Historians divide postwar Lithuanian resistance into three periods related to changes in Soviet leadership: Stalin (1944-1953), Khrushchev (1954-1964), and Brezhnev (1964-1982). The first period involved armed guerrilla resistance like the Forest Brothers through 1948. By the second period, Lithuania had lost 1/6 of its population to deportations, war, and resistance, and open resistance turned to exploiting and reforming the Soviet system. The Catholic Church played a leading role in resisting the Soviets and remained a symbol of Lithuanian identity despite Soviet intimidation and deportations.