ania . ▁The ▁S ovi ets ▁inv aded ▁and ▁occupied ▁Lith u ania ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁As ▁forced ▁cons cription ▁into ▁Red ▁Army ▁and ▁St alin ist ▁repr essions ▁intens ified , ▁thousands ▁of ▁Lith u ani ans ▁used ▁for ests ▁in ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁as ▁a ▁natural ▁refuge . ▁These ▁sp ont aneous ▁groups ▁became ▁more ▁organized ▁and ▁central ized ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Lith uan ian ▁Fre edom ▁F igh ters ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁In ▁their ▁documents , ▁the ▁part is ans ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁their ▁ult imate ▁goal ▁is ▁recre ation ▁of ▁independent ▁Lith u ania . ▁As ▁the ▁part isan ▁war ▁continued , ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁West ▁would ▁not ▁inter f ere ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁( see ▁Western ▁bet ray al ) ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁part is ans ▁had ▁no ▁chance ▁of ▁success ▁against ▁the ▁far ▁stronger ▁oppon ent . ▁Event ually , ▁the ▁part is ans ▁made ▁an ▁explicit ▁and ▁conscious ▁decision ▁not ▁to ▁accept ▁any ▁new ▁members . ▁The ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁part is ans ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁thus ▁effectively ▁ending ▁the ▁part isan ▁war , ▁though ▁individual ▁f igh ters ▁held ▁out ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁Background ▁Lith u ania ▁had ▁reg ained ▁its ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁after ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁As ▁pre - war