HR0773 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0773 LRB100 17393 ALS 33386 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize Lithuania on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the reestablishment of independence as a democratic state; and

WHEREAS, On February 16, 1918, the Act of Reinstating Independence of Lithuania or Act of February 16 was signed by 20 courageous, determined, and trusted representatives of the Lithuanian nation; this Council of Lithuania was chaired by Jonas Basanavicius; the Act re-established an independent state, based on democratic principles, with Vilnius as its capital city, and severed all previous links with other states; and

WHEREAS, The Act of February 16 was the result of a series of resolutions; the path to the Act was long and complex because the German Empire 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; and

WHEREAS, The immediate effects of the announcement of Lithuania's re-establishment of independence were limited; publication of the Act was prohibited by German authorities, and the text was distributed and printed illegally; the work on the Council was hindered, and Germans remained in control over Lithuania, until Germany lost World War I 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; and

WHEREAS, Having also withstood the fight for independence from foreign invaders, Lithuania sealed its parliamentary democracy in the Constituent Assembly in 1920; and

WHEREAS, The Act of February 16, 1918 is the legal basis for the existence of present day Lithuania; the Act became one of the key elements during the restoration of Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 and is one of the most important developments of Lithuanian society in the 20th century; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 100th anniversary of Lithuania's reestablishment of its independence, and we honor those citizens who were determined to take responsibility for their country's future into their own hands; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Lithuanian World Center in Lemont and the Lithuanian Consulate General in the City of Chicago.