Living by the border: violence, nation making, and "national indifference" in the Polish-Lithuanian borderland, 1920-39

ENThis chapter addresses nation-making and lived experiences of the local population in the Polish–Lithuanian borderland. Between 1920 and 1939, the so-called Vilnius region was a hotbed of conflict between Poland and Lithuania. It was also a venue of a long-lasting ethnic conflict fueled by the nationalizing policies of both states. The region was also a site of intense border-making. The author argues that while Poland and Lithuania each sought policy dominance in the borderland, the local multiethnic population made their own use of such policies. The living strategies of the borderlanders often circumvented state policies. Although significant groups acceded to state pressure, others remained “nationally indifferent” and politically disloyal, adopting economic practices that sabotaged the policies of the sealed border. Keywords: nationalism, ethnic conflict, paramilitarism, national minorities.