Self-Defence of Lithuania and Belarus

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Self-Defence of Lithuania and Belarus were volunteer, Polish-led paramilitary groups formed in late 1918 in areas that are now Lithuania and Belarus. They were mostly Poles living there who supported the new Polish state and aimed to protect local people while fighting Bolshevik forces as Soviet troops moved into the region, especially around Vilnius, Minsk, and Grodno.

The movement grew from former Polish units in Russia and the Union of Military Poles in Vilnius. General Władysław Wejtko was appointed to lead all self-defence formations in Lithuania and Belarus, with financial support from Poland. In December 1918, Minsk fell to the Soviets, dealing a blow to morale. The organization was split into the Vilnius and Lida groups, with Grodno organized under General Mikołaj Sulewski. By December 29, 1918, it was reorganized as the Military District of Lithuania and Belarus and then built a 2,500-strong force to defend the Vilnius region in January 1919.

A four‑day battle for Vilnius followed as Soviet forces pressed in. The area changed hands several times in 1919 during the Vilna offensive and the Minsk operation. In January 1919, most Self-Defence units were organized as the 1st Lithuanian–Belarusian Division and officially became part of the Polish Army, where they continued to fight in the Polish–Soviet War of 1919–1920.