Galician Soviet Socialist Republic
Encyclopedia
The Galician Soviet Socialist Republic (Galician SSR) existed from July 8, 1920 to September 21, 1920 during the Polish-Soviet War
within the area of the South-Western front of the Red Army. The entity existed for a couple of months and was never truly established nor recognized by anybody beside Soviet Russia which was also not recognized.
With the collapse of Austria-Hungary
following World War I in November 1918, western Podolia
was included in the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, but came under Polish control in 1919 which was confirmed in the Poland
–Ukrainian People's Republic
agreement in April 1920. Podolia was briefly occupied in 1920 by Soviets (the Galician SSR) during the course of the Polish-Soviet War.
The Galician SSR was established and managed by the Galician Revolutionary Committee (Halrevkom), a provisional government
created under the patronage of Soviet Russia
. The government was seated in Ternopil
in East Galicia with Volodymyr Zatonsky
(Vladimir Zatonsky) as its president. The Halrevkom established an administrative structure, a Galician Red Army
, a currency, and an education system. The national languages (of equal status) were declared to be Polish
, Ukrainian
, and Yiddish.
Halrevkom did not control the important area of East Galicia: Lviv
area with its oilfields of Boryslav
and Drohobych
.
The Galician SSR quickly disappeared. The Peace of Riga
of 1921 confirmed inclusion of the whole of Galicia into Poland.
A similar, but less elaborate activity, of communist Polrevkom, was related to the North-Western front of the Red Army (the "government" was seated in Bialystok
).
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
within the area of the South-Western front of the Red Army. The entity existed for a couple of months and was never truly established nor recognized by anybody beside Soviet Russia which was also not recognized.
With the collapse of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
following World War I in November 1918, western Podolia
Podolia
The region of Podolia is an historical region in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine, corresponding to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast. Northern Transnistria, in Moldova, is also a part of Podolia...
was included in the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, but came under Polish control in 1919 which was confirmed in the Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
–Ukrainian People's Republic
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
agreement in April 1920. Podolia was briefly occupied in 1920 by Soviets (the Galician SSR) during the course of the Polish-Soviet War.
The Galician SSR was established and managed by the Galician Revolutionary Committee (Halrevkom), a provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
created under the patronage of Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
. The government was seated in Ternopil
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
in East Galicia with Volodymyr Zatonsky
Volodymyr Zatonsky
Volodymyr Zatonsky was a Soviet politician, Communist Party activist, member of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences ....
(Vladimir Zatonsky) as its president. The Halrevkom established an administrative structure, a Galician Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, a currency, and an education system. The national languages (of equal status) were declared to be Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, and Yiddish.
Halrevkom did not control the important area of East Galicia: Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
area with its oilfields of Boryslav
Boryslav
Boryslav is a city located on the Tysmenytsia River , in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. The city is designated as a separate raion within the oblast....
and Drohobych
Drohobych
Drohobych is a city located at the confluence of the Tysmenytsia River and Seret, a tributary of the former, in the Lviv Oblast , in western Ukraine...
.
The Galician SSR quickly disappeared. The Peace of Riga
Peace of Riga
The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; was signed in Riga on 18 March 1921, between Poland, Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine. The treaty ended the Polish-Soviet War....
of 1921 confirmed inclusion of the whole of Galicia into Poland.
A similar, but less elaborate activity, of communist Polrevkom, was related to the North-Western front of the Red Army (the "government" was seated in Bialystok
Bialystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Located on the Podlaskie Plain on the banks of the Biała River, Białystok ranks second in terms of population density, eleventh in population, and thirteenth in area, of the cities of Poland...
).