page_title: Constituent Assembly of Lithuania
section_title: Historical background
hierarchical_section_title: Constituent Assembly of Lithuania / Historical background
caption_attribution_description: English: Kaunas city theatre where May 15, 1920 opened first sesion of Constituent Assembly of LithuaniaLietuvių: Kauno miesto teatras, kuriame 1920 m. gegužės 15 d. vyko pirmasis Lietuvos Steigiamojo Seimo posėdis
context_page_description: The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania was democratically elected in 1920 to draft and adopt the 1922 constitution of Lithuania.
context_section_description: Following the last Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania was annexed by and became part of the Russian Empire. At the end of World War I, on 16 February 1918, the Council of Lithuania declared Lithuania's independence. The  declaration called for the formation of a Constituent Assembly as soon as possible. However, Lithuania remained under German control until the Wilhelmshaven mutiny in late 1918. On 2 November 1918 the first draft of the Constitution of Lithuania was adopted. On 11 November, the same day as the final armistice treaty ending World War I was signed, the first government of Lithuania was formed and Augustinas Voldemaras became the first prime minister. In December 1918, the Red Army invaded the country, triggering the Freedom Wars. By the end of 1919 the Red Army and the Bermontians were successfully ousted from the territory of Lithuania and the formation of state institutions and infrastructure began.
caption: The Kaunas City Theatre where on May 15, 1920, the first session of the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania was held (pictured before the World War I)
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