Disregarding everything else. the Lithuanian people saw but one thing. a chance to overthrow the hated Soviet yoke and to assert their freedom and independence. The insurgents succeded in taking full control of Vilnius and Kaunas as well as most provincial towns and proclaimed a provisional national government even before a single German soldier arrived. After a few weeks. however. this provisional government was suppressed by the Germans. some of its members were arrested and deported to Germany as hostages. One occupation replaced another. During the second half of 1944 the Germans were driven out by the Russians and once more Lithuania came under the Soviet yoke.
Keywords matched
deported