Lithuanian War of Independence
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this event you can find it here:All Statistics
Events that happened shortly after the end of World War I in Lithuania leading to the independence of the country.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
January 1919: The German occupying army withdrew from Vilnius and turned the city over to local Polish self-defense forces.
January 1920: According to Article 99 of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Memelland was ceded to the Allied powers without a referendum effective January 10, 1920. From early 1920 to early 1923 it was administered by France as its agent.
Was a war between Lithuania and the Russian SFSR. Russia considerd Lithuania, that had recently declared independence, a secessionist state. At the end of the war Russia recognized the independency of Lithuania.
January 1919: Vilnius was captured by the Soviet Red Army.
January 1921: The Lithuanians claimed the southern shore of Daugava, including Grīva and Daugavpils, despite Latvian protests.
July 1920: Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty signed between Lithuania and Soviet Russia. In exchange for Lithuania's neutrality and permission to move its troops in the territory that was recognised during its war against Poland, Soviet Russia recognized the sovereignty of Lithuania. Lithuania officially maintained that its de jure borders were those delineated by the treaty although a large territory, the Vilnius Region, was controlled by Poland.
1.1.Soviet offensive (Lithuanian War of Independence)
Was the military invasion of Lithuania by the Russian SFSR that started the Lithuanian-Soviet War.
December 1918: Rokiškis was taken over by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR).
January 1919: To prevent fights in Lithuania between retreating Germans and the Red Army, the Soviets and Germans signed a treaty on January 18. The treaty drew a temporary demarcation line that went through Daugai, Stakliškės, and 10 kilometres east of the Kaišiadorys-Jonava-Kėdainiai railway.
January 1919: Telšiai conquered by RSFSR.
February 1919: The Bolshevik 3rd and 4th Riflemen Regiments (about 2,000 men) attacked Alytus.
February 1919: Lithuanians retreated, were reinforced by new Lithuanian and Saxon Volunteers, attacked again, and took Jieznas on February 13.
April 1919: The Red Army retook Panevėžys on April 4.
February 1919: Soviet 7th Riflemen Regiment (900 men) took over Jieznas, south of Kaunas.
February 1919: A joint Lithuanian and German forces captured Šėta and forced the Red Army to retreat.
January 1919: Ukmergė and Panevėžys are occupied by Russian Bolshevik forces.
February 1919: On the night of February 14-15, German forces and one company of the Lithuanians returned to Alytus and retook the city.
February 1919: Russian operations to take Kaunas began on February 7.
December 1918: Utena conquered by RSFSR.
December 1918: Zarasai and Švenčionys conquered by RSFSR.
January 1919: Šiauliai conquered by RSFSR.
1.2.German/Lithuanian Offensive (Lithuanian-Soviet War)
Was a joint German-Lithuanian offensive against the the Soviet invasion, during the Lithuanian-Soviet War.
February 1919: The movement of the Bolsheviks towards East Prussia worried Germany, and they sent volunteers. At the end of February, the Lithuanian partisans, supported by German artillery, took Mažeikiai and Seda, and pursued the Bolsheviks to Kuršėnai.
March 1919: Before mid-March, the Germans took Kuršėnai, Šiauliai, Radviliškis, Šeduva, Joniškis.
March 1919: The Bolshevik morale underwent deeper declines and, between March 19 and March 24, their forces left Panevėžys. Lithuanian forces entered the city on March 26.
1.3.Lithuanian offensive
Was a Lithuanian offensive in the territories of the Russian SFSR, during the Lithuanian-Soviet War.
May 1919: On May 3, the Separate Panevėžys Volunteer Regiment, supported by the 18th Regiment of Saxon Volunteers, had secured the town of Ukmergė.
May 1919: The reorganized Lithuanian army carried out its first operation. The Vilkmergė Group captured Kurkliai and Anykščiai.
May 1919: The Soviets left Panevėžys to Lithuanian forces without a fight.
May 1919: Joniškėlis' partisans broke through the Soviet lines and took Rokiškis in Soviet rear.
June 1919: Bolshevik forces, afraid that they could be encircled, left Kupiškis on the night of May 30-31, and Lithuania secured that city on June 1.
June 1919: Another Soviet push came on June 20 and the front stabilized.The Soviets were cornered in a small region around Zarasai.
May 1919: The Panevėžys Group launched a drive towards Panevėžys on May 18 and secured the city the following day.
May 1919: Lithuanians and Poles mounted a joint operation to take Giedraičiai.
May 1919: Lithianian forces charged towards Kupiškis and secured Subačius.
May 1919: The Lithuanians lost Panevėžys to a Bolshevik counterattack.
June 1919: The drive towards Utena resumed on May 31, and the city was secured on June 2 by Lithuanian forces.
May 1919: On May 7, Lithuanians entered Širvintos.
1.4.Final Battles of the Lithuanian-Soviet War
Were the final battles of the Lithuanian-Soviet War.
August 1919: The Ukmergė Group attacked first and captured Zarasai.
Was the war between the Bermontians, a pro-German military formation, and Lithuania.
July 1919: In June 1919, the Bermontians crossed the Lithuanian-Latvian border and took the town of Kuršėnai.
December 1919: The Bermontians were completely removed from Lithuania.
November 1919: By October, the Bermontians had taken considerable territories in western Lithuania, including the cities of Šiauliai, Biržai, and Radviliškis.
Was a war between newly-independent Lithuania and Poland following World War I.
January 1920: On October 7, 1920, an agreement was signed by Poland and Lithuania, establishing a truce, known as the Suwałki Agreement: it temporarily accepted the Foch Line.
July 1920: Augustów conquered by RSFSR.
August 1920: Knowing that the Polish Army was busy preparing for the Battle of the Nemunas River, the Lithuanian authorities decided to capture the city of Augustów, an event which took place on August 26.
September 1920: Polish forces retreated from Sejny further south.
September 1920: The Lithuanian army reached Augustów.
September 1920: The Lithuanian forces advancing from Sejny were routed and Augustów again fell into Polish hands.
September 1920: Polish forces recaptured Sejny.
September 1920: End of the Polish-Lithuanian War.
September 1920: Sejny is acquired by Poland at the end of the Polish-Lithuanian War.
August 1920: Lithuanians conquered Suwalki.
August 1920: On August 31, Sejny was conquered by the Polish army.
August 1920: The 1st Polish Infantry Regiment assaulted the Lithuanian defenders of the city of Augustów by surprise and disarmed a company of the 10th Lithuanian Infantry Regiment, securing control of the town.
August 1920: Polish Colonel Nieniewski entered the city of Suwałki with his soldiers.
