Europe 385
Participants: 365 Russia/290 Poland, 368 Lithuania
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side B (Negotiated)
Fatalities: Missing
Narrative: Russia ruled Lithuania until the German army invaded during 1915. The
Lithuanian National Assembly then met for the first time and initially planned to keep
federation with Russia. However, in 1917 the Lithuanians decided to pursue indepen-
dence and declared their intentions in February of 1918. The Lithuanian government
began to function November 11, and the Lithuanians created an army five days later.
Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks were marching west, looking to incorporate Eastern
Europe in the emerging Soviet Socialist Republic. On November 13, 1918, the Soviets
declared the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk—which surrendered Russian claims to Lithu-
anian territory—annulled, and Soviet troops began to march west. On December 8, a
Soviet-supported government declared itself operational in Lithuania; however, it did
not have the ability to govern on its own. Russian troops entered Lithuania in Decem-
ber, and by January 5, 1919, occupied Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital and largest city.
However, the troops were poorly supplied and needed better supplies from Russia.
The Lithuanian army continued to receive recruits, and by April 1919 they had
several thousand men. The Lithuanians and Polish then rushed to reoccupy Vilnius.
The Polish got there first, on April 19. The Lithuanian army achieved several victo-
ries against the Red Army, and in August the Lithuanians pushed the Soviets back
out of Lithuania. In September the Soviets offered to negotiate with the Lithuanians
but minor incidents continued. Finally, on July 12, 1920, Russia signed a treaty with
Lithuania. In exchange for free troop movement in Lithuania in its fight with Poland,
Russia extended recognition to Lithuania and further recognized contested territory
between Poland and Lithuania as belonging to Lithuania.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from November 11, 1918.
MID#504
Dispute Number: 504
Date(s): June 14, 1940 to June 15, 1940
Participants: 365 Russia/368 Lithuania
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: This dispute describes the Soviet takeover of Lithuania, leading to Lithu-
ania’s new status as a nonsovereign republic of the Soviet Union. It occurs in the con-
text of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which put Lithuania under the Soviets’ sphere
of influence, and shortly after the conclusion of the Winter War. The conclusion of
the war with Finland allowed the Soviets to focus on the Baltic states, and they started
with Lithuania. Lithuania’s ambassador to Moscow met with Molotov on May 25,
- Lithuania was accused of kidnapping Soviet soldiers and, on May 28, the tone
of the Soviets became stronger and the accusations became all-encompassing.
Attempts at negotiation ultimately led to the realization that what the Russians
wanted was full assimilation into the Soviet Union. An ultimatum was given on June
14, demanding full compliance by 10:00 a.m. the following day. The Lithuanians