Between 1919 and 1920, the eastern territories of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were temporarily administered by the Civic Management of Eastern Territories, established by J?zef Pi?sudski. The residents of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania were to determine their future governance. Pi?sudski placed the Civic Management outside the structures of the Polish government, while his opponents from the Polish nationalist wing wanted to suborn it to the government in Warsaw. Based on hitherto unknown archival documents, the author describes the reasons for the failure of Pi?sudski’s federation idea, both on the Polish side, as well as errors by Belarusian leaders and the policy of the Lithuanian state.
J?zef Pi?sudski – 1918-1920 – Polish-Soviet war – Polish Lithuanians – Belarusian leaders – German Ost-politik – Soviet west politics – federation – Polish supporters of the incorporation of the Vilnius region – Minsk region – Grodno region – Volhynian
