officially recognized.

Lit.: Мальцене М. Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика // Большая советская энциклопедия. Т. 14. М., 1973; Пискунов С. Прибалтийская операция 1940 г. [Электронный ресурс] // Хронос. 2000. URL: http://www.hrono.info/sobyt/1900war/1940prib.php; Соколов Б. В. Эстония и Прибалтика в составе СССР (1940-1991) в российской историографии [Электронный ресурс] // АИРО XXI.