map of demarcation lines of june 18 (light green) , july 26 (dark green) between poland , lithuania. poland ignored both lines , continued advance orange line. railroads marked black stitched lines.
while lithuanian forces battled soviets in northeastern lithuania, tension between poland , lithuania grew. direct negotiations between may 28 , june 11, 1919 collapsed neither side inclined compromise. trying prevent direct military conflict allied supreme council drew first demarcation line on june 18, 1919. line drawn several kilometers west of warsaw – saint petersburg railway. polish ministry of foreign affairs rejected required polish forces retread 30–35 km (19–22 mi); lithuanians not content well, left vilnius , hrodna under polish control. german volunteers departing lithuania (their last units left kaunas in mid-july), poland mounted offensive on 100 km (62 mi) wide front moving 20–30 km (12–19 mi) deeper lithuanian territory. preoccupied soviet threat, lithuania not organize effective defense , entente intervened again drawing second demarcation line, known foch line, on july 26, 1919. 2 major modifications made: suwałki region assigned poland , entire line moved 7 km (4.3 mi) west. neither lithuanians, poles, nor germans (still present in suwałki region) content new demarcation line. between july 29 , august 2, polish troops carried out several attacks against lithuanians. on august 3, polish diplomatic mission in kaunas declared poland has no plans annex lithuania , proposed plebiscite in contested territories, allowing local inhabitants determine future. when lithuanian government rejected polish proposal, józef piłsudski decided further military action not solution. instead, lithuanian government needed replaced party more willing negotiate compromise. front stabilized, bilateral relations worsened in aftermath of sejny uprising (august 23 – september 9) in turn ruined attempted coup d état polish military organisation against lithuanian government (august 28–29).
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