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Lithuania declared independence on February 16, 1918, during the German occupation, but the establishment of state institutions was hindered by German authorities, who initially refused to recognize the new government. After the end of German occupation in November 1918, Lithuania’s first government, led by Augustinas Voldemaras, initially underestimated the need for a strong military. However, it quickly became clear that the new state would need to defend itself. Despite limited resources, Lithuania began organizing an army, attracting volunteers with promises of land and patriotic appeals.
Lithuania’s struggle for independence after World War I was marked by a series of conflicts known as the Lithuanian Wars of Independence (1918–1920). These wars were critical for consolidating the nation’s sovereignty, which had been proclaimed on February 16, 1918, after more than a century of foreign rule under the Russian Empire. The independence process, however, was met with immediate military threats from several fronts, including Bolshevik Russia, German-backed forces, and Poland.
War against the Bolsheviks
The Lithuanian-Soviet War broke out in December 1918 as the Bolsheviks, aiming to spread their revolution westward, launched an offensive into Lithuanian territory. The conflict saw key battles around Vilnius, which fell to the Red Army in early January 1919, forcing the Lithuanian government to retreat to Kaunas. Lithuanian and German forces, including the Saxon volunteers, managed to halt the Bolshevik advance by mid-1919, with significant engagements around Panevėžys and Šiauliai. By August 1919, the Lithuanians had successfully repelled the Bolsheviks, ensuring the preservation of their independence.
Advance of Bolshevik forces (red arrows). The red line shows the Bolshevik front in January 1919. © Renata3
War against the Bermontians
At the same time, Lithuania faced a threat from the Bermontians, a German-Russian volunteer force under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov, who sought to retain German control in the Baltic region. In the autumn of 1919, the Bermontians seized key towns in western Lithuania, including Radviliškis and Šiauliai. Lithuanian forces, led by General Kazys Ladiga, mounted a counter-offensive, winning a decisive victory at Radviliškis in November 1919. The defeat of the Bermontians cemented Lithuania's control over its western territories.
War against Poland
The most politically complex conflict was the Polish–Lithuanian War over the Vilnius region. In 1920, after briefly recapturing Vilnius from the Bolsheviks, Lithuania was drawn into conflict with Poland. Despite efforts to negotiate, tensions escalated when Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski led an unofficial “mutiny” to seize Vilnius in October 1920. This offensive resulted in the annexation of the city by Poland, forcing Lithuania to relocate its capital to Kaunas. Diplomatic attempts to resolve the territorial dispute were unsuccessful, and Vilnius remained under Polish control until 1939.
The advance of Polish (blue arrows), Lithuanian (dark purple arrows), Latvian/German (white arrows from west), and Estonian/Latvian (white arrows from north) forces. The blue line shows the Polish front in May 1920. © Renata3
The wars had significant long-term implications. Militarily, they established the Lithuanian armed forces as a credible defense force, despite being initially under-resourced. Politically, the conflicts delayed international recognition of Lithuanian sovereignty but eventually solidified the state’s independence. Although Lithuania lost Vilnius, it gained a sense of national unity and identity through these struggles. The wars also demonstrated Lithuania’s strategic importance in the geopolitical landscape of postwar Europe, balancing the interests of Germany, Poland, and Soviet Russia.