# Żeligowski's Mutiny (1920)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1920-zeligowski-s-mutiny
Location: Vilnius
Categories: battle

General Lucjan Żeligowski, with Piłsudski's secret approval, seized Vilnius and created the Republic of Central Lithuania, which was annexed by Poland in 1922. Within the broader World War I & Independence period: The First World War destroyed the partitioning empires. Poland regained independence in November 1918 and fought for its borders in a series of wars and uprisings until 1921. At this point in the timeline (8 October 1920), the governing authority was Józef Piłsudski (Chief of State). Architect of independence and Chief of State; after the 1926 coup he remained Poland's dominant figure until his death in 1935. Żeligowski's Mutiny mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Żeligowski's Mutiny mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Józef Piłsudski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/jozef-pilsudski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Żeligowski's Mutiny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BBeligowski's_Mutiny)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Żeligowski's Mutiny](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=%C5%BBeligowski%27s+Mutiny)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during World War I (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_World_War_I)