Lithuania (more) history of Lithuania Written by Romuald J. Misiunas Ambassador of Lithuania to Israel. Coauthor of The Baltic States: Years of Dependence, 1940–1990. Romuald J. Misiunas Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Nov. 21, 2025 •History history of Lithuania, survey of the important events and people in the history of Lithuania, the southernmost and largest of the three Baltic states. Lithuania was a powerful empire that dominated much of eastern Europe in the 14th–16th centuries before becoming part of the Polish-Lithuanian confederation for the next two centuries. Aside from a brief period of independence from 1918 to 1940, Lithuania was occupied by Russia beginning in 1795, was controlled by Germany for...

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