THE DECISIONS MADE BY THE COMMITTEE FOR DOMESTIC AFFAIRS CONCERNING THE REGION OF VILNIUS (NOVEMBER 1939 - APRIL 1940)

• Authors: Pachowicz A.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Upon the basis of a convention signed by Molotov and Urbsys on 10 October 1939, the Soviet Union handed over the region of Vilnius to Lithuania. This decision was never recognised by the government of Prime Minister Sikorski. After the Lithuanian Army entered the terrain in question (28 October 1939), relations with the Polish community markedly deteriorated, and information about the resultant situation reached the Polish government in Angers. Gradually, but extremely consistently, symbols of Polishness were ousted from every domain of public life. Numerous reservations were produced by the educational-cultural policy pursued by the Lithuanians as well as their conduct in relation to persons interned in camps. Polish citizens were forced to observe a number of prohibitions and injunctions. Polish state and self-government administration was liquidated; the same fate befell political and social organisations as well as cultural associations, thus intensifying the profound dissatisfaction of the Poles. The Polish authorities incessantly stressed that the Lithuanian question remained open, and that the Polish government had not resigned from its right to the occupied territory. The problem of the Polish population became the topic of debates held from November 1939 to April 1940 by the Committee of Ministers for Domestic Affairs (an institution, whose pivotal purpose was to co-ordinate all work associated with the occupied country) and at a session held on 24 April 1940, entirely devoted to the question of Vilnius. Members of the Committee attempted to prepare suitable recommendations and resolutions. They paid attention to avoiding the creation of an active military organisation in Lithuania (which could comprise a liaison base), protested against the decrees of the Lithuanian authorities, which compelled Polish citizens to accept Lithuanian citizenship, and discussed the future of the Stefan Batory University. The accepted resolutions pertained to, i. a. the evacuation of civilians, the military, and political activists from the region of Vilnius as well as those resolutions, whose purpose was to organise relief for Poles residing in the territory in question.

Keywords

EN

COMMITTEE FOR DOMESTIC AFFAIRS; POLISH GOVERNMENT IN ANGERS; REGION OF VILNIUS

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Dzieje Najnowsze
• Year: 2005
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 41-53
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Pachowicz A.

• A. Pachowicz, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Instytut Historii, ul.Golebia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

05PLAAAA00451136