VILNIUS/VILNA DISPUTE (1920-22)

 Vilnius/Vilna is the historic capital of modern day Lithuania.

 This dispute was a post World War I conflict between Poland and
Lithuania.
 By 1920, the population of Vilna comprised of 30% poles and only
2% Lithuanians.
 For this reason Poland considered Vilna to be rightfully theirs.

 Many years before 1920 Russia had seized control of Vilna.

 After World War I Lithuania had been re-established and Vilna
was its obvious capital because of its historic importance.
 The new government settled in Vilna in late 1918 but evacuated
when Soviets came in January 5, 1919.
 Polish forces drove away the Red Army from the city and took
command of Vilna on April 19, 1919.
 Polish chief of state Józef Piłsudski demanded Lithuania for union
with Poland but they declined.
 Hostilities were avoided by the Allies by creating the “Foch Line,”
separating the armies of the two countries.
 In the summer of 1920 the Red Army reoccupied Vilna and ceded
the city to Lithuania.
 Violence broke out between Poland and Lithuania and the latter
requested the “League of Nations” to resolve the matter.
 The league then arranged a partial armistice October 7, 1920 and
put Vilna under Lithuanian control also called for negotiations
between the two hostile rivals to settle all border disputes.
 Two days later the Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski drove the
Lithuanian forces out and again took control of the city by
proclaiming independence of Central Lithuania.
 The league had completely failed in resolving the matter and
abandoned its role as mediator after another spell of failed
negotiations, on January 13, 1922
 On January 8, 1922 however, General Żeligowski called for
elections for a regional Diet which on February 20 voted to
incorporate Lithuania into Poland.
 The arrangement was accepted by the League’s council and was
also accepted by the Allied powers.
 Lithuania however, rejected the settlement.
 Poland and Lithuania would remain in a state of frozen conflict for
the next 18 years.
 It can easily be argued that the league had completely failed to
make peace between Poland and Lithuania.
 The League of Nations failed in this matter because both Britain
and France supported Poland in this matter justice could not be
given.
 Vilnius was restored to Lithuania on October 10, 1939 after World
War II broke out.