ORDER OF BATTLE // April 1, 1919
Vilna offensive
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 22,000 estimated
Poland
10,000
Medium-confidence figure
Russian SFSR
12,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Vilna offensive secured Vilnius for Poland after three days of street fighting against the Red Army in April 1919, marking one of the earliest major Polish territorial gains of the Polish–Soviet War. The Red Army's retreat following the city's capture allowed Polish forces to extend control well beyond Vilnius itself, with Lida, Pinsk, Navahrudak, and Baranovichi also falling to Polish hands during the same operation. This combination of gains pushed the front line substantially eastward in the war's opening phase, establishing a broad Polish foothold in the contested borderlands and complicating Soviet efforts to consolidate control over the region.
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