page_title: Lithuanian–Soviet War
section_title: Polish–Lithuanian conflict
hierarchical_section_title: Lithuanian–Soviet War / Counterattacks / Polish–Lithuanian conflict
caption_attribution_description: Polish–Lithuanian War in June 1919 – beginning of 1920. Light green line – demarcation line drawn on June 18, 1919 Dark green line – demarcation line drawn on July 27, 1919 (Foch Line) Orange line – furthest Polish advance into Lithuania (until beginning of 1920) Stitched black lines – railroads Pink line – modern state borders Black arrows – Polish attacks
context_page_description: The Lithuanian–Soviet War or Lithuanian–Bolshevik War was fought between newly independent Lithuania and the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic in the aftermath of World War I. It was part of the larger Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919. The offensive followed retreating German troops with intentions to establish Soviet republics in Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and link up with the German Revolution. By the end of December 1918 Soviet forces reached Lithuanian borders. Largely unopposed, they took one town after another and by the end of January 1919 controlled about ​²⁄₃ of the Lithuanian territory. In February, the Soviet advance was stopped by Lithuanian and German volunteers, who prevented the Soviets from capturing Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania. From April 1919, the Lithuanian war went parallel with the Polish–Soviet War. Poland had territorial claims over Lithuania, especially the Vilnius Region, and these tensions spilled over into the Polish–Lithuanian War.
context_section_description: While Lithuanian forces battled the Soviets in northeastern Lithuania, tension between Poland and Lithuania grew. Direct negotiations between May 28 and June 11, 1919, collapsed as neither side was inclined to compromise. Trying to prevent a direct military conflict, the Allied Supreme Council drew the first demarcation line on June 18, 1919. The line was drawn several kilometers west of the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway. Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected it as it required the Polish forces to retreat up to 30–35 km (19–22 mi); Lithuanians were not content with it as well, as it left Vilnius and Hrodna under Polish control. As German volunteers were departing from Lithuania (their last units left Kaunas in mid-July), Poland mounted an offensive on 100 km (62 mi) wide front moving 20–30 km (12–19 mi) deeper into the Lithuanian territory. Preoccupied with the Soviet threat, Lithuania could not organize an effective defense and the Entente intervened again by drawing the second demarcation line, known as the Foch Line, on July 26, 1919. Two major modifications were made: Suwałki Region was assigned to Poland and the entire line was moved about 7 km (4.3 mi) west. Neither Lithuanians, Poles, nor Germans (still present in the Suwałki Region) were content with the new demarcation line. Between July 29 and August 2, Polish troops carried out several attacks against the Lithuanians. On August 3, a Polish diplomatic mission in Kaunas declared that Poland has no plans to annex Lithuania and proposed a plebiscite in the contested territories, allowing local inhabitants to determine their future. When the Lithuanian government rejected the Polish proposal, Józef Piłsudski decided that further military action was not a solution. Instead, the Lithuanian government itself needed to be replaced by a party more willing to negotiate a compromise. The front stabilized, but bilateral relations worsened in the aftermath of the Sejny Uprising (August 23 – September 9) which in turn ruined the attempted coup d'état by the Polish Military Organisation against the Lithuanian government (August 28–29).
caption: Map of demarcation lines of June 18 (light green) and July 26 (dark green) between Poland and Lithuania. Poland ignored both lines[26] and continued to advance up to the orange line. Railroads are marked by black stitched lines.
exif: {}