The Outbreak of the Polish-Soviet War: A Polish Perspective. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Borzecki, Jerzy
• Is Part Of: Journal of Slavic military studies. Volume 29:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 658
• Page End: 680
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Military art and science -- Former Soviet republics -- Periodicals; Military art and science -- Europe, Eastern -- Periodicals; Former Soviet republics -- Defenses -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Defenses -- Periodicals; 355.033247
• DOI: 10.1080/13518046.2016.1232555
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-8046

Abstract

ABSTRACT: There is much confusion on the issue of when the Polish-Soviet war broke out. Various authors hold that the war started anywhere between late 1918 and early 1920. It is arguable, though, that from a Polish perspective the war began with the January 1919 Soviet attack on the city of Wilno (Vilnius), defended by its Polish inhabitants. Since Poles widely believed the Wilno region to be a part of Polish national territory, the government in Warsaw felt it had little choice but to treat the attack as a casus belli.