Gorbachev's Failure in Lithuania

The world watched first in fascination, then in horror, and eventually in amazement. From 11 to 14 January 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev went to Lithuania to persuade the leaders of that rebel Soviet republic to remain within the traditional Soviet system; from 11 to 13 January 1991, Soviet troops killed unarmed civilians in Vilnius in an effort to persuade the people of Lithuania to overthrow their leaders; then, in September 1991 Gorbachev, presiding over the collapse of the Soviet Union, recog...