U źródeł konfliktu. Stosunki polsko-litewskie w latach 1914-1918

Abstract

Before 1914 the relationships between Poles and Lithuanians in the Lithuanian areas were tense, however, they did not assume a form of an open conflict yet. In 1915 Lithuania was annexed by German troops. It seemed that it was Poles who were in favor of Germans in the first period of the occupation. Polish cultural and educational life flourished in Vilnius, Polish political and even paramilitary organizations were created. However, in 1917, the occupants decided to support the economically and politically weaker Lithuanians. In September of the same year, with the permission of Germans, Lithuanian National Council, so-called Taryba, was established. It pronounced plans to create a national Lithuanian country. All Poles showed dissatisfaction with the creation and plans of Taryba. They denied it the right to represent all the inhabitants of Lithuania. The tension in the Polish-Lithuanian relationships culminated since the German failure at the western front. Poles living in Vilnius did not hide the fact that they were waiting for the reunion with Poland. However, Lithuanians regarded Vilnius as the capital of their country, allowing Poles the status of a national minority. This situation led to the outbreak of the conflict in 1919-1922, which ended up with the incorporation of the Vilnius area into Poland.