POLAND – LITHUANIA RELATIONSHIPS, CONFLICTS

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POLAND – LITHUANIA RELATIONSHIPS, CONFLICTS

In Vilnius there are 40 Roman-Catholic churches, 20 Orthodox churches, Protestant churches and three synagogues. Vilnius is the main centre of culture and science in Lithuania. Association of Poles in Lithuania cultivates Polish traditions, language and culture.

TENTION IN POLISH- LITHUANIAN RELATIONS

1386 – the year which was the beginning when Poland and Lithuania signed an act of the union in Kreva, which marked a beginning of the four centuries of shared history between the two nations.

Poles in the streets of Vilnius

The monument of the Polish- Lithuanian Union in Lublin.

Poles face linguistic discrimination in Lithuania. They are refused to spell their names with the use of Polish orthography, as a result they sound more Lithuanian in documents. Lithuanians in Poland have the right to retain original spelling, Poles in Lithuania don’t.

Local authorities refuse to use bilingual road signs in areas densely populated by Poles ex. around Vilnius. Recent legislations provide for inreasing number of subjects taught in Lithuanian in Polish schools.Poles in Lithuania hold protests to draw attention of the international community. Lithuania claims that protests of Poles, citizens of Lithuania are an expression of disloyalty to Lithuania.

Troki

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lasted

until the Third Partition of Poland in 1795.

Lithuania was divided between

Russia and Prussia.

The Union of Lublin in 1569 gave rise to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The two countries merged under the Polish king Jagiełło.

The League of Nations suggested that the conflict should be solved on the basis of the plebiscite.

In the 1921 the disputed teritory was divided between Poland and Russia. Relations between Poland and Lithuania were hostile.

In the 1922 the Seim elected in the Vilnius region which ,with the majority vote of 2/3, decided to join in Vilnius and Middle Lithuania to Poland. The Lithuanian government didn’t approve of the decision. The relations between the two countries were suspended.

Vilnius

Monument of Marshal Pilsudski

in Lublin.

With the fall of comunism relations between the two countries were reestablished. However, Lithuania’s ethnic policies are all about the assimilation of the Poles, stripping them of their language, history and cultural heritage with the aim to subordinate the Poles living in Lithuania.

The number of Poles in Lithuania is

c.235.000-300.000. It makes 6.58% of all the inhabitants-the biggest minority in Lithuania. They live mainly in the area of Vilnius, Troki, Soleczniki, Święciany.

Marshal Pilsudski`s heart was burried in Vilnius in 1935.

They had one, common monarch, coat of arms, foreign and domestic policy, currency, parliament.

After I World War the two countries got independent. Rising nationalism led to deterioration of the relations between Poland and Lithuania. Claims from both sides to the Vilnius region led to an armed conflict.

The Lithuanians wanted an independent country. The inhabitants of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania in 1916: over 50 % of Poles, over 40% of Jews, 2% of Lithuanians.In 1919 the Polish army under the leadership of Marshal Józef Piłsudski step up offensive against Russia.

Thank you for your attention

After World War II much of the teritory

became part of the Soviet Union.

Poland and Lithuania found themselves in the Eastern block. Poland was a satelite of Russia. Lithuania became a Soviet republic. Vilnius was given back to Lithuania based on the agreement between Lithuania and the Soviet Union

project coordinator- Barbara Gauze-Gwóźdź

graphic designer - Robert Zajac

reading - Klaudia Kowalska, Aleksandra Kaczmarek,

Gosia Kosik

Józef Piłsudski,Chief of State, wanted to create a federation of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine to resist Russian imperialism threatening from the east.

Music:

Reprezentacyjny Zespół

Artystyczny Wojska Polskiego.

The united countries characterised with ethnic diversity and a certain degree of religious tolerance

Links to photos:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=415666351777507&set=a.415666325110843.106637.181847785159366&type=1&theater

http://forum.mlingua.pl/showthread.php?t=25868 mapa europy współczesna

http://podroze.gazeta.pl/

podroze/1,114158,10055932,Najwieksze_atrakcje_Litwy__Troki__Trakai_.html

Jan Mateyko,

Unia Lubelska.

Polish- Soviet war 1918-1920

In 1920 –Polish victory over Russia.

The Polish army under general Żeligowski took over Vilnius in 1920.