Republic of Central Lithuania general election, 1922
Encyclopedia
The general election in the Republic of Central Lithuania was an election to the Vilnius Sejm (parliament) of the Polish
-dominated Republic of Central Lithuania
on January 8, 1922. The new parliament was intended to formally legalize incorporation of Central Lithuania into Poland. Such measure was fiercely opposed by Lithuania
, which claimed the territory for itself. The election was boycotted by non-Polish minorities and its results were unrecognized by either the Lithuanian government in Kaunas
or the League of Nations
. The elected parliament convened in February 1922 and, as expected, voted to incorporate the Republic into Poland. At the end of March 1922, Central Lithuania became Wilno Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic
.
aimed against Lithuania, a new sham state was created by general Lucjan Żeligowski
in Vilnius Region
in October 1920. The new Republic of Central Lithuania depended on Poland's economic and military support and was governed by Polish military men. The territory was fiercely contested by Lithuania and Poland. In demographic terms the city of Vilnius
(Polish: Wilno) was the least Lithuanian of Lithuanian cities, divided nearly evenly between Poles and Jews
, with ethnic Lithuanians constituting a mere fraction of the total population (about 2–3% of the population, according to Russian 1897 and German 1916 censuses). The Lithuanians nonetheless believed that their historical claim to the city (former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
) had precedence and refused to recognize any Polish claims to the city and the surrounding area.
The League of Nations mediated the dispute and strongly advocated a plebiscite where the local population would vote to be incorporated either into Poland or Lithuania. However, neither Poland nor Lithuania wanted the vote. Poland had control of the territory and saw no reason to jeopardize the status quo
, especially since it had already lost two plebiscites against Germany (in East Prussia
and Upper Silesia
). Lithuania did not want to recognize that Poland had a legitimate claim to the region and was afraid to lose the vote, especially if Polish military remained in the region. As both sides stalled, the plebiscite idea was abandoned in March 1921. Poland and Lithuania entered direct negotiations under mediation of Paul Hymans
. He prepared two projects that envisioned a Polish–Lithuanian union, but both of them were rejected by Poland and Lithuania by December 1921. In October 1922, after the failure of the negotiations, the Republic of Central Lithuania scheduled elections for January 8, 1922.
and Braslaw were included while Lithuanian-inhabited areas around Druskininkai
were excluded. According to official Polish election reports, 735,089 people lived in the designated election territory. Of them 11.5% were Jews, 8.8% were Belarusians, and 7.2% were Lithuanians. Requirements for the candidates to the parliament included age (at least 25 years of age), education (at least primary school), and language (good knowledge of Polish). Polish authorities formally allowed freedoms of press and of assembly, but provided up to one year in prison for campaigning against the election. This provision was aimed at the Lithuanians, who decided to boycott the elections. The Lithuanian government protested the election and even attempted to revive the idea of the plebiscite under supervision of the League of Nations, but the League was done mediating the Polish–Lithuanian dispute.
Only Polish parties and groups proposed candidates for the election. The right-wing parties advocated for unconditional incorporation into Poland while left-wing sought a special autonomous status with Poland. There was a significant propaganda
campaign before the elections. The Lithuanians attempted to win support from the Jewish and Belarusian communities. The Jews generally leaned towards Lithuania, which was seen as more tolerant and more willing to make concessions for the support. However, at the same time, Jews were afraid that support of the Lithuanian cause would be interpreted to be a hostile act against Poland and could worsen their position.
s the attendance was lower (41% of Belarusians, 15.3% of Jews and 8.2% of Lithuanians). Jewish turnout varied greatly from rural (37.8%) to urban areas (6.3%). In Vilnius, the Jewish turnout was only 1.4%. The two largest political groups in the new parliament were the Association of National Organizations (Polish: Klub Zespołu Stronnictw i Ugrupowań Narodowych) with 43 seats and the Popular Councils (Polish: Klub Rad Ludowych) with 34 seats. All the other groups gained 29 seats altogether.
These results were disputed by Col. Chardigny, the Chief of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control
sent by League of Nations, who officially declared that results are not valid, as most of the Lithuanians, Jews and Belarus boycotted the elections, and there was use of military force. As a result of electoral malpractice such as not asking for a valid voter identification, noted by delegates from the League of Nations, the elections were not recognized. On January 13, 1922, the Council of the League of Nations issued a statement that the elected parliament was not a legal representative of the local population.
passed the law proposed by the Central Lithuanian parliament on March 22, 1922 and two days later the Republic of Central Lithuania ceased to exist. All of its territory was incorporated into the newly-formed Wilno Voivodeship. The border changes were accepted by the Conference of Ambassadors
of the Entente
and the League of Nations
. Lithuania declined to accept the Polish authority over the area and continued to treat the region as part of its own territory and Vilnius as its legitimate capital, with Kaunas
designated only as a temporary seat of government
. The Polish–Lithuanian diplomatic relations were not restored until the Polish ultimatum to Lithuania
in 1938.
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
-dominated Republic of Central Lithuania
Republic of Central Lithuania
The Republic of Central Lithuania or Middle Lithuania , or simply Central Lithuania , was a short-lived political entity, which did not gain international recognition...
on January 8, 1922. The new parliament was intended to formally legalize incorporation of Central Lithuania into Poland. Such measure was fiercely opposed by Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, which claimed the territory for itself. The election was boycotted by non-Polish minorities and its results were unrecognized by either the Lithuanian government in Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
or the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. The elected parliament convened in February 1922 and, as expected, voted to incorporate the Republic into Poland. At the end of March 1922, Central Lithuania became Wilno Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
.
Background
In the aftermath of the staged Żeligowski's MutinyZeligowski's Mutiny
Żeligowski's Mutiny was a sham mutiny led by Polish General Lucjan Żeligowski in October 1920, which resulted in the creation of the short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania. Polish Chief of State Józef Piłsudski had surreptitiously ordered Żeligowski to carry out the operation, and revealed the...
aimed against Lithuania, a new sham state was created by general Lucjan Żeligowski
Lucjan Zeligowski
Lucjan Żeligowski , was a Polish general, and veteran of World War I, the Polish-Soviet War and World War II. He is mostly remembered for his role in Żeligowski's Mutiny and as head of a short-lived Republic of Central Lithuania.-Biography:...
in Vilnius Region
Vilnius region
Vilnius Region , refers to the territory in the present day Lithuania, that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time,...
in October 1920. The new Republic of Central Lithuania depended on Poland's economic and military support and was governed by Polish military men. The territory was fiercely contested by Lithuania and Poland. In demographic terms the city of Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
(Polish: Wilno) was the least Lithuanian of Lithuanian cities, divided nearly evenly between Poles and Jews
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
, with ethnic Lithuanians constituting a mere fraction of the total population (about 2–3% of the population, according to Russian 1897 and German 1916 censuses). The Lithuanians nonetheless believed that their historical claim to the city (former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
) had precedence and refused to recognize any Polish claims to the city and the surrounding area.
The League of Nations mediated the dispute and strongly advocated a plebiscite where the local population would vote to be incorporated either into Poland or Lithuania. However, neither Poland nor Lithuania wanted the vote. Poland had control of the territory and saw no reason to jeopardize the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
, especially since it had already lost two plebiscites against Germany (in East Prussia
East Prussian plebiscite
The East Prussia plebiscite , also known as the Allenstein and Marienwerder plebiscite or Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle plebiscite , was a plebiscite for self-determination of the regions Warmia , Masuria and Powiśle, which had been in parts of East Prussia and West Prussia, in accordance with...
and Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia plebiscite
The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a border referendum mandated by the Versailles Treaty and carried out in March 1921 to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland. The region was ethnically mixed, chiefly among Germans, Poles and Silesians. According to prewar statistics,...
). Lithuania did not want to recognize that Poland had a legitimate claim to the region and was afraid to lose the vote, especially if Polish military remained in the region. As both sides stalled, the plebiscite idea was abandoned in March 1921. Poland and Lithuania entered direct negotiations under mediation of Paul Hymans
Paul Hymans
Paul Louis Adrien Henri Hymans , was a Belgian politician associated with the Liberal Party. He was the first President of the League of Nations, and served again as its president in 1932-33....
. He prepared two projects that envisioned a Polish–Lithuanian union, but both of them were rejected by Poland and Lithuania by December 1921. In October 1922, after the failure of the negotiations, the Republic of Central Lithuania scheduled elections for January 8, 1922.
Preparations
The territory, where elections were to take place, was carved out to maximize the number of Polish residents; for example, Polish-inhabited regions of LidaLida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
and Braslaw were included while Lithuanian-inhabited areas around Druskininkai
Druskininkai
Druskininkai is a spa town on the Neman River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai has a population of 18,233 and dates back as a spa resort to the 19th century.-Names:...
were excluded. According to official Polish election reports, 735,089 people lived in the designated election territory. Of them 11.5% were Jews, 8.8% were Belarusians, and 7.2% were Lithuanians. Requirements for the candidates to the parliament included age (at least 25 years of age), education (at least primary school), and language (good knowledge of Polish). Polish authorities formally allowed freedoms of press and of assembly, but provided up to one year in prison for campaigning against the election. This provision was aimed at the Lithuanians, who decided to boycott the elections. The Lithuanian government protested the election and even attempted to revive the idea of the plebiscite under supervision of the League of Nations, but the League was done mediating the Polish–Lithuanian dispute.
Only Polish parties and groups proposed candidates for the election. The right-wing parties advocated for unconditional incorporation into Poland while left-wing sought a special autonomous status with Poland. There was a significant propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
campaign before the elections. The Lithuanians attempted to win support from the Jewish and Belarusian communities. The Jews generally leaned towards Lithuania, which was seen as more tolerant and more willing to make concessions for the support. However, at the same time, Jews were afraid that support of the Lithuanian cause would be interpreted to be a hostile act against Poland and could worsen their position.
Results
63.9% of the entire population took part in the voting, but among different ethnic groupEthnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s the attendance was lower (41% of Belarusians, 15.3% of Jews and 8.2% of Lithuanians). Jewish turnout varied greatly from rural (37.8%) to urban areas (6.3%). In Vilnius, the Jewish turnout was only 1.4%. The two largest political groups in the new parliament were the Association of National Organizations (Polish: Klub Zespołu Stronnictw i Ugrupowań Narodowych) with 43 seats and the Popular Councils (Polish: Klub Rad Ludowych) with 34 seats. All the other groups gained 29 seats altogether.
These results were disputed by Col. Chardigny, the Chief of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control
Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control
The term Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control was used in a series of peace treaties concluded after the First World War between different countries...
sent by League of Nations, who officially declared that results are not valid, as most of the Lithuanians, Jews and Belarus boycotted the elections, and there was use of military force. As a result of electoral malpractice such as not asking for a valid voter identification, noted by delegates from the League of Nations, the elections were not recognized. On January 13, 1922, the Council of the League of Nations issued a statement that the elected parliament was not a legal representative of the local population.
Aftermath
The parliament gathered on February 1, 1922. On February 20, it voted for formal incorporation into Poland and dispatched a delegation to Poland. The Polish SejmSejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
passed the law proposed by the Central Lithuanian parliament on March 22, 1922 and two days later the Republic of Central Lithuania ceased to exist. All of its territory was incorporated into the newly-formed Wilno Voivodeship. The border changes were accepted by the Conference of Ambassadors
Conference of Ambassadors
The Conference of Ambassadors of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers was an inter-allied organization of the Entente in the period following the end of World War I. Formed in Paris in January 1920 it became a successor of the Supreme War Council and was later on de facto incorporated into...
of the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
and the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. Lithuania declined to accept the Polish authority over the area and continued to treat the region as part of its own territory and Vilnius as its legitimate capital, with Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
designated only as a temporary seat of government
Temporary capital of Lithuania
The temporary capital of Lithuania was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius , which was under Polish control from 1920 until 1939...
. The Polish–Lithuanian diplomatic relations were not restored until the Polish ultimatum to Lithuania
1938 Polish ultimatum to Lithuania
The 1938 Polish ultimatum to Lithuania was an ultimatum delivered to Lithuania by Poland on March 17, 1938. The Lithuanian government had steadfastly refused to have any diplomatic relations with Poland after 1920, protesting the annexation by Poland of the Vilnius Region. As pre-World War II...
in 1938.