"Віленскае пытанне" ў міжнародных адносінах 1918 - 1920 гг.

Abstract

The author reviews important issues of the status of the area of Vilna against the context of the interrelations of Poland, the RSFSR and Lithuania in the years of World War I and the Polish-Soviet war and comes to the conclusion that due to its position at the meeting-point, civilizations of the area of Vilna became the object of struggle between Poland, Russia and Lithuania all of which strove to incorporate "Gedimin's city" into their states, claiming "historical rights" to the respective territories. In their struggle for the city and the adjacent lands all parties to the conflict resorted both to diplomacy and armed force. The status of the area of Vilna in the system of European international relations was greatly affected by the policy of Germany and the Entente states who had no particular plans for the territory but tended to involve it in their geopolitical schemes. The area of Vilna was also claimed by the figures from Belarusian national movement, who based those claims on "historical rights" and the ethnic composition of the area. Eventually, Poland prevailed in the military and diplomatic struggle for the area of Vilna; Poland supported the creation in 1920 of a state which appeared independent — "Middle Lithuania". In 1922 the area of Vilna was finally incorporated into Poland.