The Lemko Republics were two small states founded in Eastern Europe, specifically Southeastern Poland, by the Lemko people, a people closely related to the Rusyns. Both Lemko Republics were founded in the aftermath of WWI in the later years of 1918. The first was known as either just the Lemko Republic or the Lemko-Rusyn Republic, sought unification with first Russia and later Czechoslovakia and controlled a Lemko-inhabited strip along the border between Poland and Czechoslovakia before being ended by the Polish government in March 1920. The second, known as either the East Lemko Republic or Komancza Republic, was situated farther to the east of the Lemko Republic, and sought unification with the West Ukrainian People's Republic, which was suppressed by the Polish government during the Polish-Ukrainian War, the Komancza Republic being disbanded in January 1919. Now, the question I want to ask is how could these small states in Eastern Europe have successfully avoided being annexed by Poland, either independent or part of neighbouring Czechoslovakia and West Ukraine as originally intended?