Soviet-Polish War

1815 is the time when Poland disappears from the political map of Europe. Territorial separation, adopted by the Viennese Congress, lasted until 1914. The First World War introduced its own corrections. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles , the country regained its sovereignty over most of the primordially Polish lands, but did not intend to dwell on it. The government's plans included a complete restoration of the territory.

Nicholas II looked in his own way at the future of the Polish people. In August 1914, the Russian government announced the desire to unite the Poles and recreate the Polish statehood within the boundaries of the independent kingdom of Poland under the auspices of the Russian emperor.

In 1916, the existence of the Polish kingdom was proclaimed, but without clarifying the territorial boundaries. A little later, the Polish Provisional State Council was created. Russia, in turn, declared the creation of an independent Poland, including territories that were part of the Russian Empire before the war.

In early 1917, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated. Thus, a dual power in the person of the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet is being established in the country. It was the latter, in March of the same year, adopted a declaration on the right of the people to self-determination. The Provisional Government affirmed the need for the formation of an independent Polish state.

In November 1918, Pilsudski notified all countries, with the exception of the RSFSR, of his education. The Soviet government, in turn, expressed its readiness to establish diplomatic relations. In December of the same year, Russia submitted three more proposals on diplomatic ties, but Poland did not respond to any of them with consent.

The beginning of 1919, marked by the execution of the mission of the Russian Red Cross, led to accusations from Russia. But the Polish side was interested only in its own borders, and Pilsudski's main desire was to dislodge Russia from the position of the main power of Eastern Europe. In his view, Poland should have taken its place.

The Soviet-Polish war of 1920 began on April 25, when the Poles without warning attacked Soviet troops in the territory covering the land from the city of Pripyat to the Dniester River. A little later, the Polish side seized part of the left bank of the Dnieper. The occupied part of Ukraine experienced a terrible time that year. The Poles looted its territory, burned houses, killed civilians.

Soviet troops on May 26, 1920 launched a counteroffensive from the south-western front.

The Soviet-Polish war on July 2, 1920 was marked by a counter battle, the end of which was the victory of the Soviet troops.

Therefore, on July 1 in Warsaw - this is the date of the creation of the Defense Council, headed by Pilsudski. A few days later, the Council turned to the Entente for help, requesting assistance in peace talks with Russia. Thus, the latter was given a note demanding the termination of the offensive from the city of Grodno to the Carpathians. As a result of long negotiations and reflection, the Russian side decided to refuse, counting on the weakness of the enemy, which, in their opinion, should lead to its collapse. But Russia expressed its willingness to hold peace talks with the Polish side, but without intermediaries. England, in turn, declared the termination of relations with the RSFSR in case of continuation of the latter's offensive. The Soviet-Polish war continued with military action.

The Polish side was well armed and prepared for the battle on the Vistula, as well as for the defense of the city of Lviv. The leadership of Poland toughened measures to maintain the army discipline. Beginning in August 1920, defensive detachments were introduced to stop the retreating units. This fact could not go unnoticed.

The Russian command of the Western Front was considering the plan for an attack on Warsaw. It should be noted that his troops were somewhat inferior in number to the Poles. The Soviet units at the Vistula were also small and fatigued. The battle began on August 13, 1920. On the same day, the Soviet divisions seized the city of Radzymin, which is not far from Warsaw. On August 14, the Polish army came on the offensive, bursting into the headquarters of the fourth Soviet army. An early retreat led to a loss of contact with the rest of the troops and the headquarters of the front. As a consequence, the right flank remained without control.

The Soviet-Polish war, the turning point of which occurred on September 21, 1920, when Poland and Russia began negotiations, concluded with the signing of the Armistice Agreement. It came into force on October 18, 1920. Negotiations led to the signing of the Riga Peace Treaty of March 18, 1921.

The Soviet-Polish war of 1920 brought the territory of western Byelorussia, as well as western Ukraine, to the Polish side.