Post by lithuania on Apr 10, 2011 3:26:23 GMT
• Lietuvos Respublika
"Tautos jėga vienybėje."
Name --- Toris Laurinaitis
Nation --- Republic of Lithuania
Aliases --- Tolys, Lietuva, Liet, Litua (obsolete), Magnus Ducatus Lithuaniae (as a Grand Duchy), Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė, Lietovas.
Apparent age --- 21
Actual age --- 1002 years, according to the first mention of the country in the Quedlinburg Chronicle.
Gender --- Male
|-|-The External-|-|
Eye color --- Green
Hair color --- Light brown
Height --- 175.2cm, 5ft'9in
Weight --- 68kg, 150lbs
Skin tone --- Fair
Defining features --- Although he goes to great lengths to hide them, lots of scars litter his upper and lower back. He would rarely show them to anyone willingly, and prefers to keep silent about their origin.
Additional features --- Size-wise, there really isn't anything that stands out about Lithuania. He is of average height and has an average frame, but he is a bit on the small side. He has striking green eyes (going with the manga rather than the series), which are probably his best feature. His hair is a dusty brown, which he keeps trimmed to just about shoulder length. In times of war, he has been known to neglect his hair and let it grow longer. He may keep his hair back in a low ponytail. He prefers to wear practical clothing, and is usually found in his dark green military uniform.
|-|-The Internal-|-|
Personality ---
Lithuania was not always the introverted, nervous boy that he is now. He grew up with the same aspirations as any country - to prosper and gain as much land as possible. He was strongest and most confident as a child during his time as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and was unafraid to take on any country that threatened his kingdom. Even the great Prussia fell to Lithuania once upon a time, and he was one of the largest kingdoms in Europe.
After falling to Russian and Germanic control various times, however, Lithuania began to slowly lose confidence in his ability to defend his country. He saw how war affected his people, who were already struggling to make ends meet. Over time, he has developed a learned helplessness that comes with dealing with more powerful nations, and he prefers to give in to their demands rather than delve into warfare. It is this submissive nature that makes him a prime target to take advantage of, and his lack of protest may lead others to believe that he actually enjoys it. Even Poland, who is supposed to be his equal, has been known to step all over Lithuania. Still, he knows he can depend on Poland for almost anything.
Lithuania rarely shows anger, but he is certainly no stranger to feeling it. He tends to internalize all of his negative feelings, potentially making him a ticking time bomb. He hates being dependent on others, and struggles to prove to others that he can in fact be autonomous, independent, and successful. He is a worrywart, and tends to depress himself to the point of stomachaches. Lithuania is the type of person that will welcome anyone into his heart, regardless of their faults. He worries not only for himself, but for his friends, and perhaps even for the wellbeing of his enemies.
Lithuania will avoid any type of physical confrontation unless absolutely necessary, but his loyalty to his country should not be underestimated or tested. His relationship with Russia is extremely complex, and not even he can begin to understand it. He definitely fears the man, but he could never admit to hate. In a weird way, he has love for him, as Russia has influenced so much of his culture. He can also see that Russia hates to be alone, and Lithuania would never refuse anyone company.
Likes ---
• The company of others
• Martial arts
• Literature
• Dogs, or any cute animal, really
• Peaceful, warm places
• Cooking
Dislikes ---
• Not being taken seriously
• Being bullied around
• Being invaded... over, and over, and over again
• To some extent, himself. He can be self-defeating.
Fears ---
• Falling under Russian control again
• Most anyone that shows aggression
• Losing his culture
Lesser known facts ---
• Lithuania ranks second in the world for internet speed.
• The Port of Klaipeda is the only port in Lithuania, and is one of the few ice-free ports in northernmost Europe.
• He enjoys cooking, and his cuisine has influence from pretty much every country he's ever had contact with.
Goals ---
• To become completely independent, with a sizeable economy and a flourishing culture.
• To form favorable relations with other countries, and be taken seriously as a strong country
• To regain his identity, and not just be remembered as one half of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth
|-|-The Past-|-|
History ---
Early settlement and the Baltic tribes
• 10,000 B.C. - The first people arrive in the territory now known as Lithuania. These people originated from the Jutland Peninsula and Poland.
• 2,500 B.C. - Evidence of Proto-Indo-Europeans, ancestors to the Balts.
• March 9, 1009 - The first known reference to Lithuania as a country ("Litua") from the annals of the Monastery of Quedlinburg.
• 11th century - Lithuanian territories are included in the list of lands paying tribute to Kievan Rus'.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania
• Early 13th century - The Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, two Germanic religious orders, conquer much of Estonia and Latvia, and parts of Lithuania. To combat them, a number of Baltic tribes united under the rule of Mindaugas.
• 1236 - These tribes defeat the Livonians at Siauliai in the Battle of Saule.
• July 6, 1253 - Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Lithuania was proclaimed. July 6th is now celebrated as "Statehood day".
• Middle and late 13th century - Lithuania is ravaged by raids from the Golden Horde, and is also the target of the Christian crusades of the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order.
• 1316 - Grand Duke Gediminas begins restoration of the land. He and his brother, Vytenis, united various groups into one Lithuania. He challenged the Mongols and through alliances and conquest, gained control of territory that formerly belonged to Kievan Rus'. By the 15th century, the Lithuanian state stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, and the territory included parts of Belarus and Ukraine.
(I got a bit off the chronological order there. :x)
• 1322 - Vilnius becomes the capital of the Grand Duchy.
• 1386 - The Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jogaila, marries Jadwiga of Poland, creating an association with Poland that would last for centuries. This also marked the end of paganism in Lithuania, as Jogaila and his nobility converted to Catholicism. Poland was a valuable ally against increasing threats from the Teutonic Knights and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
• 1392 - Vytautas the Great becomes Grand Duke of Lithuania. During his reign, Lithuania reaches its peak of territorial expansion, and began to gain prominence in European politics.
• 1486-1487 - Territories along the Lithuanian-Russian border were attacked by the Muscovy, and tensions began to rise between the two nations.
• February 5, 1494 - Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke at the time, sends a delegation to Moscow to negotiate a peace treaty. An eternal peace treaty was concluded. This agreement marked the first territorial losses of Lithuania. Alexander Jagiellon was bethrothed to Helena, daughter of Ivan III.
• 1500 - Tensions rise again. Ivan III forbid Helena from converting to Catholicism, and Ivan, an avid defender of the Orthodox church, rallied up supporters. The Russians overran Lithuanian fortresses in Bryansk, Dorogobuzh, Toropets, and Putyvl. By the end of the war, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania lost about a third of its territory in the truce of 1503.
• 1506 - Vasili III, son of Ivan III, advances his bid for the Polish throne after the death of Alexander. Polish nobles choose Sigismund I the Old as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. War between the two countries and their allies would continue on and off.
• 1522 - A peace treaty is signed, forcing Lithuania to cede about a quarter of its Ruthenian possessions.
• 1557 - The Livonian Knights sign the Treaty of Pozwol, committing themselves to a direction that led eventually to the incorporation of much of Livonia into the Polish-Lithuanian state. Soon after, the Livonian War begins. Initially, Lithuania and Poland allied with Denmark against Russia allied with Sweden, but after several years the coalitions changed and Poland-Lithuania allied with Sweden against Russia and Denmark.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• 1569 - The Union of Lublin marks the beginning of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polonization began to affect all aspects of Lithuanian public life, although the Lithuanian language survived.
• 1570 - Ceasefire divides Livonia between the participants.
• 1648-1657 - The Ukraine begins a war of liberation against Polish control, in which the Zaporozhian Cossacks allied with the Crimean Tatars and the local peasantry. This came to be known as the Khmelnytsky Uprising. The Uprising succeeded in ending Polish influence.
• 1655 - 1661 - Lithuanian economy and territory are devastated by the Swedish army in the Northern Wars.
• 1700 - 1721 - Lithuania was again devastated by the effects of the Great Northern War, in which approximately 40% of the country's population was killed due to war, plague, and famine. Foreign powers (namely Russia) became dominant players in the domestic politics of the Commonwealth.
• 1772, 1793, 1795 - Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth terminated the existence of the Commonwealth, and Lithuania was divided between Russia and Prussia. Lithuania would not exist as a distinct entity for more than a century.
Rule under Imperial Russia and WWI
• 1795 - 1918 - The Russian Empire controlled Lithuania.
• 1812 - Lithuanians eagerly welcomed Napoleon Bonaparte's French army in hope of liberation. After the French army withdrew, Tsar Nicholas I began an intensive program of Russification, banning the Lithuanian language and the Latin alphabet.
• 1831 and 1864 - Lithuanians and Poles revolt twice, but their attempts fail and Russian authorities repress them even more.
• 1868 - 1914 - Large numbers of Lithuanians immigrate to the United States after a famine in 1867.
• 1905 - After a Russia-wide revolutionary uprising, the Baltic states could once again use their native language in schooling and public discourse. However, Russia was not prepared to concede autonomy to Lithuania similar to what already existed in Estonia and Latvia.
• 1915 - The Germans occupy Lithuania.
• 1917 - The Germans allowed the Vilnius Conference, demanding that Lithuanians declare loyalty to Germany and agree to an annexation.
• February 16, 1918 - The Council of Lithuania adopts the Act of Independence of Lithuania, declaring Lithuania an independent republic.
• 1918 - Germany loses the war, and Lithuanians quickly formed their first government, led by Augustinas Voldermaras. As the German army was withdrawing from the Eastern Front, the Soviet forces followed. They created a number of puppet states, including the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. By the end of December, the Red Army reached Lithuanian borders, starting the Lithuanian-Soviet war.
• The Lithuanian-Soviet war happens in parallel with the Polish-Lithuanian war.
Early government
• 1920 - The Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty was signed, with the Soviet Union finally recognizing the fully independent Lithuania. Relations with Poland were not good, with Poland refusing to recognize Lithuania's control of Vilnius, the historical capital of Lithuania.
• 1922 - The final constitution is adopted, and Lithuania becomes a democratic state. Seimas (parliament) is elected by men and women for a three-year term.
• May 1924 - Lithuania takes advantage of the Ruhr Crisis and captures the Klaipeda Region, a territory formally belonging to Prussia. For Lithuania, this grants access to the Baltic Sea and becomes an important industrial center.
• 1926 - Antanas Smetona rules as a virtual dictator.
• March 1938 - Poland presents an ultimatum to Lithuania, demanding the re-establishment of normal diplomatic relations. Lithuania, having a weaker military, accepted the ultimatum, and Lithuania-Poland relations were somewhat normalized once more.
WWII
• August 1939 - Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, with clauses assigning spheres of influence in the area of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania was initially assigned to Germany, and was later transferred to the Soviets.
• 1940 - The Russian army occupies Lithuania. By August, Lithuania is absorbed into the Soviet Union. Thousands of Lithuanians are executed or deported. Soviet authorities began rapid Sovietization of Lithuania.
• June 1941 - Germany invades Russia, and shortly afterwards captures Lithuania. The Nazis ruled Lithuania for 3 years, during which they exterminated virtually all Lithuanian Jews.
• July 1944 - The Russians recapture Vilnius. By the end of the year, they recapture nearly all of Lithuania, and impose a Communist regime once more.
Post-WWII Lithuania
• 1945 - 1952 - Farms in Lithuania are collectivised. The Russians develop industry in Lithuania, but at a great environmental cost.
• Late 1980s - Communist tyranny in Lithuania begins to crumble.
• 1989 - Lithuania was granted some economic autonomy. In December, the Lithuanian Community Party became independent of the Communist Party of the USSR.
• 1990 - Sajudis won elections to the Lithuanian Supreme Soviet. They declared Lithuania as an independent nation. The Russians impose an economic blockade.
• 1991 - In January, Russian soldiers shoot and kill 14 unarmed demonstrators outside of a TV tower in Vilnius. In August, hard line Communists in Moscow attempt a coup. This coup failed, and in September, Russia recognized Lithuania as an independent country.
• September 1991 - Lithuania is accepted into the UN.
• 1993 - Despite Lithuania's achievement of complete independence, sizeable numbers of Russian troops remained in its territories. Russian troop withdrawal was completed by August 31st.
• 1994 - Lithuania joins NATO.
• 2004 - Lithuania joins the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
|-|-The Style-|-|
Roleplay example ---
Sometime in 1944
He was tired. He was tired of fighting. He was tired of failed treaties, and he was tired of watching his people suffer. Lithuania stood upon the barren ground - ground which had once been a beautiful field. He used to take long naps beneath the tree to the west. The only thing that remained now was a pitiful stump, upon which Lithuania sat.
He had tasted freedom not too long ago - freedom to manage his own capital, to live his life without fear of Russia, Germany, or whatever country felt the need to assert its power. How he longed to read a book in his own language. Could he even remember how to speak his own language? The centuries had not been kind to him, and he had been stripped of his identity little by little. He bit his lip thoughtfully, half-heartedly trying to form a coherent sentence in Lithuanian. Nothing. Who was he, anyways? Was he still a country, or someone's territory?
Lithuania gazed towards the nearest village, although he knew that it was most likely a ghost town by now. Nazi Germany had replaced Soviet rule until very recently, but he was inclined to believe that even Russia was kinder. A good portion of Lithuania's population had been wiped out, and Lithuania had never felt so alone or helpless. Nazi Germany had found his way to his soil, and he had served him for three years. Serving the Germans had felt foreign and strange, but he had to admit that their food was quite good. He had even memorized a couple of tips that he hoped to implement into his own cuisine someday.
A tiny smile found its way to his lips, and Lithuania shook his head. What was he doing, smiling at a time like this? Russia was quickly making his way across the land once more, and it was only a matter of time before he fell into his rule. Again. If he would ever get the chance to restore his culture, it certainly wasn't going to be anytime soon.
Lithuania stood, drawing his gaze to the only flower in sight, growing just a few feet away from him. He leaned down, crouching lowly. Something had managed to grow here! His smile grew wider. His entire day had been improved by the realization that a tiny Rue was growing through a crack in the hard soil. He resisted the urge to pluck it and keep it in his pocket, and instead reached for his canteen. Delicately, he sprinkled a small volume of water onto the tiny blue flower's petals. This had to be a sign. The Rue was Lithuania's national flower, a symbol of chastity. He drew back, admiring the flower one last time.
Lithuania looked towards the sky, sighing deeply. He had a long journey ahead of him.
With the image of the Rue imbedded into his mind, he headed towards Vilnius. The boy's garments were torn and dirty, and he was less than presentable, but everyone was in bad shape. He made it to the capital before sundown, and was greeted with a sea of Red. Awaiting him was the fate that he could never seem to escape, but he met Russia's eye without fear.
"I am ready to rejoin the Soviet Union," he said, his posture never faltering. The Rue would flourish and grow into a beautiful flower, and so would he. But now was not his time.
|-|-The Player-|-|
Username --- Phenol
Age --- 21
Time zone --- EST, soon to be CET
(( I'm so sorry for taking forever to get this in! Hope it's okay. x_X I churned this out in one long sitting, so there might be some mistakes. Please let me know and I'll gladly change them! ))
/waves at the new Liet~!