Hetmanate
Encyclopedia
The Ukrainian State or The Hetmanate was a short-lived polity
in Ukraine
, installed by Ukrainian Cossack
s and military organizations under the support of the Central Powers
, after disbanding the Central Rada of the Ukrainian National Republic on 28 April 1918.
organized a coup and appointed the Conservative General Pavlo Skoropadsky
(commander of the first Russia
n Corps and later leader of the Free Cossacks
) as Hetman
of what was termed the Ukrainska Derzhava or Ukrainian State. That day Skoropadsky issued his manifesto (hramota) to the All-Ukrainian Nation and the laws of the Provisional State System. The Austro-Hungarian
and German
occupiers, wanting stability above all else, welcomed the coup; Skoropadsky co-operated with them, making him unpopular among many Ukrainian peasants. The new state retained the tryzub
and the national colors, but reversed the flag design to light blue over yellow. The Sich Riflemen
opposed the coup and were disbanded along with the "Bluecoats" (a Ukrainian division named after their blue uniforms and formed from POWs in Germany and Austria
).
Internal opposition was provoked by the Hetman's requisitioning of food stocks and restoration of land to the wealthy landowners. Opponents of the Skoropadsky regime committed acts of arson
and sabotage
, and in July 1918 assassinated Field-Marshal Hermann von Eichhorn
, the commander of the German
troops in Ukraine
. The anti-Skoropadsky coalition succeeded in forcing him to re-form the Sich Riflemen Corps
in August 1918. By then it was becoming obvious that the Central Powers had lost the war and that Skoropadsky could no longer rely on their support. He then turned to support from conservative Russian elements in society and proposed joining a federation with Denikin's Russia, which further eroded his standing among Ukrainians.
and lasted to December 14 of the same year when Pavlo Skoropadsky
renounced his position of the Ukrainian State Hetman
. After the Armistice of 1918 the Ukrainian socialists formed a rival body known as the Directory
, whose forces were spearheaded by the Corps of Sich Riflemen
as well as the "Greycoats" who also joined the revolt. Although German and Austrian troops were still present in Ukraine, they had no further interest in the war. Most of Skoropadsky's own forces changed sides and chose the side the Directory. Skoropadsky had to turn to the thousands of Russian White Guard officers who escaped to Ukraine intending to join Denikin's Volunteer Army, based in the neighboring region of Don
further to the east. They were assembled into a "Special Corps"; Denikin was favoring Skoropadsky as he distrusted the other Ukrainian nationalists. However, the Skoropadsky's attempt to resist the forces of Symon Petlyura proved to be unsuccessful as he was unable to resist the Directory's troops. The Ukrainian People's Army
took Kiev in December 1918 and overthrew Skoropadsky's regime forcing him into exile.
After Skoropadsky was expelled by the insurgent forces, the Hetmanate was replaced by the provisional government of Directorate
.
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, installed by Ukrainian Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s and military organizations under the support of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
, after disbanding the Central Rada of the Ukrainian National Republic on 28 April 1918.
History
On April 29, 1918 the head of the German group army Kiew (Heeresgruppe Kiew), Hermann von EichhornHermann von Eichhorn
Hermann von Eichhorn was a Prussian general.-Biography:Eichhorn was born in Breslau in the Province of Silesia...
organized a coup and appointed the Conservative General Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi 3 May 1873, Wiesbaden, Germany – 26 April 1945, Metten monastery clinic, Bavaria, Germany) was a Ukrainian politician, earlier an aristocrat and decorated Imperial Russian Army general...
(commander of the first Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Corps and later leader of the Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks was the Ukrainian association volunteer militia units that arose somewhat spontaneously during the decomposition of the Russian Imperial Army in spring of 1917....
) as Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
of what was termed the Ukrainska Derzhava or Ukrainian State. That day Skoropadsky issued his manifesto (hramota) to the All-Ukrainian Nation and the laws of the Provisional State System. The Austro-Hungarian
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...
and German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
occupiers, wanting stability above all else, welcomed the coup; Skoropadsky co-operated with them, making him unpopular among many Ukrainian peasants. The new state retained the tryzub
Coat of arms of Ukraine
The state coat of arms of Ukraine or commonly the Tryzub is the national coat of arms of Ukraine, featuring the same colors found on the Ukrainian flag; a blue shield with yellow trident, called the tryzub...
and the national colors, but reversed the flag design to light blue over yellow. The Sich Riflemen
Sich Riflemen
The Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin were one of the first regular military units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, local population and former commanders of the Ukrainian Sich...
opposed the coup and were disbanded along with the "Bluecoats" (a Ukrainian division named after their blue uniforms and formed from POWs in Germany and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
).
Internal opposition was provoked by the Hetman's requisitioning of food stocks and restoration of land to the wealthy landowners. Opponents of the Skoropadsky regime committed acts of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, and in July 1918 assassinated Field-Marshal Hermann von Eichhorn
Hermann von Eichhorn
Hermann von Eichhorn was a Prussian general.-Biography:Eichhorn was born in Breslau in the Province of Silesia...
, the commander of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
troops in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The anti-Skoropadsky coalition succeeded in forcing him to re-form the Sich Riflemen Corps
Sich Riflemen
The Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin were one of the first regular military units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, local population and former commanders of the Ukrainian Sich...
in August 1918. By then it was becoming obvious that the Central Powers had lost the war and that Skoropadsky could no longer rely on their support. He then turned to support from conservative Russian elements in society and proposed joining a federation with Denikin's Russia, which further eroded his standing among Ukrainians.
Ukrainian Civil War
A military conflict that started on November 16, 1918 in Bila TserkvaBila Tserkva
Bila Tserkva is a city located on the Ros' River in the Kiev Oblast in central Ukraine, approximately south of the capital, Kiev. Population 203,300 Area 34 km².-Administrative status:...
and lasted to December 14 of the same year when Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Skoropadsky
Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi 3 May 1873, Wiesbaden, Germany – 26 April 1945, Metten monastery clinic, Bavaria, Germany) was a Ukrainian politician, earlier an aristocrat and decorated Imperial Russian Army general...
renounced his position of the Ukrainian State Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
. After the Armistice of 1918 the Ukrainian socialists formed a rival body known as the Directory
Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory was a provisional revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian National Republic, formed in 1918 by the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Skoropadsky's regime....
, whose forces were spearheaded by the Corps of Sich Riflemen
Sich Riflemen
The Sich Riflemen Halych-Bukovyna Kurin were one of the first regular military units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The unit operated from 1917 to 1919 and was formed from Ukrainian soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, local population and former commanders of the Ukrainian Sich...
as well as the "Greycoats" who also joined the revolt. Although German and Austrian troops were still present in Ukraine, they had no further interest in the war. Most of Skoropadsky's own forces changed sides and chose the side the Directory. Skoropadsky had to turn to the thousands of Russian White Guard officers who escaped to Ukraine intending to join Denikin's Volunteer Army, based in the neighboring region of Don
Don River (Russia)
The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....
further to the east. They were assembled into a "Special Corps"; Denikin was favoring Skoropadsky as he distrusted the other Ukrainian nationalists. However, the Skoropadsky's attempt to resist the forces of Symon Petlyura proved to be unsuccessful as he was unable to resist the Directory's troops. The Ukrainian People's Army
Ukrainian People's Army
The Ukrainian People's Army , also known as the Ukrainian National Army were often quickly reorganized units of the former Russian Imperial Army or newly formed volunteer detachments that later joined the national armed forces. The army for a long period lacked a certain degree of uniformity,...
took Kiev in December 1918 and overthrew Skoropadsky's regime forcing him into exile.
After Skoropadsky was expelled by the insurgent forces, the Hetmanate was replaced by the provisional government of Directorate
Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory was a provisional revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian National Republic, formed in 1918 by the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Skoropadsky's regime....
.
Administrative division
| Unit | Central city | Starosta |
|---|---|---|
| Zhytomyr Zhytomyr Zhytomyr is a city in the North of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyr Raion... |
Dmytro Andro | |
| Katerynoslav | Ivan Chernikov | |
| Kiev Kiev Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press.... |
Ivan Chartoryzhski | |
| Kamyanets Kamianets-Podilskyi Kamyanets-Podilsky or Kamienets-Podolsky is a city located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi... |
Serhii Kyselov | |
| Poltava Poltava Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 .... |
Serhii Ivanenko | |
| Kharkiv Kharkiv Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was... |
Petro Zaleski | |
| Kherson Kherson Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kherson Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast. Kherson is an important port on the Black Sea and Dnieper River, and the home of a major ship-building industry... |
Semen Pyshchevych | |
| Brest Brest, Belarus Brest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet... |
Olexandr Skoropys-Yoltukhovski | |
| Chernihiv Chernihiv Chernihiv or Chernigov is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast , as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion within the oblast... |
Mykola Savicki | |
| Mozyr | ||
| Berdiansk Berdiansk Berdyansk is a port city in the Zaporizhia Oblast of south-east Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Berdyansky Raion , the city itself is directly subordinate to the oblast, and is located on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov.The current estimated population is around 125,000... |
||
| Simferopol Simferopol -Russian Empire and Civil War:The city was renamed Simferopol in 1784 after the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to the Russian Empire by Catherine II of Russia. The name Simferopol is derived from the Greek, Συμφερόπολις , translated as "the city of usefulness." In 1802, Simferopol became the... |
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| Katerinodar | ||