Lithuania
formerly one of the provinces of the Russian Empire, since the World War an independent state.
Lithuania includes three groups of territory: Lithuania proper, which formed the governments of Vilna Black Russia, or Novogrodek, White Russian Lithuania, comprising Polesie, Minsk, Meislav, Vitebsk, Black Russia, or Novogrodek, White Russia, or Part of it is included in East Prussia. The inhabitants are a race separate by Part of it is included in East Prussia. any other European themselves, speaking a language which is said to be more closely related to ancient tongue or dialect. They are at least Sanskrit than partly Slavic, and bear close affinity to Livonia and the Cours of Courland.
Livonia and the Cours of Courland.
Lithuania was, in ancient times, subject to Russia, but in the twelfth century gained its independence, being ruled by a ruler who bore the title of Grand Duke. At one time the Lithuanians conquered Russian territory to the very gates of Moscow. In 1386 the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jagello, was clected King of Poland, which brought about the union of the two countries in 1569. After the partition of Poland by the European Powers, in 1797, Lithuania was annexed to Russia, together with a portion of Poland.
At one time the country was a universal forest, very sparsely inhabited, but Catherine the Great, of Russia, distributed large parts of it among her German favorites and a certain per- centage of it was reclaimed by serf labor. Yet even now the country is not thickly populated. t branch ly, as ther defeat of rought abo of rulers From the ble revolu sheviki Lader the the Polish red a Cab withd Itice heavy engagements between Russia and Germany took place, in 1914, when, It was in this region that the first heavy engagements between Russia and Germany took place, in 1914, when, shortly after war was declared, the burg. In the fall of 1915 the Germans began their drive through Courland into Lithuania proper, with Vilna, the ancient capital of the Lithuanians, as their obthe city was in their possession. The the possession of Vilna and the surrounding territory opened. Three days later the city was in their possession. The battle continued, however, until Sept. 28, and was one of the important engage ments in this theater of the war.
Having acquired military possession of this territory, the Germans prepared to support. The descendants of the court a civil government that would give them support. The descendants of the court favorites, to whom Catherine had made the land grants, still Germans at heart, co-operated with the German Government in this effort. In September, 1917, these elements, assuming the right to represent the Lithuanian people, formed fo the Lithuanian National Council, supposed the executive body of the Diet, the Lithuanian National Council, supposed to represent all the political parties among the people, issued a declaration of independence, which advocated "a permanent, firmly established alliance between the Lithuanian State and the Gerprimarily in military and commercial primarily in military and commercial conventions, and in community of tariff and currency."
It was the German contention that this kind of civil organization in all the occupied Baltic provinces constituted "self determination" of the people that caused the disruption of the Brest- Litovsk peace negotiations in February, 1918, the Russian Bolsheviki demanding that the German military forces with draw and give the people the right to declare themselves without pressure from German influences.
On March 23, 1918, a delegation from the Lithuanian Grand Council was permitted to present its declaration of independence to the German Imperial Chancellor, who, in his answering speech, said, "Lithuania will take a share of Germany's war burdens, which are promot- "Lithuania will take a share of Gering Lithuania's emancipation." The efing Lithuania's emancipation." The efment against the alliance with Germany, ment against the alliance with Germany, constituted the limited body of voters in the new State. On July 11, 1918, Diet held a meeting at Vilna and de- the new State. On July 11, 1918, the LITTLE ROCK clared in favor of a monarchical form that the King of Prussia be elected head of the new government, the Diet chose royal family, as their king.
The final defeat of the Central Powers, royal family, as their king. however, brought about the downfall of The final defeat of the Central Powers, this clique of rulers of Lithuania. In aggression from the Russian Bolsheviki, and a possible revolution within Lithuthemselves under the temporary adminthemselves under the temporary admin- March occurred a Cabinet crisis, brought of the administration by the Socialists.
March occurred a Cabinet crisis, brought of the administration by the Socialists.
A new Cabinet was constituted, representing a Christian Democratic majority, with Dovaitis as Premier. On April 4, 1919, Antanas Smetona, a lawyer, and the former president of the Council of State, was elected President of the Lithuanian Republic. river; and on the New York Central and