"Šiaudinė siena" tarp Lietuvos ir Lenkijos valstybių 1919-1939 metais

ENThe Council of Lithuania in 1918 by the Act of February 16th, declared the restoration of the State of Lithuania, leaving it away from the former state relations with other countries. This act dissociated Lithuania from state relations with Russia and Poland. The Polish government acted very badly in April, 1919 when the Lithuanian army, fighting hard with the Red Army, was approaching Vilnius. In order to pre-empt Lithuania, the Polish leadership sent its units not so much against the Red Army as against Lithuania. To resolve the conflict, the concord states, Great Britain and France, established demarcation lines. On July 27, 1919 the line of the so-called Chief of Army of Concord, the French Marshal of Ferdinand Foshe, was established. It divided Sūduva between Lithuania and Poland, leaving the Poles with many Lithuanian residential areas, including one of the most famous Lithuanian centres Seinai and Punskas with their surroundings. On December 8, 1919 the Supreme Council of the Concord declared the Polish border in the East, known as the British Lord George Nathanill Curson line. Here the line from the East Prussian border went to the confluence of the Black Ančia and the Nemunas, and from Grodno in a straight line to the south. Part of the Lithuanian ethnic lands, which were attributed to Lithuania under the Fošas line, were now handed over to Poland for administration, i.e. the Curson line in the southern Suvalkija was pushed north at the expense of Lithuania. In the wake of the struggle between the two nations, after the intervention of the League of Nations, the military action was interrupted, and under the pressure of the Military Control Commission on November 29, the truce between the warring states was signed.Both states committed themselves to handing the prisoners to the Military Control Commission of the League of Nations, and to establish a neutral zone between the militant armies. The fighting sides had to step back 6 km and leave the 12 km wide „no-man‘s“ section. Lithuania and Poland were suggested that they could settle the dispute by negotiation, but both countries failed to agree. On March 15, 1923 by the decision of the Conference of Ambassadors appointed by the League of Nations, the neutral zone was abolished and the demarcation line was recognized as an administrative border between Poland and Lithuania. Vilnius and Southeast Lithuania remained occupied by Poland until 1939. Military status formally continued until March 19, 1938 Poland‘s ultimatum to Lithuania, which forced Poland to establish diplomatic relations. This publication presents the works of the contemporaries P. Dirkis, V. Labūnaitis, et. al., and their memories on demarcation and administrative lines, Polish lines and their relocation. Almost 100 years has passed since the struggle in the neutral zone at the demarcation line. A lot has been forgotten. Only the memories of the contemporaries as well as photos and finds have survived.