MARCH 15 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

MARCH 15

1923

The question of Vilnius was confirmed by a conference of ambassadors of the Allied powers. (Note: Poland had captured Vilnius in April 1919 which precipitated territorial disputes and armed conflict with Lithuania.  Vilnius briefly fell into Soviet hands during the Polish Soviet war of 1920.  But after Poland's victory in the Battle of Warsaw, Soviets regained control of the city. On October 8, 1920, Polish troops under the command of General Lucjan Żeligowski, marched on Vilnius to "defend the right of self-determination of local Poles." Żeligowski's forces captured Vilnius and proclaimed the creation of the Republic of Central Lithuania with capital in Vilnius. A ceasefire was signed on November 29 which was followed by a prolonged mediation by the League of Nations. Despite their deliberations, the situation did not change, and in 1923, the League accepted the status quo.  Lithuania refused to recognize these developments and broke diplomatic relations with Poland, until the Polish ultimatum of 1938.

1939

Nazi troops invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia despite Hitlers promise to respect the terms of the Munich Agreement.  The Agreement was a form of appeasement by the allies and was signed on September 30, 1938 by Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Mussolini. It gave Nazi Germany permission to annex only the Sudetenland, since Hitler felt Germany had to safeguard the ethnic German minority located in that region of Czechoslovakia.

1940

Himmler stated: "All Polish specialists will be exploited in our military-industrial complex. Later, all Poles will disappear from this world. It is imperative that the great German nation considers the elimination of all Polish people as its chief task." (Editor's note: Himmler's declaration was in line with Hitlers' plans to destroy the Polish nation.)


British RAF bombers dropped propaganda leaflets over Warsaw, Poland over the course of two nights. The leaflets contained messages for the Polish citizens reassuring them that they were "not alone in this war"  and that the British understood how they were suffering and urged them "to be strong, the day of liberation will come!" Following the mission, the Polish Government in Exile protested the action, though General Sikorski approved of it. (source: "Black Propaganda in the Second World War" by Stanley Newcourt-Nowodworski)