Białoruska Komisja Wojskowa: powstanie i działalność (1919–1921)
The Belarusian Military Commission: Establishment and Activities (1919–1921)

Summary/Abstract: One of the main areas of struggle between the reborn Polish state and Bolshevik Russia was the territory of Belarus. In 1919–1920, the war swept through these lands several times. The Byelorussians’ attitude to the warring sides was varied. At least part of the Belarusian community took the side of Poland. In October 1919, a group of Byelorussian activists cooperating with Poland obtained Józef Piłsudski’s consent to form Byelorussian military units as part of the Polish Army. The organisation responsible for the formation of Byelorussian units was the Byelorussian Military Commission (BKW). Byelorussians were Poland’s first allies in the war with Bolshevik Russia. Polish-Byelorussian cooperation in the formation of Byelorussian units encountered numerous difficulties and, consequently, did not bring the expected results. In the face of the Red Army offensive in summer 1920, the Byelorussian Military Commission was evacuated to Łódź, where it continued its activities until the beginning of 1921. The peace treaty in Riga (March 1921) finally resolved the liquidation of the Byelorussian Military Commission and the Belarusian units within the Polish Army.

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