Winter Ukrainian Offensive (1918–19) on:
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The Soviet invasion of Ukraine was a major offensive by the Ukrainian Front of the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
against the 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 ...
(UPR) during the Soviet–Ukrainian War. The invasion was first planned in November 1918, after the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was the government of Soviet Russia in 1917–1946. It was established by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deput ...
annulled the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (also known as the Treaty of Brest in Russia) was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918 between Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire), that ended Russia's ...
, and was launched in the first days of January 1919, with the occupation of Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.RSFSR, as the country was of significant economic, demographic and strategic importance for the
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
. In the longer term, the capture of the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
coast was to prevent an intervention by the Allies in support of the Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...
. Finally, the Bolsheviks intended to extend the area they control as far as possible to the west, in order to be able to support the other revolutionary movements in Europe.
In the first days of January 1919, by joining forces with local workers' units, the troops of the took Kharkiv, which was announced as the seat of the Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government of Ukraine
The Provisional Workers-Peasants Government of Ukraine (russian: Временное рабоче-крестьянское правительство Украины, uk, Тимчасовий Робітничо-Селянський Уряд Укра ...
. Then they quickly captured most of northern and eastern Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine ( uk, Східна Україна, Skhidna Ukrayina; russian: Восточная Украина, Vostochnaya Ukraina) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Khar ...
, and on 5 February 1919, they occupied Kyiv. The Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory () was a provisional collegiate revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian People's Republic, initially formed on November 13–14, 1918 during a session of the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Sk ...
moved to Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug.
It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. ...
, then to Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
. By spring, the Red Army had reached the Zbruch
The Zbruch ( uk, Збруч, pl, Zbrucz) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч
and repelled a counteroffensive by the Ukrainian People's Army
The Ukrainian People's Army ( uk, Армія Української Народної Республіки), also known as the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) or as a derogatory term of Russian and Soviet historiography Petliurovtsy ( uk, Пет ...
(UPA) that threatened Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
.
The introduction of the policy of war communism
War communism or military communism (russian: Военный коммунизм, ''Voyennyy kommunizm'') was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921.
According to Soviet histo ...
and the requisitioning of food for the needs of the cities quickly alienated a significant part of the Ukrainian peasantry from Bolshevik rule. The outbreak of a number of local uprisings, and in May 1919, the rebellion of the 20,000-strong forces of Nykyfor Hryhoriv
Nykyfor Oleksandrovych Hryhoriv (né Nychypir Servetnyk, 1884 – 27 July 1919) was a Ukrainian paramilitary leader noted for repeatedly switching sides during the Ukrainian Civil War. He was commonly known as "Otaman Hryhoriv." In some historic ...
, prevented the Red Army from finally destroying the UPA and marching west towards Bessarabia and Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
. At the end of June, the Red Army suffered a series of defeats in clashes with the Volunteer Army in Donbas, losing Katerynoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
and Poltava by the end of June 1919, as well as those territories captured in the course of operations against Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...
and Odesa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrati ...
. In August, the Red Army also succumbed to the offensive of the combined forces of the Ukrainian People's Army and the Ukrainian Galician Army
Ukrainian Galician Army ( uk, Українська Галицька Армія, translit=Ukrayins’ka Halyts’ka Armiya, UHA), was the Ukrainian military of the West Ukrainian National Republic during and after the Polish-Ukrainian War. It w ...
. On 31 August, Kyiv was captured, first by the Ukrainian People's Army, and then, after their withdrawal from the city, by the Volunteer Army.
Planning
On 12 November 1918, at the direct command of theCouncil of People's Commissars
The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...
, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Russian SFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
, headed by Leon Trotsky
Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...
, dismissed Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko
Vladimir Alexandrovich Antonov-Ovseenko (russian: Влади́мир Алекса́ндрович Анто́нов-Овсе́енко; ua, Володимир Антонов-Овсєєнко; 9 March 1883 – 10 February 1938), real surna ...
from the Ural Front and ordered him to prepare an offensive in the direction of Ukraine within ten days. The Ukrainian Revolutionary Military Council was immediately established, including Antonov-Ovseenko, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
, Volodymyr Zatonsky
Volodymyr Petrovych Zatonsky ( uk, Володи́мир Зато́нський, russian: Влади́мир Петро́вич Зато́нский ''Vladimir Petrovich Zatonsky''; July 27, 1888 – July 29, 1938) was a Soviet politician, aca ...
and Georgy Pyatakov
Georgy (Yury) Leonidovich Pyatakov (russian: Гео́ргий Леони́дович Пятако́в; 6 August 1890 – 30 January 1937) was a leader of the Bolsheviks and a key Soviet politician during and after the 1917 Russian Revolution ...
. Over the next two days, Antonov-Ovseenko developed an offensive plan. It was based on the assumption that, in the first place, the Bolshevik forces should seize cities, industrial centers, ports, and railway junctions, which would provide the necessary resources and guarantee the possibility of gaining support from the workers. In the first move, Antonov-Ovseenko planned to attack Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Donbas. The second step was to capture
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
, and the third step was to capture southern Ukraine and the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
coast, including the key centers of Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...
and Odesa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrati ...
.
As the commander-in-chief of the Red Army Jukums Vācietis
Jukums Vācietis (russian: Иоаким Иоакимович Вацетис, link=no, ''Ioakim Ioakimovich Vatsetis''; 11 November 1873 – 28 July 1938) was a Latvian Soviet military commander. He was a rare example of a notable Soviet leader ...
adopted the Antonov-Ovseenko plan without amendments, he decided that he would receive in the course of operations all the necessary replenishment (including armored trains) and supplies. In particular, the commander of the Ukrainian Front expected that he would have at his disposal the Reserve Army under the command of Vasily Glagolev
Vasily Vasilyevich Glagolev (russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Глаго́лев; 21 February 1896 – 21 September 1947) was a Red Army Colonel general, Hero of the Soviet Union, and commander of the Soviet airborne (VDV). After i ...
. Vacietis, however, assigned him completely different tasks - participation in the defense of Voronezh against Pyotr Krasnov
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov ( rus, Пётр Николаевич Краснов; 22 September (old style: 10 September) 1869 – 17 January 1947), sometimes referred to in English as Peter Krasnov, was a Don Cossack historian and officer, promot ...
's Don Army and Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
's Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...
. This was in line with Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...
's expectations - while Trotsky was convinced that the seizure of Ukraine should be a priority for the Red Army, the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars considered it more important to repel direct threats by the White movement to the Southern and Eastern Fronts. An additional source of conflicts between Vacietis and the Ukrainian Revolutionary-Military Council was the conviction of Stalin, Zatonsky and Pyatakov that they were performing a task of special importance, independent of other operations conducted by the Southern Front.
At the disposal of Antonov-Ovseenko were initially and , as well as the 9th division, to which new volunteers were constantly arriving , but which needed urgent additions to hardware and supplies. The two Soviet Ukrainian divisions, formed in mid-1918 by the Ukrainian Bolsheviks in order to fight the government of Pavlo Skoropadskyi
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 Army ...
and the Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
, did not have high combat value. Many volunteers who joined them during the formation intended to fight only in their local area and deserted when the fighting moved to other regions.
On 20 November, Antonov-Ovseenko directed orders both to the line units of the Red Army and to irregular units in Ukraine that were participating in the anti-Hetman uprising and recognizing, at least formally, the sovereignty of the . He ordered the revolutionary troops in Homiel
Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census).
Etymology
There are at least six narratives of the ori ...
to maintain control of the city in order to prevent anti-Bolshevik forces from moving from Kyiv towards Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
and Bryansk
Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population:
Geography Urban la ...
. Those operating in the regions of Katerynoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
and Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...
. Bolshevik supporters in northern Donbas were called on to organize guerrillas and take control of the region, and those who were in Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
- to prepare to repel possible Allied intervention on the peninsula. In November 1918, a wave of strikes broke out in cities in eastern Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine ( uk, Східна Україна, Skhidna Ukrayina; russian: Восточная Украина, Vostochnaya Ukraina) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Khar ...
and partisan troops also operated outside the cities. Meanwhile, on 21 November, Vacietis ordered Antonov-Ovseenko to focus on the expansion and training of troops and to set up a strike group that would attack the forces of Pyotr Krasnov at Millerovo Millerovo (russian: Миллерово) is the name of several inhabited localities in Rostov Oblast, Russia.
;Urban localities
*Millerovo, Millerovsky District, Rostov Oblast, a town in Millerovsky District
Millerovsky District (russian: Ми́ ...
. Troops of the Don Cossacks, with the consent of the retreating Germans, took control of the Donbas from them.
The commander of the Ukrainian Front decided to ignore the orders of the high command, offended by the tone and wording contained in the Vacietis directives. Having learned about the landing of the first Allied ships in Odesa, Antonov-Ovseenko decided to lead the offensive according to his own concept. At the same time, Pyatakov and Zatonsky began to form a Bolshevik government for Ukraine. Although in October 1918, the Bolshevik government had concluded an agreement with the Ukrainian socialist leader 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. ...
, under which it was not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic, in exchange for consent to the legal operation of the communist party within its borders. However, it was decided to undertake military intervention. On 28 November 1918, the Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government of Ukraine
The Provisional Workers-Peasants Government of Ukraine (russian: Временное рабоче-крестьянское правительство Украины, uk, Тимчасовий Робітничо-Селянський Уряд Укра ...
was established in Kursk.
Battle
Kharkiv offensive
In December 1918, the Ukrainian Soviet divisions were put at the disposal of Antonov-Ovseenko. Numbering approximately 5,000 soldiers each, the divisions were still not full-fledged regular formations. They consisted of undisciplined, largely independent departments. Their commanders included both ideological communists and ordinary peasants. One-third of the red soldiers and guerrillas had no weapons at all. Before the start of military operations, Antonov-Ovseenko relieved the most disgraced commanders from command, but he never gained complete control over the units that made up his front. Further disputes between Antonov-Ovseenko and Vacietis concerning competences and tactics lasted almost throughout December 1918. Finally, on 2 January 1919, Antonov-Ovseenko made a decision on his own to start the march toKharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Ukrainian Front was formally established with Antonov-Ovseenko as the commander. The Reserve Army was attached to the Front, and
In the face of the invasion, treating the Red Army's march as an expression of 
Meanwhile, the Bolshevik troops continued to grow, after the occupation of Kharkiv, as the 1st Ukrainian Soviet Division alone reached over 10,000 soldiers. The Ukrainian capital was left without a fight, seized by the 1st Ukrainian Soviet Division on 5 February. Earlier, on 29 January 1919, the Provisional Workers' and Peasants Government was transformed into the
In May 1919, the most serious uprising against the Soviet government in central and southern Ukraine took place - otaman Nykyfor Hryhoriv led a rebellion against the command of the Ukrainian Front and the government of the Ukrainian SSR. His forces numbered 20,000 soldiers, 10 armored trains and 700 machine guns, which allowed him to take control of the area with
Vasily Glagolev
Vasily Vasilyevich Glagolev (russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Глаго́лев; 21 February 1896 – 21 September 1947) was a Red Army Colonel general, Hero of the Soviet Union, and commander of the Soviet airborne (VDV). After i ...
was appointed as its chief of staff. A significant part of the partisan peasant units in Ukraine, which had previously fought against the Germans and sympathized with Petliura, defected to the Soviet side, under the influence of Bolshevik agitation. The urban proletariat of non-Ukrainian origin also joined the fight on the side of the Red Army.
March on Poltava, Katerynoslav and Kyiv
After the capture of Kharkiv, the offensive of the Ukrainian Front significantly accelerated. On 12 January 1919, the Red Army capturedChernihiv
Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...
and, on 20 January, it successfully captured Poltava after a sixteen-day battle for the city. Units of the 2nd Ukrainian Soviet Division, led by Pavel Dybenko
Pavel Efimovich Dybenko (russian: Павел Ефимович Дыбенко), (February 16, 1889 – July 29, 1938) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a leading Soviet officer and military commander.
Prior to military service
Pavel Dybenko was b ...
, entered Katerynoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
, which the Petliurists and Makhnovists had been fighting fierecly over. On 18 January 1919, Antonov-Ovseenko, who moved his quarters from Kursk to Chernihiv, accelerated the preparations for the march to Kyiv. He expected that the Allies who landed in Odesa and Crimea also intended to launch an offensive in the same direction, in support of Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
's Volunteer Army
The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...
. However, the negotiations of the Directorate with the French regarding active military aid ended with the French refusing.
In the face of the invasion, treating the Red Army's march as an expression of Russian imperialism
Russian imperialism includes the policy and ideology of power exerted by Russia, as well as its antecedent states, over other countries and external territories. This includes the conquests of the Russian Empire, the imperial actions of the Soviet ...
, Vynnychenko's Ukrainian socialists supported the defense of the country's independence. However, it turned out to be impossible to successfully repel the march of the Ukrainian Front, as the forces loyal to the Directorate were dwindling with each passing day. The Ukrainian national movement did not have a broad social base, being the domain of mainly a narrow intelligentsia. In addition, the Directorate was weakened by internal disputes between nationalists and socialists. At the end of January, only 21,000 soldiers remained loyal to the Ukrainian government. On 23 January, Symon Petliura began the evacuation of military personnel from the capital to avoid a battle, the outcome of which would be a foregone conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Bolshevik troops continued to grow, after the occupation of Kharkiv, as the 1st Ukrainian Soviet Division alone reached over 10,000 soldiers. The Ukrainian capital was left without a fight, seized by the 1st Ukrainian Soviet Division on 5 February. Earlier, on 29 January 1919, the Provisional Workers' and Peasants Government was transformed into the Council of People's Commissars
The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...
, headed by Christian Rakovsky. The directorate moved to Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug.
It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. ...
, and then to Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
.
By the end of January, the Red Army had captured the entirety of left-bank Ukraine
Left-bank Ukraine ( uk, Лівобережна Україна, translit=Livoberezhna Ukrayina; russian: Левобережная Украина, translit=Levoberezhnaya Ukraina; pl, Lewobrzeżna Ukraina) is a historic name of the part of Ukrain ...
. In early February, partisan units allied with the Red Army seized Znamianka, Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. K ...
and . A workers' uprising broke out in Yelysavethrad, the participants of which, after joining forces with the partisans, seized the city. On 12 February, Novomyrhorod was seized. The Red Army continued their march south and west into areas controlled by Allied interventionist troops. By this time, there were 200,000 people in the Red Army, as the anarchist forces of Nestor Makhno
Nestor Ivanovych Makhno, The surname "Makhno" ( uk, Махно́) was itself a corruption of Nestor's father's surname "Mikhnenko" ( uk, Міхненко). ( 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno ("Father Makhno"),; According to ...
were incorporated into the Ukrainian Soviet ranks and the peasant division of otaman Nykyfor Hryhoriv
Nykyfor Oleksandrovych Hryhoriv (né Nychypir Servetnyk, 1884 – 27 July 1919) was a Ukrainian paramilitary leader noted for repeatedly switching sides during the Ukrainian Civil War. He was commonly known as "Otaman Hryhoriv." In some historic ...
also defected from the side of the Ukrainian nationalists to the Soviets.
After the capture of Kyiv, the Red Army continued its offensive actions in three directions. The Northern Group headed from Mazyr
Mazyr ( be, Мазыр, ; russian: Мозырь ''Mozyr'' , pl, Mozyrz , Yiddish: מאזיר) is a city in the Gomel Region of Belarus on the Pripyat River about east of Pinsk and northwest of Chernobyl. It is located at approximately . The p ...
towards Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
, and from Luninets
Luninets ( be, Лунінец, russian: Лунине́ц, pl, Łuniniec, lt, Luninecas, yi, לונינייץ, Luninitz BGN/PCGN romanization: ''Luninyets'') is a town and administrative centre for the Luninets district in Brest Region, Belarus. ...
through Sarny
Sarny ( uk, Сáрни), translated as '' Does'', is a small city in Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Sarny Raion (district), and is a major railway node on the Sluch River. Population:
History His ...
towards Rivne
Rivne (; uk, Рівне ),) also known as Rovno (Russian: Ровно; Polish: Równe; Yiddish: ראָוונע), is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast (province), as well as the surrounding Rivne Raio ...
, to prevent the Ukrainian People's Army from joining forces with the Ukrainian Galician Army
Ukrainian Galician Army ( uk, Українська Галицька Армія, translit=Ukrayins’ka Halyts’ka Armiya, UHA), was the Ukrainian military of the West Ukrainian National Republic during and after the Polish-Ukrainian War. It w ...
. The Southern Group, supported by the forces of otaman Hryhoriv, was intended to cut off the UPA troops from possible Allied aid and attacked from the Katerynoslav region and Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro River. The city serves as the administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (pr ...
along the line Zhmerynka
Zhmerynka ( uk, Жмеринка ) is a city in Vinnytsia Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Zhmerynka Raion (district), the town itself is not a part of the district and is separately incorporated a ...
-Koziatyn
Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...
-Podilsk
Podilsk ( uk, Поді́льськ, ; ro, Bârzula or ), until May 2016 Kotovsk ( uk, Котовськ, Russian: Котовск) is a city in Odesa Oblast, southern Ukraine. Administratively, Podilsk is incorporated as a town of oblast signifi ...
. The third group headed from Kyiv along the Berdychiv-Koziatyn-Zhmerynka line to prevent the northern and southern wings of the Ukrainian People's Republic from joining. Ukrainian troops survived in Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. The ...
and Podolia
Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-central ...
, but the existence of the Ukrainian People's Republic, at the same time at war with Poland, and cut off from the Black Sea from the south by French forces, seemed doomed. By mid-February, there were 46,000 soldiers and 14 thousand partisans under the command of Antonov-Ovseenko. The regular army, however, still remained insufficiently disciplined and trained, lacked competent officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and political commissars. In turn, the loyalty of partisan formations to the Bolshevik command was uncertain, these units repeatedly robbed and murdered Jews, or even local newly arrived Soviet officials. In the spring of 1919, the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic withdrew to the vicinity of Kamianets-Podilskyi and western Volhynia, and the Red Army had reached the Zbruch
The Zbruch ( uk, Збруч, pl, Zbrucz) is a river in Western Ukraine, a left tributary of the Dniester.Збруч
.
The implementation of war communism
War communism or military communism (russian: Военный коммунизм, ''Voyennyy kommunizm'') was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921.
According to Soviet histo ...
by the government of Rakovsky, which introduced requisitions and the Cheka to the countryside, quickly alienated a significant part of the Ukrainian peasantry from the Bolshevik rule. Rakovsky was also reluctant to cooperate with the Borotbists
The Borotbists (Fighters) (1918–1920) was a left-nationalist political party in Ukraine. It is not be associated with its Russian affiliated counterparts - the Ukrainian Party of Left Socialist-Revolutionaries (Borbysts) and the Ukrainian Commu ...
, who acted independently of the Bolshevik party. As a result, there was a series of peasant uprisings in the countryside against the new authorities. The reorganization of the Ukrainian Soviet government and the introduction of Borotbist representatives into it only partially calmed the situation. Party officials and activists from Moscow, not understanding the local realities, contributed to the growth of antagonisms.
Ukrainian counter-offensive
In March 1919, the Ukrainian People's Army launched a counteroffensive, defeating the Red Army along the Koziatyn-Berdychiv line. It came close to achieving its goal of regaining Kyiv. In April, the Red Army launched a counter-attack, seizing Zhmerynka and cutting off the southern flank of the Ukrainian People's Army from its core body. The Ukrainian People's Army was pushed to a narrow strip of territory, with an average width of 40-50 km, in theBrody
Brody ( uk, Броди; russian: Броды, Brodï; pl, Brody; german: Brody; yi, בראָד, Brod) is a city in Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately ...
and Dubno
Dubno ( uk, Ду́бно) is a city and municipality located on the Ikva River in Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Dubno Raion (district). The city is located on intersection of two major ...
region. An attempted coup by Volodymyr Oskilko
Volodymyr Panteleimonovych Oskilko ( uk, Володимир Пантелеймонович Оскілко; 1892? – 19 June 1926) was a Ukrainian military activist and administrator. He became famous for the "Oskilko Affair" (see below).
Biogra ...
weakened it all the more.
In May 1919, the most serious uprising against the Soviet government in central and southern Ukraine took place - otaman Nykyfor Hryhoriv led a rebellion against the command of the Ukrainian Front and the government of the Ukrainian SSR. His forces numbered 20,000 soldiers, 10 armored trains and 700 machine guns, which allowed him to take control of the area with Katerynoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
, Yelysavethrad, Kherson, Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro River. The city serves as the administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (pr ...
, Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...
, Cherkasy
Cherkasy ( uk, Черка́си, ) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy is the capital of Cherkasy Oblast ( province), as well as the administrative center of Cherkasky Raion (district) within the oblast. The city has a population of
C ...
, Oleksandriia and Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. K ...
.
The necessity to fight Hryhoriv forced the command of the Ukrainian Front to give up any further offensive in the south-west direction, making it impossible to enter Bessarabia and Eastern Galicia
Eastern Galicia ( uk, Східна Галичина, Skhidna Galychyna, pl, Galicja Wschodnia, german: Ostgalizien) is a geographical region in Western Ukraine (present day oblasts of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil), having also essential h ...
and preventing them from providing military support to the Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...
.
In June 1919, after the conclusion of a ceasefire with Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and regrouping, the Ukrainian People's Army numbered 15,000 active soldiers. It launched a new counter-offensive. At the beginning of the month, it again took control of Podolia
Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-central ...
. At the end of the month, the Red Army achieved a new victory, taking Proskuriv
Khmelnytskyi ( uk, Хмельни́цький, Khmelnytskyi, ), until 1954 Proskuriv ( uk, Проску́рів, links=no ), is a city in western Ukraine, the administrative center for Khmelnytskyi Oblast (region) and Khmelnytskyi Raion (dist ...
and approaching Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
. The Ukrainian People's Army achieved a new success when it was joined by Yuriy Tyutyunnyk's troops, which had previously been under the command of Hryhoriv. The Ukrainian counter-offensive reached the line Horodok-Jarmolińce-Szarhorod-Dunajowce-Nowa Uszyca-Wapniarka. This was followed by the merger of the Ukrainian People's Army with the Ukrainian Galician Army, which brought together 85,000 soldiers and 15,000 partisans. At the same time, the Red Army suffered a series of defeats in the fight against the Volunteer Army. At the beginning of June, it lost in the battle for the Donbas. By 27 June, the Ukrainian Soviet capital of Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.lost to the Whites. The following day, Katerynoslav also fell to the White advance, followed soon after by Poltava,
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...
and Odesa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrati ...
.
In August 1919, the Ukrainian troops carried out a in the direction of Kyiv, successively taking Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug.
It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. ...
on 12 August, Starokostiantyniv
Starokostiantyniv ( uk, Старокостянтинів; pl, Starokonstantynów, or ''Konstantynów''; yi, אלט-קאָנסטאַנטין ''Alt Konstantin'') is a city in Khmelnytskyi Raion, Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. ...
on 14 August, Berdychiv on 19 August and Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative ...
on 21 August. On 31 August, the Ukrainian Galician troops of Myron Tarnavsky briefly entered Kyiv, which had been abandoned by the Bolsheviks, but a few hours later White troops led by occupied the city. As the bridges on the Dniepr
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and ...
were not manned by the Ukrainian troops, they were forced to hand the city over to the Whites. The conflict between the Ukrainian nationalists and the Whites made it possible for the Bolsheviks to transfer some of their forces from the Katerynoslav region to right-bank Ukraine
Right-bank Ukraine ( uk , Правобережна Україна, ''Pravoberezhna Ukrayina''; russian: Правобережная Украина, ''Pravoberezhnaya Ukraina''; pl, Prawobrzeżna Ukraina, sk, Pravobrežná Ukrajina, hu, Jobb p ...
, near Zhytomyr, and to continue fighting with Petliura's forces.
References
Bibliography
* * * * * * * * {{cite encyclopedia , first = Arkadii , last = Zhukovsky , title = Ukrainian-Soviet War, 1917–21 , year = 1993 , access-date = 13 August 2018 , encyclopedia =Encyclopedia of Ukraine
The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' ( uk, Енциклопедія українознавства, translit=Entsyklopediia ukrainoznavstva), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies.
Development
The work was creat ...
, volume = 5 , url = http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages%5CU%5CK%5CUkrainian6SovietWar1917hD721.htm , language = en
1919 in Ukraine
Battles of the Ukrainian–Soviet War
Conflicts in 1919
Battles of the Russian Civil War
Soviet military occupations
Military operations involving the Soviet Union
U
Soviet Union–Ukraine relations