Ukrainian-Soviet War

The Ukrainian–Soviet War of 1917–21 (Ukrainian: Українсько-радянська війна) was a military conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and pro-Bolshevik forces for the control of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Russian Empire. The February Revolution of 1917 caused the many ethnic groups in the Russian Empire to demand greater autonomy from Moscow and various degrees of self-determination. A month later the Ukrainian People's Republic w... more

The Ukrainian–Soviet War of 1917–21 (Ukrainian: Українсько-радянська війна) was a military conflict between the Ukrainian People's Republic and pro-Bolshevik forces for the control of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Russian Empire. The February Revolution of 1917 caused the many ethnic groups in the Russian Empire to demand greater autonomy from Moscow and various degrees of self-determination. A month later the Ukrainian People's Republic was declared in Kiev as an autonomous entity with close ties to the Russian Provisional Government, governed by the Tsentralna Rada. However, the October Revolution caused the Russian Empire to disintegrate completely. In late December 1917, Bolsheviks set up a rival Ukrainian government in Kharkiv, called the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and began hostilities against the government in Kiev. Following this, the Rada broke ties with Moscow on January 22, 1918, and declared Ukrainian independence, thereby commencing the Ukrainian War of... less