The Council of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Taryba, German: Litauischer Landesrat, Polish: Rada Litewska), after July 11, 1918 The State Council of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Valstybės Taryba), was convened at the Vilnius Conference that took place between September 18 and 23, 1917. The council was granted the executive authority of the Lithuanian people and was entrusted to establish an independent Lithuanian state.^[1] On February 16, 1918, the members of the council signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania, and declared Lithuania an independent state based on democratic principles. The council managed to establish the proclamation of independence despite the presence of German troops in the country until the autumn of 1918. The council continued its efforts until the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Steigiamasis Seimas) first met on May 15, 1920.

After the last Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Lithuania had become part of the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, both the Poles and the Lithuanians attempted to restore their independence. They rebelled during the November Uprising in 1830 and the January Uprising in 1863, but the first realistic opportunity came about during World War I. In 1915, Germany occupied Lithuania as its troops marched towards Russia. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, opportunities for independence opened up. Germany, avoiding direct annexation, tried to find a middle path that would involve some kind of union with Germany.^[2] In the light of upcoming peace negotiations with Russia, the Germans agreed to allow the Vilnius Conference, hoping that it would proclaim that the Lithuanian nation wanted to be detached from Russia and wished for a closer relationship with Germany.^[3] However, the conference, held between September 18 and 23, 1917, adopted a resolution that an independent Lithuania should be established and that a closer relationship with Germany would depend on whether it recognized the new state.^[3] On September 21, the attendees at the conference elected a 20-member Council of Lithuania to establish this resolution. The German authorities did not allow that resolution to be published, but they did permit the council to proceed.^[3] The authorities censored the Council's newspaper, Lietuvos aidas (Echo of Lithuania), preventing the Council from reaching a wider public audience.^[1] The Vilnius Conference also resolved that a constituent assembly should be elected by popular vote as soon as possible.