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wojna polsko-bolszewicka
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(17)
1919
February
14
Key event
Start of the Polish–Soviet War
On 14 February 1919, at Mosty on the Niemen and at Bereza Kartuska, regular units of the Polish Army and the Red Army clashed for the first time.
April
19
Key event
Poles take Vilna
On 19 April 1919 Lt-Col Belina-Prażmowski's Polish cavalry burst into Vilna and took most of the city. By 21 April the Poles had driven the Bolsheviks out.
August
08
Poles take Minsk
On 8 August 1919 troops of Gen. Szeptycki's Lithuanian-Belarusian Front took Minsk, capital of the Soviet republic of Lithuania and Belarus.
1920
April
21
Piłsudski's alliance with Petliura
On 21 April 1920 in Warsaw Poland recognised Petliura's Ukrainian People's Republic, which gave up Eastern Galicia. A military pact followed on 24 April.
25
Start of the Kiev offensive
On 25 April 1920 Polish and Ukrainian troops struck the Red Army from the Pripyat to the Dniester, taking Zhytomyr, Berdychiv, Koziatyn and Vinnytsia in 3 days.
May
07
Poles enter Kiev
On 7 May 1920 Polish cavalry rode into Kiev, abandoned by the Red Army. Two days later a joint Polish-Ukrainian parade marched down the Khreshchatyk.
June
05
Budyonny's Cavalry Army breaks through the front
On 5 June 1920 Budyonny's Cavalry Army broke through the Polish front at Samhorodok in Ukraine and reached the Polish rear. Five days later the Poles left Kiev.
July
01
Council of State Defence formed
On 1 July 1920, as the front fell back in Ukraine, the Sejm set up the Council of State Defence under Piłsudski to decide all matters of war and peace.
04
Tukhachevsky's offensive
At dawn on 4 July 1920 Tukhachevsky's Western Front attacked in Belarus. In three days it broke the Polish defence on the Auta and forced the Poles to retreat.
August
13
Key event
Battle of Warsaw begins
On 13 August 1920 the Red Army attacked the Warsaw bridgehead and took Radzymin, about 20 kilometres from the capital. The Battle of Warsaw had begun.
16
Counter-offensive from the Wieprz
On 16 August 1920 Piłsudski's strike group set off from the Wieprz, routed the Mozyr Group and came out in the rear of the Soviet armies attacking Warsaw.
17
Battle of Zadwórze
On 17 August 1920 Captain Zajączkowski's battalion of Lviv volunteers held out all day at Zadwórze against Budyonny's cavalry. 318 men were killed.
31
Battle of Komarów (1920)
On 31 August 1920 Colonel Rómmel's Polish 1st Cavalry Division defeated Budyonny's First Cavalry Army near Komarów, in one of the last great cavalry battles.
September
20
Battle of the Niemen begins
On 20 September 1920 two Polish divisions attacked Grodno from the Augustów Forest. Tukhachevsky took it for the main blow; Piłsudski planned to outflank him.
October
09
Żeligowski's mutiny
On 9 October 1920 General Żeligowski's division, supposedly in mutiny against the high command, took Vilna from the Lithuanians. Piłsudski had ordered it.
12
Armistice of Riga
On 12 October 1920 Poland and Soviet Russia and Ukraine signed an armistice and preliminary peace terms in Riga. The fighting stopped at midnight on 18 October.
1921
March
18
Key event
Peace of Riga
On 18 March 1921 Poland and Soviet Russia and Ukraine signed a peace treaty in Riga. It ended the Polish–Soviet War and fixed Poland's eastern border.