The Act of Independence of Lithuania or the Act of February 16th, also the Lithuanian Resolution on Independence, was signed by the Council of Lithuania on February 16, 1918. It proclaimed independenc
Hand-written original of the document
The original 20 members of the Council of Lithuania after signing the Act of February 16, 1918
Jonas Basanavičius, the chairman of the Council when the Act of February 16 was signed
Hand-written originals of the Act of Independence of Lithuania in the Lithuanian (left) and German languages (right), exhibited in 2022
The Lithuanian Wars of Independence, also known as the Freedom Struggles, refer to three wars Lithuania fought defending its independence at the end of World War I: with Bolshevik forces, Bermontians,
Act of Independence 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. The laconic Act is the legal basis for the existence of modern Lithuania, both during the interwar period and since 1990. The Act…
Soviet prisoners of war in a Lithuanian camp. As of December 1, 1919, the Lithuanians held 1,773 Soviet prisoners.
Józef Piłsudski w Sejnach
Sejny Parada
Lithuanian soldiers of the Fifth Infantry Regiment in the forests of Vievis during the fighting with the Żeligowski's unit of the Polish Army