Events

**Events**

 * Event: The Soviet Economic Sanctions Against Lithuania **
 * Primary Source: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Soviet Economic Sanctions Against Lithuania April 20, 1990 **

In 1985, the secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, introduced glasnost and perestroika to his country. Glasnost means "openness" and it allowed Soviet Union citizens and Soviet followers greater freedom of expression. Perestroika was about recreating the Soviet economy from rigid central state planning to a flexible approach to fix constant shortage of consumer goods. These two reforms, combined with struggles between Communists within the Politburo, Afghanistan economic strain, and the revolutions that spread through the counties that followed in 1989, furthered the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) fight for independents from the Soviet Union. The Baltic states wanted independence from 1940 when they went under Soviet rule after the terms of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. In August 1939 the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed, putting the three Baltic states and the eastern third of Poland to fall under a Soviet power. In exchange the Soviet Union protected them from German invasion of western Poland. After Soviet authorities deported tens of thousands of Balts from their homelands and shipped to the east.
 * Background information: **

 In 1987 Gorbachev led demonstrations against Soviet rule in major cities such as Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), and Vilnius (Lithuania). In the late 1988, the Estonian Supreme Soviet declared Estonia's sovereignty, which broke down the Soviet Unions hold on the Baltic states. Soon later Lithuania and Latvia made similar declarations in May 1989. On August 23, 1989, the Balts formed a human chain of more than 2 million people, 370 miles long, and linked the three capital cities to demanded independence from the Soviet Union. All three Baltic states independence was officially declared in August 1991, and were admitted as independent nations by the United Nations.

When the Baltic states won their independence each had many problem politically, economically, and socially. They lacked independent ability to form and build the basic structure. In October 1992, Elections for Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, resultied in a victory for the Lithuanian Democrat Labor Party. Lithuania’s established a constitution with a democratic republic. In 1989 Lithuania chose a more inclusive approach to citizenship due to having only 9.4 percent of Russians among their population. Unfortunately when the Baltic nations gained their freedom the economy fell in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Industrial production in Lithuania by about 40 percent. In June of 1993 Lithuania currency was the litas. The Baltic nations development of national militaries and Soviet troops withdrawal from Baltic soil. The military did have trouble the first few years due to lack of government funds for training and equipping soldiers. In 2004, all three Baltic states joined NATO.

**Primary Source**: In 2001, the Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office published a article about the Soviet Economic Sanctions Against Lithuania in the Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Soviet Economic Sanctions Against Lithuania April 20, 1990.The United States is very worried about the economic downfall in Lithuania.The President is deliberating with our allies about the right way that the United States should handle the situation. President Bush will advise congressional leaders of our current situation to discuss possible solutions. The United States hopes that the Soviet Union will be open to peaceful dialog to resolved this matter in a responsible manner.


 * Event: Nomination of Darryl Norman Johnson to Ambassador **
 * Primary Source: Nomination of Norman Johnson to be United States Ambassador to Lithuania February 10, 1992 **

The United States never saw Lithuania as a corrupted by the U.S.S.R. and trusted the present Government of Lithuania. Since December 1991 Lithuania has welcomed the treatment with the United States. The United States has given more than $100 million to Lithuania for economic and political change needs, since 1992. The United States and Lithuania signed an agreement for trade that would benefit both sides and property protection in 1994. In 1998, the United States signed a "Charter of Partnership" with the three Baltic countries to make working groups to improve regional security, defense, and economic problems.
 * Background information: **

Frederick W. B. Coleman of Minnesota was appointed to be the first U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Baltic States on September 20, 1922. The United State’s official diplomatic relationship has maintained continuous with the Republic of Lithuania since July 28, 1922. The sixth United States ambassador to Lithuania was nominate by George Bush. The ambassador was Darryl Norman Johnson. When he was an ambassador the U.S. open the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The President announced his nominate Darryl Norman Johnson, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Lithuania. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He is resident of Washington D.C., a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and class of Minister-Counselor. Mr. Johnson graduated from the University of Washington (B.A., 1960). He was born June 7, 1938, in Chicago, IL. Currently Mr. Johnson serves as Charge' d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania. Before this, Mr. Johnson served as the Officer-in-Charge of the People's Republic of China Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979 to 1981. Then from 1982 to 1984 he was a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In 1984 Darryl became a Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China, till 1987. Lastly in 1988, Mr. Johnson served as Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland before becoming the Ambassador to Lithuania.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Primary Source: **