Act of Independence of Lithuania - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Act of Independence of Lithuania or Act of February 16 was signed by the Council of Lithuania

Council of Lithuania

The Council of Lithuania , after July 11, 1918 The State Council of Lithuania , was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between September 18 and 23, 1917. The council was granted the executive authority of the Lithuanian people and was entrusted to establish an independent...

on February 16, 1918, proclaiming the restoration of an independent State of Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

, governed by democratic

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

principles, with Vilnius

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...

as its capital. The Act was signed by all twenty representatives

Signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania

The signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania were the twenty Lithuanian men who signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918. The signatories were elected to the Council of Lithuania by the Vilnius Conference in September 1917 and entrusted with the mission of...

, chaired by Jonas Basanavičius

Jonas Basanavicius

Jonas Basanavičius was an activist and proponent of Lithuania's National Revival and founder of the first Lithuanian language newspaper Aušra. He was one of the initiators and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1905 Congress of Lithuanians, the Great Seimas of Vilnius...

. The Act of February 16 was the end result of a series of resolutions on the issue, including one issued by the Vilnius Conference

Vilnius Conference

The Vilnius Conference or Vilnius National Conference met between September 18, 1917 and September 22, 1917, and began the process of establishing a Lithuanian state based on ethnic identity and language that would be independent of the Russian Empire, Poland, and the German Empire...

and the Act of January 8. The path to the Act was long and complex because the German Empire

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

exerted pressure on the Council to form an alliance. The Council had to carefully maneuver between the Germans, whose troops were present in Lithuania, and the demands of the Lithuanian people.

The immediate effects of the announcement of Lithuania's re-establishment of independence were limited. Publication of the Act was prohibited by the German authorities, and the text was distributed and printed illegally. The work of the Council was hindered, and Germans remained in control over Lithuania. The situation changed only when Germany lost World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

in the fall of 1918. In November 1918 the first Cabinet of Lithuania was formed, and the Council of Lithuania gained control over the territory of Lithuania. Independent Lithuania, although it would soon be battling the Wars of Independence, became a reality.

While the Act's original document has been lost, its legacy continues. The laconic

Laconic phrase

A laconic phrase is a very concise or terse statement, named after Laconia , a polis of ancient Greece surrounding the city of Sparta proper. In common usage, Sparta referred both to Lacedaemon and Sparta...

Act is the legal basis for the existence of modern Lithuania, both during the interwar period

Interwar period

Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....

and since 1990. The Act formulated the basic constitutional principles that were and still are followed by all Constitutions of Lithuania

Constitution of Lithuania

The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania defines the legal foundation for all laws passed in the Republic of Lithuania. It was approved in a referendum on October 25, 1992.-History:...

. The Act itself was a key element in the foundation of Lithuania's re-establishment of independence in 1990

Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania

The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of March 11 was an independence declaration by the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted on March 11, 1990...

. Lithuania, breaking away from the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, stressed that it was simply re-establishing the independent state that existed between the world wars and that the Act never lost its legal power.

Historic background and Council of Lithuania

After the last Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Partitions of Poland

The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...

in 1795, Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

. During the 19th century, both the Lithuanians and the Poles

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

attempted to restore their independence. They rebelled during the November Uprising

November Uprising

The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...

in 1830 and the January Uprising

January Uprising

The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...

in 1863, but the first realistic opportunity came when both Russia and Germany were weakened during World War I

World War I

.

In 1915, Germany occupied western parts of the Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

. After the Russian Revolution

Russian Revolution of 1917

The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...

in 1917, Germany conceived the geopolitical strategy of Mitteleuropa

Mitteleuropa

Mitteleuropa is the German term equal to Central Europe. The word has political, geographic and cultural meaning. While it describes a geographical location, it also is the word denoting a political concept of a German-dominated and exploited Central European union that was put into motion during...

– a regional network of puppet state

Puppet state

A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...

s that would serve as a buffer zone – and agreed to allow the Vilnius Conference

Vilnius Conference

, hoping that it would proclaim that the Lithuanian nation wanted to detach itself from Russia and establish a closer relationship with Germany. However, this strategy backfired; the conference, held from September 18–22 of 1917, adopted a resolution that an independent Lithuania should be established and that a closer relationship with Germany would be conditional on Germany's formal recognition of the new state. On September 21, the 214 attendees at the conference elected a 20-member Council of Lithuania

Council of Lithuania

to codify this resolution. The German authorities did not allow that resolution to be published, but they did permit the Council to proceed. The Vilnius Conference also resolved that a constituent assembly be elected by popular vote as soon as possible.

Act of December 11

The Act of December 11 was the second stage in the progression towards the final Act of Independence. The first draft, demanded by chancellor Georg von Hertling, was prepared by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 1. Further changes were jointly prepared by the German chancellery and by a delegation of the Council of Lithuania. The delegation's members were Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona was one of the most important Lithuanian political figures between World War I and World War II. He served as the first President of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920. He again served as the last President of the country from December 19, 1926 to June 15, 1940, before...

, Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys was a Lithuanian engineer, nationalist, and social democrat. He was among the 20 men to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918.-Engineering career:...

, Vladas Mironas

Vladas Mironas

Vladas Mironas was a Lithuanian priest, politician and later Prime Minister of Lithuania....

, Jurgis Šaulys

Jurgis Šaulys

Jurgis Šaulys was a Lithuanian economist, diplomat, and politician, and one of the twenty signatories to the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania.Šaulys attended secondary school in Palanga and attended the Kaunas Theological Seminary...

, Petras Klimas

Petras Klimas

Petras Klimas was a Lithuanian diplomat, author, historian, and one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.Klimas attended law school at the University of Moscow. After graduating, he returned to Vilnius and served on the Lithuanian Central Relief Committee. He was...

and Aleksandras Stulginskis

Aleksandras Stulginskis

Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis (born (February 26, 1885 in Kutaliai, in Šilalė district municipality near Tauragė, Lithuania, Russian Empire; died September 22, 1969 in Kaunas) was the second President of Lithuania (1920–1926)...

. After discussion amongst the parties, a compromise was reached on the document's text. The German representative, Kurt von Lersner, insisted that not one letter be changed in the agreed-upon text and that all the Council members sign the document.

After the delegation returned to Vilnius, a session of the Council was held on December 11 in order to discuss the Act. It was adopted without any further changes. Fifteen voted in favor of the Act, three voted against it, one member abstained, and one did not participate. It is not entirely clear whether every member of the Council signed this document. The Act was written in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, and apparently no official Lithuanian translation was prepared. Therefore different sources provide slightly different translations. The Act of December 11 pronounced Lithuania's independence, but also asked German government for protection (clause 2) and called for "a firm and permanent alliance" with Germany. Since the Act specified that the alliance was to be formed based on conventions concerning military affairs, transportation, customs, and currency, many Lithuanians argued that the Council had overstepped its authority: the September resolution adopted by the Vilnius Conference clearly demanded that a constituent assembly decide these crucial matters of state.

Act of January 8

When peace talks started between Germany and Russia in 1918, German authorities asked the Lithuanian

Lithuanians

Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...

representatives to prepare two notifications of independence—one for Russia, in which Lithuania's ties with Russia would be denounced and nothing would be mentioned about an alliance with Germany, and a version to be released in Germany that would essentially repeat the Act of December 11. The Council decided to amend the first part of the Act of December 11. Petras Klimas

Petras Klimas

included a sentence calling for the Constituent Assembly. Another important development was the statement that democratic principles would be the basis of the new state's governance, something that was declared by the Vilnius Conference, but omitted in the Act of December 11. The second part, mentioning the "firm and permanent alliance with Germany", was completely omitted. Its final version was approved on January 8, 1918, the day that U.S. President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...

announced his Fourteen Points

Fourteen Points

The Fourteen Points was a speech given by United States President Woodrow Wilson to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918. The address was intended to assure the country that the Great War was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar peace in Europe...

. In its essence, the Act of January 8 did not differ from the Act of February 16.

However, Ober Ost

Ober Ost

Ober Ost is short for Oberbefehlshaber der gesamten Deutschen Streitkräfte im Osten, which is a German term meaning "Supreme Commander of All German Forces in the East" during World War I. In practice it refers not only to said commander, but also to his governing military staff and the district...

, the German military administration, rejected the changes. On January 26, in compliance with the earlier request, the two versions of the notification were approved, but they did not include the changes of January 8. The texts were prepared based on the Act of December 11. These concessions to the Germans created tensions among the Council members. Four members – Mykolas Biržiška

Mykolas Biržiška

Mykolas Biržiška , a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania....

, Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys was a Lithuanian engineer, nationalist, and social democrat. He was among the 20 men to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918.-Engineering career:...

, Stanisław Narutowicz and Jonas Vileišis

Jonas Vileišis

Jonas Vileišis was a Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and diplomat.-Early life and career:Vileišis was born in Mediniai, near Pasvalys. In 1892 he graduated from the Šiauliai gymnasium. During 1892-1894, he studied physics and mathematics at Saint Petersburg University. Later he transferred to the...

– resigned from the Council in protest. The chairman of the Council, Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona

, who supported the Act of December 11, stepped down. Jonas Basanavičius, who would later be called the patriarch of independence, was elected as the chairman.

Act of February 16

Germany failed to recognize Lithuania as an independent state, and the Lithuanian delegation was not invited to the Brest-Litovsk negotiations

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...

that started on December 22, 1917 between the Central Powers

Central Powers

The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...

and Russia in order to settle territorial claims. During the first and final official joint session between the Council and the German authorities, it was made clear that the Council would serve only as an advisory board. This situation gave additional backing to those Council members who were seeking independence without any ties to other countries. The prime concern at this point was to invite back those members who had left the Council. Negotiations were undertaken that led to the reformulation of previous versions of the Act.

The four withdrawn members demanded that the Council return to the Act of January 8 and omit the mention of any alliance with Germany. After heated debates that lasted for several weeks, on February 15, at 10 o'clock am, the new revision of the Act was ready. It included, with minor stylistic changes, wording of the Act of January 8 and promulgation

Promulgation

Promulgation is the act of formally proclaiming or declaring a new statutory or administrative law after its enactment. In some jurisdictions this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect....

and notification, drafted on February 1. Promulgation and notification do not carry legal weight and do not change the meaning of a legal document. The Council, including the withdrawn members, was invited to return the next day for its finalization. On the next day, February 16, 1918, at 12:30 pm, all twenty Council members met in the room of Lithuanian Committee for Support of the War Victims, at 30 Didžioji Street in Vilnius. The building has since been known as the House of the Signatories

House of the Signatories

The House of the Signatories is a Lithuanian historic landmark in Pilies Street, Vilnius, where on February 16, 1918, the Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed by twenty members of the Council of Lithuania....

and houses a museum. The Council first voted to approve the first part, the first two paragraphs up to the word drauge, of the Act. This section was approved unanimously. The second part, however, did not receive support from the four withdrawn members because they were not satisfied with the word "finally" in describing the duties of the Constituent Assembly (in "... the foundation of the Lithuanian State and its relations with other countries will be finally determined by the Constituent Assembly ..."). They were afraid that this word would give a pretext for the Council to usurp the powers of the Constituent Assembly, while the majority argued that the word simply expressed the non-negotiable and non-appealable nature of the future Assembly's decisions. Therefore the Act was unanimously approved en bloc but did not have full-fledged support from all twenty men.

Final text of the Act

Line	Original text		English translation
1	NUTARIMAS		RESOLUTION
2	Lietuvos Taryba savo posėdyje vasario 16 d. 1918 m. vienu balsu nu-		The Council of Lithuania in its session of February 16, 1918 decided unanimously
3	tarė kreiptis: į Rusijos, Vokietijos ir kitų valstybių vyriausybės šiuo		to address the governments of Russia, Germany, and other states with the following
4	pareiškimu:		declaration:
5	Lietuvos Taryba, kaipo vienintelė lietuvių tautos atstovybė, remdamos		The Council of Lithuania, as the sole representative of the Lithuanian nation, based on
6	pripažintaja tautų apsisprendimo teise ir lietuvių Vilniaus konferencijos		the recognized right to national self-determination Self-determination Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference... , and on the Vilnius Conference Vilnius Conference The Vilnius Conference or Vilnius National Conference met between September 18, 1917 and September 22, 1917, and began the process of establishing a Lithuanian state based on ethnic identity and language that would be independent of the Russian Empire, Poland, and the German Empire... 's
7	nutarimu rugsėjo mėn. 18–23 d. 1917 metais, skelbia atstatanti nepriklau-		resolution of September 18–23, 1917, proclaims the restoration of the independent
8	somą demokratiniais pamatais sutvarkytą Lietuvos valstybę su sostine		state of Lithuania, founded on democratic principles, with Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... as its capital,
9	Vilniuje ir tą valstybę atskirianti nuo visų valstybinių ryšių, kurie		and declares the termination of all state ties which formerly
10	yra buvę su kitomis tautomis.		bound this State to other nations.
11	Drauge Lietuvos Taryba pareiškia, kad Lietuvos valstybės pama-		The Council of Lithuania also declares that the foundation of the Lithuanian State and
12	tus ir jos santykius su kitomis valstybėmis privalo galutinai nustatyti		its relations with other countries will be finally determined by the
13	kiek galima graičiau sušauktas steigiamasis seimas, demokratiniu budu		Constituent Assembly Constituent Assembly of Lithuania The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania was democratically elected in 1920 to draft and adopt the 1922 constitution of Lithuania.- Historical background :... , to be convoked as soon as possible, elected democratically
14	visų jos gyventojų išrinktas.		by all its inhabitants.
15	Lietuvos Taryba pranešdama apie tai .....................		The Council of Lithuania by informing the Government of ..................... to this effect
16	vyriausybei, prašo pripažinti nepriklausomą Lietuvos valstybę.		requests the recognition of the Independent State of Lithuania.

17		Dr. Jonas Basanavičius		Dr. Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavicius Jonas Basanavičius was an activist and proponent of Lithuania's National Revival and founder of the first Lithuanian language newspaper Aušra. He was one of the initiators and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 1905 Congress of Lithuanians, the Great Seimas of Vilnius...
18		Saliamonas Banaitis		Saliamonas Banaitis Saliamonas Banaitis Saliamonas Banaitis was a Lithuanian printer, educator, and banker. He was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania in 1918....
19		Mykolas Biržiška		Mykolas Biržiška Mykolas Biržiška Mykolas Biržiška , a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania....
20	Vilniuje, vasario 16 d. 1918 m.	Kazys Bizauskas	In Vilnius Vilnius Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County... , February 16, 1918	Kazys Bizauskas Kazys Bizauskas Kazys Bizauskas was a Lithuanian statesman, diplomat, author, and one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania....
21		Pranas Dovydaitis		Pranas Dovydaitis Pranas Dovydaitis Pranas Dovydaitis was a Lithuanian politician, Prime Minister of Lithuania, teacher, encyclopedist, editor, and professor.- References :...
22	Jurgis Šaulys	Steponas Kairys	Jurgis Šaulys Jurgis Šaulys Jurgis Šaulys was a Lithuanian economist, diplomat, and politician, and one of the twenty signatories to the 1918 Act of Independence of Lithuania.Šaulys attended secondary school in Palanga and attended the Kaunas Theological Seminary...	Steponas Kairys Steponas Kairys Steponas Kairys was a Lithuanian engineer, nationalist, and social democrat. He was among the 20 men to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918.-Engineering career:...
23	Jokūbas Šernas	Petras Klimas	Jokūbas Šernas Jokubas Šernas Jokūbas Šernas was a Lithuanian attorney, journalist, teacher, and banker, one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania.Born in Biržai, he studied law at the University of St. Petersburg, graduating in 1914...	Petras Klimas Petras Klimas Petras Klimas was a Lithuanian diplomat, author, historian, and one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.Klimas attended law school at the University of Moscow. After graduating, he returned to Vilnius and served on the Lithuanian Central Relief Committee. He was...
24	Antanas Smetona	Donatas Malinauskas	Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona Antanas Smetona was one of the most important Lithuanian political figures between World War I and World War II. He served as the first President of Lithuania from April 4, 1919 to June 19, 1920. He again served as the last President of the country from December 19, 1926 to June 15, 1940, before...	Donatas Malinauskas Donatas Malinauskas Donatas Malinauskas was a Lithuanian politician and diplomat, and one of twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....
25	Jonas Smilgevičius	Vladas Mironas	Jonas Smilgevičius Jonas Smilgevicius Jonas Smilgevičius was a Lithuanian economist and politician; he was one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....	Vladas Mironas Vladas Mironas Vladas Mironas was a Lithuanian priest, politician and later Prime Minister of Lithuania....
26	Justinas Staugaitis	Stanisław Narutowicz	Justinas Staugaitis Justinas Staugaitis Justinas Staugaitis was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic bishop, politician, educator, and author. He one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....	Stanisław Narutowicz
27	Aleksandras Stulginskis	Alfonsas Petrulis	Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis Aleksandras Stulginskis (born (February 26, 1885 in Kutaliai, in Šilalė district municipality near Tauragė, Lithuania, Russian Empire; died September 22, 1969 in Kaunas) was the second President of Lithuania (1920–1926)...	Alfonsas Petrulis Alfonsas Petrulis Alfonsas Petrulis was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and journalist, and one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....
28	Jonas Vailokaitis	Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys	Jonas Vailokaitis Jonas Vailokaitis Jonas Vailokaitis was a Lithuanian politician, banker, and industrialist, and one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....	Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....
29	Jonas Vileišis		Jonas Vileišis Jonas Vileišis Jonas Vileišis was a Lithuanian lawyer, politician, and diplomat.-Early life and career:Vileišis was born in Mediniai, near Pasvalys. In 1892 he graduated from the Šiauliai gymnasium. During 1892-1894, he studied physics and mathematics at Saint Petersburg University. Later he transferred to the...

Path to the Act: graphic representation

Note: the colors of the functional sections correspond to the colored lines in the original text above.

				Part I
Resolution of Vilnius Conference September 18–22, 1917				Part I
Resolution of Vilnius Conference September 18–22, 1917				Part II
				Part II

				Part I
Act of December 11, 1917				Part I
Act of December 11, 1917				Part II
				Part II

	Edited in session					Edited by Petras Klimas


Act of January 8, 1918			Disposition		Clause

		Edited by Steponas Kairys, Stanisław Narutowicz, Jonas Vileišis


Draft of February 1, 1918	Promulgation		Disposition		Clause		Notification

	Edited by the Council and four withdrawn members

Draft of February 15, 1918	Promulgation		Disposition		Clause		Notification

	Edited by Petras Klimas
	Edited by Petras Klimas

Act of Independence of Lithuania Act of February 16, 1918	Promulgation Promulgation Promulgation is the act of formally proclaiming or declaring a new statutory or administrative law after its enactment. In some jurisdictions this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect....		Disposition Disposition A disposition is a habit, a preparation, a state of readiness, or a tendency to act in a specified way.The terms dispositional belief and occurrent belief refer, in the former case, to a belief that is held in the mind but not currently being considered, and in the latter case, to a belief that is...		Clause		Notification	Eschatocol Eschatocol An eschatocol is the final section of a legal or public document, which may include a formulaic sentence of appreciation, and the attestation of those responsible for the document, i.e., the author, the writer, or the countersigner, principal parties involved, and any witnesses to the enactment or...

Source:

Lithuania

Soon after the signing, the Act was taken to Germany and handed to parties in the Reichstag

Reichstag (German Empire)

The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....

. On February 18, the text was reprinted in German newspapers, including Das Neue Litauen, Vossische Zeitung
Vossische Zeitung
The Vossische Zeitung was the well known liberal German newspaper that was published in Berlin . Its predecessor was founded in 1704...

, Taegliche Rundschau and Kreuzzeitung
Kreuzzeitung
The Neue Preußische Zeitung was a German newspaper printed in Berlin from 1848–1939. It was known as the Kreuzzeitung or Kreuz-Zeitung because its emblem was an Iron Cross .The newspaper was founded during the revolutions of 1848 by Herrmann Wagener to act as the voice for Prussian conservatives,...

. In Lithuania a text of the proclamation was prepared for printing in newspapers, particularly in Lietuvos aidas
Lietuvos aidas
Lietuvos aidas is a daily newspaper in Lithuania. It was established on September 6, 1917 by Antanas Smetona, and became the semi-official voice of the newly formed Lithuanian government. When the government evacuated from Vilnius to the temporary capital, Kaunas, it ceased publication...

, the Council's newspaper established by Antanas Smetona; but the German authorities prohibited this publication. Although the majority of the copies of the issue were confiscated, the newspaper's editor, Petras Klimas

Petras Klimas

, managed to hide about 60 of them. This censorship meant that the distribution and dissemination of the Act was illegal in Lithuania.

On March 3, 1918, Germany and the now-Bolshevik

Bolshevik

The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....

Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

. It declared that the Baltic nations

Baltic states

The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...

were in the German interest zone and that Russia renounced any claims to them. On March 23, Germany recognized independent Lithuania on the basis of the December 11 declaration. However, in substance, nothing had changed either in Lithuania or in the Council's status: any efforts to establish an administration were hindered. This situation changed when the German Revolution

German Revolution

The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...

started and Germany lost the war in the fall of 1918 – it was no longer in a position to dictate terms. The Council of Lithuania adopted the first provisional constitution on November 2. The functions of government were entrusted to a three-member presidium, and Augustinas Voldemaras

Augustinas Voldemaras

Augustinas Voldemaras was a Lithuanian nationalist political figure. He served as the country's first Prime Minister in 1918, and again from 1926 to 1929.- Biography :...

was invited to form the first Cabinet of Ministers of Lithuania. The first government was formed on November 11, 1918, on the day that Germany signed the armistice in Compiègne

Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)

The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...

. The Council immediately began to organize an army, police, municipalities, and other institutions. The proclaimed independence was established.

The Act

Two copies of the Act were signed: the original and a duplicate. The original was given to Jonas Basanavičius to safeguard and protect. The original was never published or used in any public matters; its existence was first mentioned in the press in 1933. The whereabouts of the original remain unknown. The duplicate was used in day-to-day business, and was stored in the president's archives until June 15, 1940, the day when Lithuania received an ultimatum from the Soviet Union

1940 Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania

The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania before midnight of June 14, 1940. The Soviets, using a formal pretext, demanded to allow an unspecified number of Soviet soldiers to enter the Lithuanian territory and to form a new pro-Soviet government...

and lost its independence. After that date the document disappeared. Neither the original nor the duplicate has been located; historians and adventurers continue to hunt for it. In 2006, a team of engineers searched the walls of the former house

Vileišis Palace

Vileišis Palace is a Neo-baroque style architectural ensemble in Vilnius, Lithuania, built for Petras Vileišis. Vileišis was a prominent Lithuanian engineer, political activist, publisher, and philanthropist who commissioned the palace in 1904 and supervised its construction. The ensemble consists...

of Petras Vileišis

Petras Vileišis

Petras Vileišis was a prominent Lithuanian engineer, political activist, and philanthropist.His early schooling took place in Panevežys. He then completed his secondary education at the Šiauliai Gymnasium, graduating with honors. In 1874, he completed his studies at St. Petersburg University, with...

. Two facsimile

Facsimile

A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...

s of the duplicate were produced, one in 1928 and the other in 1933. The 1928 facsimile is a closer reproduction of the Act in its original state; there are spelling errors, and the background is visually "noisy", while the 1933 facsimile shows the Act in an "improved" condition.

The signatories

Most of the signatories of the Act remained active in the cultural and political life of independent Lithuania. Jonas Vileišis

Jonas Vileišis

served in the Seimas

Seimas

The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...

and as mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

of Kaunas

Kaunas

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...

, temporary capital of Lithuania

Temporary capital of Lithuania

The temporary capital of Lithuania was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius , which was under Polish control from 1920 until 1939...

; Saliamonas Banaitis

Saliamonas Banaitis

Saliamonas Banaitis was a Lithuanian printer, educator, and banker. He was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania in 1918....

was involved in finance, opening several banks. Among the signatories were two future Presidents of Lithuania, Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona

and Aleksandras Stulginskis

Aleksandras Stulginskis

. Jonas Basanavičius

Jonas Basanavicius

, chairman of the Council of Lithuania, returned to an academic life, pursuing his research in Lithuanian culture and folklore. Five signatories died before World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

started; three perished during the Nazi occupation. Those who did not emigrate to Western countries became political prisoner

Political prisoner

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....

s after Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union.

Aleksandras Stulginskis

Aleksandras Stulginskis

and Petras Klimas

Petras Klimas

were sent to prison in Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

by Soviet authorities, but survived and returned to Lithuania; Pranas Dovydaitis

Pranas Dovydaitis

Pranas Dovydaitis was a Lithuanian politician, Prime Minister of Lithuania, teacher, encyclopedist, editor, and professor.- References :...

and Vladas Mironas

Vladas Mironas

Vladas Mironas was a Lithuanian priest, politician and later Prime Minister of Lithuania....

were also sent to Siberia but died there. Kazys Bizauskas

Kazys Bizauskas

Kazys Bizauskas was a Lithuanian statesman, diplomat, author, and one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania....

disappeared during the summer of 1941 while being transported to a Soviet prison in Minsk

Minsk

- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...

; he is presumed to have been shot along with a number of other prisoners. Donatas Malinauskas

Donatas Malinauskas

Donatas Malinauskas was a Lithuanian politician and diplomat, and one of twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....

was deported to Russia on June 14, 1941.

Several of the signatories went into exile

Exile

Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...

, including Jurgis Šaulys

Jurgis Šaulys

and Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys

Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys

Kazimieras Steponas Šaulys was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and one of the twenty signatories to the Act of Independence of Lithuania....

, who died in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. Antanas Smetona

Antanas Smetona

, Mykolas Biržiška

Mykolas Biržiška

Mykolas Biržiška , a Lithuanian editor, historian, professor of literature, diplomat, and politician, was one of the twenty signatories of the Act of Independence of Lithuania....

, and Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys

Steponas Kairys was a Lithuanian engineer, nationalist, and social democrat. He was among the 20 men to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania on February 16, 1918.-Engineering career:...

emigrated to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and are buried there.

Legacy

The Act of February 16 proclaimed the re-establishment (atstatyti) of the Lithuanian state, making it the successor to the Lithuanian historical state, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

. In this respect the Council deviated from the resolution adopted by the Vilnius Conference which called for establishment (sudaryti) of a Lithuanian state. However, it was made clear that the new state would be quite different from the old Duchy: it was to be organized only in ethnic Lithuanian lands and was to be governed by democratic principles, as opposed to the multi-ethnic Duchy that had been ruled by aristocracy. The termination of the ties binding Lithuania to other states was addressed to Germany, Russia, and Poland, all of which had their own plans for the country. Even though not addressed directly, the Act renounced any attempt to resurrect the former Polish-Lithuanian union

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...

.

The Act of February 16, 1918, is the legal basis for the existence of present-day Lithuania, both during the interwar period

Interwar period

and since 1990. The Act became one of the key elements during the restoration of Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. A paragraph in the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania

Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania

The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of March 11 was an independence declaration by the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted on March 11, 1990...

, delivered on March 11, 1990, stated:
This formulation emphasized the continuity of the two legal Acts. The Act of February 16, 1918 and its successor, the Act of March 11, 1990, are regarded as two of the most important developments of Lithuanian society in the 20th century.

February 16 in Lithuania is now an official holiday. On this day various ceremonies are hosted all across Lithuania, but the main commemoration is held in the House of Signatories in Vilnius where the Act was signed in 1918. During this observance the Flag of Lithuania

Flag of Lithuania

The flag of Lithuania consists of a horizontal tricolor of yellow, green and red. It was adopted on March 20, 1989, almost two years before the reestablishment of Lithuania's independence following the end of the Soviet Union. Before its readoption, the flag had been used from 1918 until 1940 when...

is hoisted, and Lithuanian cultural activists and politicians deliver speeches from its balcony to the people gathered below. Special masses

Mass (liturgy)

"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...

in churches and cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

s are also delivered. Honoring the Act's legacy, the President of Lithuania hosts a reception for the signatories of the Act of March 11, 1990, in the Presidential Palace

Presidential Palace, Vilnius

The Presidential Palace , located in Vilnius Old Town, is the official office and eventual official residence of the President of Lithuania. The palace dates back to the 14th century and during its history it has undergone various reconstructions, supervised by prominent architects, including...

.

In 1992, an award was established in honor of Jonas Basanavičius, who led the Council of Lithuania when the Act of February 16 was signed. The Jonas Basanavičius Prize is bestowed for distinguished work within the previous five years in the fields of ethnic and cultural studies. The prize is awarded in the House of Signatories, in homage to its history.

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