Draft:Berdmontian-Polish conflict (1919)

• Comment: Also provide page numbers for the references. S0091 (talk) 19:29, 14 May 2025 (UTC)

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Polish–Bermondtian conflict
Part of the aftermath of World War I and the Baltic Wars of Independence
Date October – November 1919 Location Latvia and eastern Lithuania Result Berdmontian victory
Belligerents
Second Polish Republic	West Russian Volunteer Army
Commanders and leaders
Józef Piłsudski	Pavel Bermondt-Avalov
Strength
Unknown (small detachment; indirect involvement)	~6.000 Bermontians
Casualties and losses
4.000 killeds	Approx. 2,000+ killed or wounded

CLASHES AND CONFRONTATION Following the withdrawal of German forces from Eastern Europe at the end of World War I, the region became a competitive arena between emerging powers, independence movements, and remnants of the Russian Empire. In this complex context, the Western Volunteer Army emerged, a monarchist military force composed primarily of former soldiers of the Russian Empire and German volunteers, led by Pavel Bermont-Avalov.

Although officially created to combat the Bolsheviks, the Bermont Army operated with political and military independence, attempting to restore Russian imperial authority over territories such as Latvia, Lithuania, and parts of Belarus, regions that Poland also considered within its sphere of influence. Meanwhile, the Second Polish Republic, under the leadership of Józef Piłsudski, was advancing its federalist project known as Międzymorze, which aspired to create an alliance between Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine as a counterweight to both Bolshevism and Russian Pan-Slavism. In this context, Poland supported the Baltic governments in their struggle against external forces such as the Bolsheviks and, in some cases, the White Russians.

By late 1919, Bermónt-Avalov's army was operating near territories claimed by Poland, particularly in the Daugavpils region and eastern Lithuania, where Polish units were also deployed. Although there was no formal war between Poland and the Bermontian Army, there were border tensions, minor skirmishes and direct competition for control of strategic areas, especially around Vilnius and Švenčionys.

Key Events

• Support for Latvia: Polish authorities offered indirect support to Latvian forces under Jānis Balodis, including logistical assistance and limited coordination.
• Border tensions: In eastern Lithuania, where Polish and Bermondtian spheres overlapped, there were minor skirmishes and political conflicts, especially near Vilnius and Daugavpils.
• Diplomatic concerns: The presence of Bermondt’s troops near Polish interests raised alarm in Warsaw, which viewed his army as a threat to Polish strategic objectives in the region.

Despite the absence of full-scale battles between Polish and Bermondtian troops, their goals were incompatible: Poland supported the independence of the Baltic states (to a degree), while Bermondt’s army sought to reestablish Russian imperial control under monarchist leadership.

Aftermath

By late December 1919, Latvian and Estonian forces, with support from British naval forces and indirect Polish assistance, defeated Bermondt-Avalov’s army. He fled to Germany, and his army was dissolved.

The weakening of the West Russian Volunteer Army removed a major obstacle to Polish operations in eastern Lithuania and Belarus during the Polish–Soviet War in 1920.

Legacy

While the conflict did not escalate into a formal war, it symbolized the fragility of alliances in post-WWI Eastern Europe and the conflicting ambitions of the region’s military and political leaders.

Historians debate the extent of Polish involvement in anti-Bermondt operations, with some describing it as covert cooperation with Latvia and others framing it as part of a broader Polish regional security strategy.

See Also

• Polish–Soviet War
• Latvian War of Independence
• Pavel Bermondt-Avalov
• West Russian Volunteer Army
• Polish–Lithuanian War
• Międzymorze

References

<references>

• Norman Davies, White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War, 1919–20, London: Macdonald, 1972.
• Timothy Snyder, The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569–1999, Yale University Press, 2003.
• Andrew Parrott, “The Baltic States from 1914 to 1923: The First World War and the Wars of Independence,” Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 1, 1970.
• Andrzej Nowak, First Betrayal: The Birth of Eastern Europe’s Borders, Polish Institute of International Affairs, 2010.