"[4] In mid-May, the Lithuanian army, now commanded by General Silvestras Žukauskas, began an offensive against the Soviets in Northeastern Lithuania.

Three weeks later, the Bolsheviks, encumbered with the Russian Civil War, sued for peace with the Central Powers and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

Some Lithuanians, who had served in the Russian army during the World War, returned to Lithuania and started organizing battalions in Kaunas, Gardinas, Alytus.

Augustinas Voldemaras, Antanas Smetona, Chairman of the Council of Lithuania, and Martynas Yčas, minister of finance, departed for Germany to ask for financial assistance.

Article 12 of the Compiègne Armistice required the Germans to protect Lithuania from possible Soviet attacks,[15] but Germany was also interested in maintaining its influence in the region and weakening Russia.

In April–May, German forces were reorganized into the South Lithuania Volunteer Brigade, composed of three regiments, (18th, 19th, and 20th) and a separate battalion in Raseiniai.

[18] The Baltische Landeswehr, led by General Rüdiger von der Goltz, organized a coup against the Latvian government and captured Riga.

On May 23, the Paris Peace Conference, reacting to these events, asked Germany to withdraw its troops from both Latvia and Lithuania as soon as local forces could defend themselves.

[21] On 8 December 1918, a revolutionary government was formed from members of the Communist Party of Lithuania, chaired by Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas.

Between 31 December 1918 and 1 January 1919, the German garrison withdrew from Vilnius and passed authority over the city to a local Polish committee, against the pleas of the Lithuanian administration.

[23] On January 5, 1919, Vilnius was taken by the Soviets after a five-day fight with Polish paramilitary platoons led by general Władysław Wejtko.

Red Army captured one town after another: Zarasai and Švenčionys (Dec. 22), Utena (Dec. 23), Rokiškis and Vilnius[33] (Jan. 5), Ukmergė and Panevėžys (Jan. 9), Šiauliai (Jan. 15), Telšiai (Jan.

The front somewhat stabilized when Soviet forces were stopped near the Venta River by Latvian and German units (Baltische Landeswehr).

[43] Local communists were more active in northern Lithuania as the shortest route for Russian prisoners to return to Russia was through Samogitia.

[45] There were no units of regular Lithuanian army in Samogitia except for partisans in Skuodas, rallied by Povilas Plechavičius and his brother Aleksandras, and in Joniškėlis.

[36] The movement of the Bolsheviks towards East Prussia worried Germany, and they sent volunteers (Brigade Schaulen) commanded by General Rüdiger von der Goltz to free a section of the Libau–Romny Railway line linking Liepāja, Mažeikiai, Radviliškis, and Kėdainiai.

[47] At the end of February, the Lithuanian partisans, supported by German artillery, liberated Mažeikiai and Seda, and pursued the Bolsheviks to Kuršėnai.

[52] As a reward for its successful operations, the volunteer regiment was named the Separate Panevėžys Battalion (Lithuanian: Panevėžio atskirasis batalionas) on March 22.

[53] Demoralization campaign was successful: the Bolshevik forces stationed in Panevėžys and Kupiškis rebelled and were quelled only by a Red Army division from neighbouring Latvia.

Lithuanians decided to take advantage of large Polish attacks against the Soviets in the area near Gardinas to test enemy strength and liberate Vilnius.

[57] The southern group, formed based on the 1st Infantry Regiment and led by Kazys Ladiga, was to attack from Alytus along the Daugai–Valkininkai line.

[57] The northern group, formed on the basis on the 2nd Infantry Regiment and led by Juozas Butkus, was to attack from Kaišiadorys along the Žasliai–Vievis line.

[26] Poland justified its actions not only as part of a military campaign against the Soviets but also as the right of self-determination of local Poles, who formed a significant minority in eastern Lithuania.

Two major modifications were made: Suwałki Region was assigned to Poland and the entire line was moved about 7 km (4.3 mi) west.

[77] On August 3, a Polish diplomatic mission in Kaunas declared that Poland has no plans to annex Lithuania and proposed a plebiscite in the contested territories, allowing local inhabitants to determine their future.

[81] The Red Army used the time to reorganize and strengthen their forces, using natural barriers, like plentiful lakes, rivers, and hills, enhanced with trenches and barbed wires, to secure their position.

The Lithuanian main forces could be redeployed elsewhere, including protection of the demarcation line with Poland and the planned attacks against the Bermontians in northern Lithuania.

[90] This led to several skirmishes between Latvian and Lithuanian troops, but the border issue was successfully mediated by Britain and finally resolved in March 1921.

[90] The first Lithuanian–Soviet attempt at negotiations took place on 11 September 1919, after the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of Soviet Russia, Georgy Chicherin, sent a note with a proposal for a peace treaty.

When mediation by the League of Nations failed to change the situation, Lithuania and Poland were suspended in the state of "no war, no peace" until the Polish ultimatum of 1938.