Genesis and the circumstances of the Suvalkai agreement

The end of September and the beginning of October in 1920 were of great importance for Poles and Lithuanians. The events which took place at that time influenced the relations between two nations in the 20th century. The first event was the Suvalkai agreement signed after the Polish-Lithuanian negotiations which were conducted from September 30 to October 8 in Suvalkai. The second one was a sham mutiny planned by Józef Piłsudski, however led by General Lucjan Żeligowski which resulted in the occupation of Vilnius. The decisions made in July and August did not help to solve the conflict between Poland and Lithuania. During the Spa Conference on July 10, the Prime Minister of Poland Władysław Grabski agreed to temporarily hand over Vilnius to Lithuanians and to leave the decision of its affiliation to the western superpowers. Lithuanians signed the Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty on July 12. Soviet Russia recognized the sovereignty of Lithuania and acknowledged Lithuanian authority over the Vilnius region. Poland announced that decisions made during the Spa Conference were no longer binding and that the Polish Army was ready to take over the Vilnius region (the territories which had to be given to Lilhuania on the strength of the Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty). Piłsudski started the war preparations. He aimed to take control over the Vilnius region and did not want to give the territory for Lithuania which strove for its independence and separation from Poland. The armed conflict between Poland and Lithuania in the territory of the Suvalkai region started in September of 1920. Under pressure of the League of Nations, both sides decided to negotiate in Suvalkai. The negotiations started on September 30 and ended on October 7-8,1920. Meanwhile Poland was getting ready to take political and military control of Vilnius and the Vilnius region. During the negotiations the representatives of Poland acted on orders from Józef Piłsudski and tried to prolong the negotiations. The situation changed when the Control Committee of the League of Nations came to Suvalkai on October 4. Lithuanians and the members of the Committee were informed about the Polish plans of military operations against Lithuania. Thus, they brought the negotiations to a conclusion and the agreement establishing the demarcation line was signed at 12 p.m. on October 7, 1920. Apart from setting the demarcation line out, the agreement stated that the line “in no way prejudices the territorial claims of the two Contracting Parties”. The demarcation line would start near the border with Eastern Prussia until it reached the Neman River. It would follow the Neman and the Merkys Rivers up to Bastūnai. The ceasefire was to begin at noon on October 10. General Lucjan Żeligowski moved into the attack towards Vilnius at 6 a.m. on October 8. The next day he occupied the city, thus the Suvalkai agreement did not come into force. This was Józef Pilsudsk’s way to have Vilnius in Poland, regardless Lithuania’s unwillingness to enter the union with Poland