LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Baltarusija; Nepriklausomybė; Tautinė valstybė; Karas; Tautinė tapatybė. Keywords: Belarus; Independence; National state; War; National identity.
ENIn 1918, two entirely different states had emerged in Europe – Lithuania and Belarusian National Republic. In comparison, these two countries are similar in geopolitical and historical sense. However, after declaration of independence, the attempt of Lithuania and BNR to govern and preserve nationalistic ideas had opposite results. By analysing historical context of the early 20th century in Lithuanian and Belarusian lands, general picture reveals that major geopolitical events, internal societal conditions and cohesion differed in both states, eventually affecting emancipation of national ideas. Nonetheless, the level of governance, unity of political and institutional actors, as well as success decided fates of BNR, which dissolved by the end of the same year. [From the publication]