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1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3		Representatives wish to recognize Lithuania on the occasion of
4		the 100th anniversary of the reestablishment of independence as
5		a democratic state; and
6		WHEREAS, On February 16, 1918, the Act of Reinstating
7		Independence of Lithuania or Act of February 16 was signed by
8		20 courageous, determined, and trusted representatives of the
9		Lithuanian nation; this Council of Lithuania was chaired by
10		Jonas Basanavicius; the Act re-established an independent
11		state, based on democratic principles, with Vilnius as its
12		capital city, and severed all previous links with other states;
13		and
14		WHEREAS, The Act of February 16 was the result of a series
15		of resolutions; the path to the Act was long and complex
16		because the German Empire exerted pressure on the Council to
17		form an alliance; the Council had to carefully maneuver between
18		the Germans, whose troops were present in Lithuania, and the
19		demands of the Lithuanian people; and
20		WHEREAS, The immediate effects of the announcement of
21		Lithuania's re-establishment of independence were limited;
22		publication of the Act was prohibited by German authorities,

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1		and the text was distributed and printed illegally; the work on
2		the Council was hindered, and Germans remained in control over
3		Lithuania, until Germany lost World War I in the fall of 1918;
4		In November 1918, the first Cabinet of Lithuania was formed,
5		and the Council of Lithuania gained control over the territory
6		of Lithuania; and
7		WHEREAS, Having also withstood the fight for independence
8		from foreign invaders, Lithuania sealed its parliamentary
9		democracy in the Constituent Assembly in 1920; and
10		WHEREAS, The Act of February 16, 1918 is the legal basis
11		for the existence of present day Lithuania; the Act became one
12		of the key elements during the restoration of Lithuania's
13		independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 and is one of the
14		most important developments of Lithuanian society in the 20th
15		century; therefore, be it
16		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17		HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18		recognize the 100th anniversary of Lithuania's reestablishment
19		of its independence, and we honor those citizens who were
20		determined to take responsibility for their country's future
21		into their own hands; and be it further
22		RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

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1		presented to the Lithuanian World Center in Lemont and the
2		Lithuanian Consulate General in the City of Chicago.