Belarus in the Polish-Soviet relations, 1921–1922

Abstract

The article considers the role of Belarus in the Polish Soviet relations from the moment of the Riga Treaty signing until the formation of the USSR. The peculiarity of the study period is that at that time there was formally independent Belarusian state in the form of the BSSR, recognized by Soviet Russia and Poland. It is established that after the end of the Polish-Soviet war, Soviet Russia and Poland continued the struggle for dominance in Eastern Europe, having changed the forms and methods of this struggle. The article shows that the Polish-Soviet confrontation in a number of aspects directly affected Belarus. The territory of both the BSSR and Western Belarus became the scene of activities of irregular armed formations, directed, respectively, against the Soviet and Polish authorities. With their help, each side sought to weaken the opponent’s position in these areas. The same goal the RSFSR’s performances as a defender of the rights of Belarusians in Poland served. The high level of tension in Polish-Soviet relations threatened the emergence of a new war between Poland and Soviet Russia. Both these States sought to use the Belarusian national movement, which opposed the Riga agreement, to achieve their international political goals. The article proves that the policy of Poland in relation to Western Belarus and Soviet Russia in relation to the BSSR was largely determined by the struggle between the two countries in the international arena. Belarus was given only the role of the object of this struggle.