Ukrainian General Military Committee ( uk, Український генеральний військовий комітет; ''Ukrayinskyi heneralnyi viyskovyi komitet'') was the highest military institution in

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...

established by the First All-Ukrainian Military Congress on 18 May 1917 for the purpose of governing the Ukrainian military movement and transforming the Russian military on the territory of Ukrainian lands into national military force. The committee is seen as a precursor of the Ukrainian

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. The delegates of military congress decided that the committee would be subordinated to the

Central Council of Ukraine The Central Council of Ukraine ( uk, Українська Центральна Рада, ) (also called the Tsentralna Rada or the Central Rada) was the All-Ukrainian council (soviet) that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputie ...

rather than the

Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government ( rus, Временное правительство России, Vremennoye pravitel'stvo Rossii) was a provisional government of the Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately ...

or the All-Russian General Military Command.

Formation

Initially it was composed of 19 members:S.V.Petliura
Svoboda Ukrainian Daily. June 3, 1926. p2

Symon Petliura Symon Vasylyovych Petliura ( uk, Си́мон Васи́льович Петлю́ра; – May 25, 1926) was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He became the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Army and the President of the Ukrainian People' ...

(chairman),

Volodymyr Vynnychenko Volodymyr Kyrylovych Vynnychenko ( ua, Володимир Кирилович Винниченко, – March 6, 1951) was a Ukrainian statesman, political activist, writer, playwright, artist, who served as the first Prime Minister of Ukraine. ...

, General Mykhailo Ivanov, Colonel Ivan Lutsenko, Colonel Oleksandr Pilkevych, Colonel Viktor Pavlenko, Lt.Colonel Yuriy Kapkan, Lt.Colonel Volodymyr Poplavko, Lieutenant (

Poruchik The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe ( hr, poručnik, cs, poručík, pl, porucznik, russian: script=latn, poruchik, sr, script=latn, poručnik, sk, poručík) is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either ...

) Arsen Cherniavsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik)

Mykola Mikhnovsky Mykola Ivanovych Mikhnovsky ( uk, Мико́ла Іва́нович Міхно́вський; – 3 May 1924) was a Ukrainian independence activist, lawyer and journalist who was one of the early leaders of the Ukrainian nationalist movement ...

, Ensign ( Khorunzhyi) A.Pevnyi, Ensign (Khorunzhyi) Vasyl Potishko, Ensign (Khorunzhyi)

Mykhailo Poloz Mykhailo Mykolayovych Poloz ( uk, Михайло Микола́йович Полоз; 23 December 1891 – 3 November 1937) was a Ukrainian and Soviet politician, diplomat, and statesman, and a participant at the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Biog ...

, Ensign (Khorunzhyi) Fedir Seletsky, military administrator I.Horemyka-Krupchynsky, soldiers S.Hrazhdan and Dmytro Rovynsky, sailor Semen Pysmenyi. In June 1917 they were co-opted with General Luka Kondratovych, Colonel Oleksandr Zhukovsky, Lt.Colonel Vasyl Matiashevych, Lt.Colonel Oleksandr Slyvynsky, Captain (

Sotnyk Sotnik or sotnyk (, uk, сотник, bg, стотник) was a military rank among the Cossack ''starshyna'' (military officers), Strelets Troops (17th century) in Muscovy and Imperial Cossack cavalry (since 1826), the Ukrainian Insurgent Arm ...

) S.Biletsky, Captain (Sotnyk) H.Hlibovsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik)

Volodymyr Kedrowsky Volodymyr Kedrowsky ( uk, Володимир Кедровський; August 13, 1890Kedrowsky and Kuzych, 2003 – March 13, 1970) was a political activist, diplomat, writer, and a colonel in the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR). His ...

(deputy chairman), Lieutenant (Poruchik) M.Levytsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik) Petro Skrypchynsky, Soldier S.Kolos (secretary).

Subsequent fate of its members

* After realizing perspectivelessness of establishment of the Ukrainian military, Mikhnovsky resigned from the committee. Chairman of the Polubotko Military Club, Mikhnovsky forcefully tried to convince members of the

in militarization of Ukraine through the mutiny of members of Polubotko Military Club and Polubotko Regiment. * During the advance of Muravyov's Red Guards, Mykhailo Poloz was arrested due to cooperating with Bolsheviks and convicted to death by

firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...

. * Symon Petliura became the first minister (secretary) of Military Affairs of Ukraine, but eventually resigned in protest to policies of Vynnychenko's government. * Since October 1917 Ivan Lutsenko became one of leaders of

Free Cossacks Free Cossacks ( uk, Вільне козацтво) were Ukrainian Cossacks that were organized as volunteer militia units in the spring of 1917 in the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Free Cossacks are seen as precursors of the modern Ukrainian ...

. * Viktor Pavlenko became a chief of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

and created two Serdyuk Divisions. Later he worked in creation of the Ukrainian Air Force. * Yuri Kapkan replaced Pavlenko as a commander of all Ukrainian forces during the winter of 1917-18. * During the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Vasyl Potishko became one of organizers of the

Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council (''UHVR'') was an umbrella organization that combined various Ukrainian nationalists and anti-Soviet partisans until the early 1950s. The council was formed in July 1944. ''UHVR'' united Organization of Ukrain ...

. * In 1918 Luka Kondratovych headed the anti-Soviet Turkestan Military organization in

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...

. * Oleksandr Zhukovsky became a minister of Military Affairs and minister of Naval Affairs in 1918 and chief of Border Guard in 1919. * Oleksandr Slyvynsky replaced Kapkan as a commander of all Ukrainian forces. After the resignation of

Pavlo Skoropadsky Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi ( uk, Павло Петрович Скоропадський, Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, decorated Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian Arm ...

, Slyvynsky resigned as a chief of General Staff. * Members who formed the Ukrainian General Staff (General Bulawa): Oleksandr Slyvynsky (chief) and Fedir Seletsky.

Composition

* Presidium - 5 members

Sections

* Propaganda-Educational and Organizational ** Editorial-Publishing—Dmytro Rovynsky * Inspectorate—Mykhailo Ivanov * Mobilization and Military Communications—Volodymyr Kedrovsky * Military Engineering—Mykola Shumytsky * Sanitary-Medical—Dmytro Odryna * Jurist-Consultative—M.Levytsky * Military Training—Volodymyr Poplavko (since October 1917 - Arsen Cherniavsky) * Chancellery—S.Kolos * Committee Commandant and Free Cossacks Organization—A.Pevnyi * Commission of Special Services—Luka Kondratovych

Representatives

* Headquarters in Saint Petersburg—Oleksandr Pilkevych * General Staff in Saint Petersburg—Oleksandr Zhukovsky *

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) (c.600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of Defence (Est ...

* Southwestern Front headquarters—P.Skrypchynsky *

Odessa Military District The Odesa Military District (russian: Одесский военный округ, ОВО; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operat ...

headquarters—Volodymyr Poplavko *

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...

headquarters—Arsen Cherniavsky * Naval Affairs—Semen Pysmennyi

References

External links

Ukrainian General Military Committee
Boris Tristanov website. "History of Poltava". {{Authority control Military history of Ukraine Military of Ukraine 1917 establishments in Ukraine Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)