History 22/03/20 Polish-Ukrainian war 1918-1919: who will win
By the end of the First world war in the disintegration of three empires – the Russian, German and Austro-Hungarian poles and Ukrainians dawned the prospects of independence. However, the obstacle in the way was the territorial disputes between neighbors.
the Background
In January 1918, Ukraine proclaimed the creation of their own state – Ukrainian national Republic (UNR). The idea of a “United Ukraine”, uniting all ethnic Ukrainian lands “from Poprad and the Dunajec river to the Caucasus” has not belonged to the category of the priority tasks of the liberation movement was more important than the fact of preservation of an independent Ukrainian state and its recognition in the world.
Poland was carrying no less ambitious plans. Starting the gradual path to restore the borders of the Commonwealth, under the leadership of Jozef Pilsudski, she sought to combine in his state of the Gdansk Pomerania, Masuria, Varma, land of the former Duchy of Poznan from Silesia, Lithuania and Belarus.
One of the main problems of territorial claims of the two powers was the issue of Polish-Ukrainian demarcation. The stumbling block of Eastern Galicia, formerly part of Austria-Hungary, and Kholmshchyna, Podlasie and Volhynia, until recently were under the rule of the Russian Empire.
Ukrainian national Rada its claim to the disputed territory based on the prevalence of the Ukrainian ethnos. The Polish authorities pointed out the active Polonization of the region and, as a consequence, the geopolitical justification for the return of the historical regions of the Commonwealth.
a Particularly tense situation was in Eastern Galicia covered the cultural struggles of the poles and Ukrainians. But if in the countryside the Ukrainian population reached 90%, in cities it did not exceed 20%.
the question of the Polish-Ukrainian demarcation entered in the active phase on 9 October 1918, when Polish deputies to the Austrian Parliament decided to merge in the new state all of the disputed territories. In response, the Ukrainian national Council has set a goal to create in the Eastern territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire their own state with its capital in Lviv. It quickly became clear that the territorial dispute could be resolved only by force.
the Battle for Lviv
on the night of 1 November the troops sichevykh shooters (part of the Ukrainian in the Austrian army) in the amount of 1,500 people went to the city. For the Austrian authorities of the capital of Eastern Galicia, the invasion was a complete surprise. Overnight Ukrainian troops without a fight took all the important institutions of the city: the Parliament, the building of the military headquarters, barracks, station, post; General-the commandant was taken under arrest, and disarmed the garrison. Before morning under Ukrainian control passed other Austrian possessions – Stanislaviv (Ivano-Frankivsk), Ternopil, Kolomyia, Ukraine, Sokal, Borislav.
on the same day in Przemysl, clashes between poles and Ukrainians, and the early morning of 2 November, the first shots were fired in Lviv. First, the resistance of the Ukrainian parts had 200 veterans of the “Polish military organization”, but after the capture of the Armory was able to equip a militia, mostly young people – students and high school students.
on 3 November in Lviv was established the headquarters of the uprising, the Polish national Committee and was elected commandant of the city – Czeslaw Monchinski. Polish rebels tried to repel the Sejm and mail, but their attacks were met with desperate resistance of Sich. By the time the poles of Lviv was able to collect 1150 soldiers, the total number of Ukrainian troops has reached the 2,050 people. The preponderance of Ukrainians in the number of the poles managed to level through excellence in personnel: 500 officers to 70.
the War has divided many families. It happened that in a Polish family, one of the sons could call themselves “Ukrainians”, and the other would join the ranks of the Polish postanCET. So, on the side of the poles fought Colonel Wladyslaw Sikorski, the future General and the Prime Minister of Poland. His cousin Leo Sikorski joined the Ukrainian parts.
After a brief lull on 5 November, the second phase of the battle for the lions. The Polish troops tried to gain an advantage, covering the city centre from the North, West and South. Fierce fighting for the strategically important sites – the Citadel, the barracks of Ferdinand, the cadet school, the Jesuit Park, post office.
Ukrainian authorities have used the time to mobilize the population in the Ukrainian Galician army (UHA). Parallel taken and political decisions. November 13 was proclaimed the state of Western Ukraine — the West Ukrainian national Republic (ZUNR), which is considered as the territory of Eastern Galicia, Northern Bukovina and Transcarpathia. President ZUNR was Eugene Petrushevych.
a Long and unsuccessful battle for lions forced both sides to make peace. On 17 November an agreement was signed on a two-day cease-fire. The Ukrainians were able in those days to pull up additional forces. Not far behind, and the poles, who mastered Przemysl, sent 1400 infantry, 8 artillery guns and 11 machine guns. But the main striking force of the Polish army was the armored train. I could see the superiority of poles: 5800 4600 soldiers against soldiers of the CAA, that has contributed to the speedy return of the nal control of the city.
the Prolonged conflict
By December, 1918 the front of the Polish-Ukrainian confrontation lasted for 200 km of the Galician army was actively supported by the Directory, who took power in Kiev. She was sent to Galicia not only significant funds but also supplied weapons: 20 thousand rifles, 300 machine guns, 80 guns, 20 aircraft. The Minister of war UNR Simon Petlura had made plans to transfer to the front most part of the troops of the Republic.
on 21 January 1919 the Ukrainian army launched an active attack, captured Kovel and Vladimir-Volynsk. However, fighting intensified in the rear of the Bolsheviks did not allow to develop success. The poles seized the moment and organized a General offensive on the Northern front. However, the Polish army was unable to make progress, weaken the border conflict with Czechoslovakia.
In February, the epicenter of the conflict have relocated to Lviv. Guide the CAA has developed a plan of operation, in which the brunt of the lions must be applied from the village Vovchukhy. The city is going to take any price. A powerful shot was followed by 16 Feb. After two days of fierce fighting, UGA cut the railway line Przemysl – Lviv, depriving the Polish troops the most important channel of supply. The lions were preparing to surrender. The situation turned urgent transfer of more than 10 000 soldiers from Poland, which had restored the front line to the pre-Volchovsky operations.
At the end of winter, came to the city peacekeeping mission of the Entente, led by General barthélemy. The French General offered the services of a mediator in the solution of the Galician conflict, forcing his dividing line of the two sides. “The line Barthelemy”, according to which Poland was ceded the oil-rich district of Drohobych and Lviv, was categorically unacceptable for the ZUNR. The negotiations failed, and in early March of 1919 with a new force resumed fighting.
Fracture
for a Long time neither side could achieve a strategic advantage, and the conflict threatened to turn into a protracted war. But in early April, the CAA began to take their positions affected strain forces. Suffering one defeat after another from the red Army, UNR could no longer provide the Galician army. Poland, in contrast, received support from the Entente.
In Galicia arrived the “Blue army” józef Haller numbering 70 thousand people, armed French tanks and aircraft. Ukrainian infantry and cavalry couldn’t stop superior in manpower and equipment the enemy. An eyewitness recalled: “there are whole groups and lone fighters are fields, gardens. All the while running with a weapon… there is No power to the flight delay”.
who Stood at the helm of UGA Yevhen Petrushevych was able to briefly halt the collapse. The Ukrainian army on some sectors had recovered, but on June 25 the Polish army launched a General offensive. By mid-July the remnants of the CAA has been squeezed from the West by Polish troops, and on the East by the red Army.
So it was summed up to the war, which lasted more than 8 months. On the side of Poland in total fought over 190 thousand soldiers, forces of the Ukrainian army was about 112 thousand people. The poles in this war lost 15,000 soldiers, the Ukrainians – 10 000. The defeat of the CAA led to the establishment of Poland’s full control over the territory of Eastern Galicia. The Bukovina was ceded to Romania, and Transcarpathia became part of Czechoslovakia. 21 APR 1920 between Poland and the UPR was set the border on the river Zbruch.
Russian Seven
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