• 1230 Crusaders begin conquests of Lithuanian tribes
• 1266 Lithuanian victory over Knights of the Sword
• 1316-1341 Reign of Gediminas
• 1392-1430 Reign of Vytautas the Great
• 1569 Lublin Union with Poland
• 1772 First Partition of Lithuania
• 1793 Second Partition of Lithuania
• 1795 Third Partition of Lithuania
• 1812 Napoleon invades Lithuania
• 1914-1918 Lithuania occupied by German Army
• 1918 Independence declared after WWI. Soviets attempt to regain power
• 1919 Soviet forces defeated by nationalist Lithuanians, Germans, & Poles
• 1920-1939 Poles occupy city of Vilnius
• 1939 Clandestine German-Soviet agreement gave Soviets control of most of Lithuania
• 1940 Becomes republic of USSR
• 1941 Lithuania revolts against Soviets, forms own government. WWII Germany occupies Lithuania
• 1944 USSR regains control
• 1972 Demonstration against Soviet presence
• 1988 Sajudis, a populist front, campaign for autonomy
• 1989 Lithuanian made official language. Local communist control abolished
• 1991 In January the Soviet Army briefly occupies parts of Vilnius but by September, the USSR recognizes Lithuanian independence
• 1993 Algirdas Brazauskus elected president, last Russian troops pull out and Lithuania is admitted into the European Council

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