I never expected to find English information about this plan (well known in Lithuania, not so much elsewhere) on the Vilnius dispute. But I did. And on Wikipedia, too, so now I can talk to you about this.
The most defining trait of Interwar Lithuania is, undoubtedly, it's dispute over the Vilnius Region, seized by Poland in 1920 in the Zeligovski Mutiny and held by them for 19 years. During those two decades, all of Lithuania was aimed towards regaining the capital. The Constitution of Lithuania always recognized Vilnius as the true capital if the nation and Kaunas as a mere "temporary" capital, many civilians and soldiers organized into the "Union for the Recovery of Vilnius", an unofficial organization aiming for exactly what the title states, and the border between Poland and Lithuania was basically impassable (you'd have to travel through Latvia or Germany to get from Kaunas to Vilnius and vice versa).
In addition, the Vilnius dispute buried any chances of the formation of an alliance of Central and Eastern European countries to protect them from the Germans or Russians, and the results of that can be seen in September 1939.
But this was not meant to be. In fact, a potential solution to the dispute was proposed as early as 1921, a mere year after the occupation of the city:
Basically, an artificial Federation of Lithuania very closely aligned to Poland, also as a sort of founding block for Miedzymorze.
This plan was declined by both Lithuanian and Polish governments for a number of obvious reasons, but how about we resurrect it? Say, Hymans decides to study just a tiny bit more into the conflict and create something a little bit less tightly knit, making sure Lithuania does not get outright puppetized, but instead just forms a military alliance with Poland. Or how about the Second, amended proposal, which only included granting autonomy to the Vilnius region, and was approved by the Lithuanians (but not the Poles)?
To increase the chances of this plan passing, it wouldn't hurt to make the Polish-Soviet War a bit harder, and drag Lithuania in it, to make both Poland and Lithuania more likely to cooperate. Say, the Lithuanian-Soviet peace breaks apart, maybe Lithuania decides that letting Soviet troops pass through their territory is not comfortable, or they attack the Soviets after the miracle at the Vistula to make sure Poles do not step in Lithuanian Grodno first (for some reason, I don't know, a stupid Soviet brigade commander shells the wrong people, think a little).
What happens next?
The most defining trait of Interwar Lithuania is, undoubtedly, it's dispute over the Vilnius Region, seized by Poland in 1920 in the Zeligovski Mutiny and held by them for 19 years. During those two decades, all of Lithuania was aimed towards regaining the capital. The Constitution of Lithuania always recognized Vilnius as the true capital if the nation and Kaunas as a mere "temporary" capital, many civilians and soldiers organized into the "Union for the Recovery of Vilnius", an unofficial organization aiming for exactly what the title states, and the border between Poland and Lithuania was basically impassable (you'd have to travel through Latvia or Germany to get from Kaunas to Vilnius and vice versa).
In addition, the Vilnius dispute buried any chances of the formation of an alliance of Central and Eastern European countries to protect them from the Germans or Russians, and the results of that can be seen in September 1939.
But this was not meant to be. In fact, a potential solution to the dispute was proposed as early as 1921, a mere year after the occupation of the city:
Wikipedia said:
Basically, an artificial Federation of Lithuania very closely aligned to Poland, also as a sort of founding block for Miedzymorze.
This plan was declined by both Lithuanian and Polish governments for a number of obvious reasons, but how about we resurrect it? Say, Hymans decides to study just a tiny bit more into the conflict and create something a little bit less tightly knit, making sure Lithuania does not get outright puppetized, but instead just forms a military alliance with Poland. Or how about the Second, amended proposal, which only included granting autonomy to the Vilnius region, and was approved by the Lithuanians (but not the Poles)?
To increase the chances of this plan passing, it wouldn't hurt to make the Polish-Soviet War a bit harder, and drag Lithuania in it, to make both Poland and Lithuania more likely to cooperate. Say, the Lithuanian-Soviet peace breaks apart, maybe Lithuania decides that letting Soviet troops pass through their territory is not comfortable, or they attack the Soviets after the miracle at the Vistula to make sure Poles do not step in Lithuanian Grodno first (for some reason, I don't know, a stupid Soviet brigade commander shells the wrong people, think a little).
What happens next?