The interwar period saw some truly incredible diplomatic plays

In 1938, following the annexation of Austria, Poland felt the need to do something about its tense situation with Lithuania, as the two states didnt even have any real diplomatic relations since 1920, when Poland annexed the Vilnius region. After a Lithuanian border guard shot a Polish border guard (common occurance on the Polish-Lithuanian border then), Poland massed some troops on the border, and organised manifestations in major cities, with people carrying banners demanding action against Lithuania, fameously a march on Kovno. Poland sent an ultimatum to Lithuania in which they demanded normalisation of diplomatic relations, a trade agreement, recognition of Vilnius, protection for Polish minority in Lithuania and settling the matters surrounding the border incident. Lithuania accepted the ultimatum, proving that you can make friends at gunpoint.

Its long tradition. Commonwealth was formed that way. As there was potential succession crisis in case of Sigismund death Poland tried to secure union with Lithuania, that was previously only personal union. Lithuanian nobles didnt relly want this. During sejm in Lublin as it was debated Lithuanian nobles left to make union impossible. So polish nobility started adding Lithuania provinces to Crown with acceptence of local nobility. After like... 3? voivodships were taken from Lithuania Lithuanian nobles finally broke and returned allowing for union to proceed.

Just a reminder of how awful this was, is that at this time Poland had already made Lithuania a rump state by controlling nearly half of Lithuania alongside it’s long time capital, after doing the 20th century equivalent of the little green men.

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