Directorate of Ukraine facts for kids

The Government of UNR in 1920. Symon Petliura is sitting in the front row, second from the left.

The Directorate (also called the Directory) was a temporary group of leaders for the Ukrainian People's Republic. It was formed in November 1918 by the Ukrainian National Union. This group led a rebellion against the government of Pavlo Skoropadsky. When they overthrew Skoropadsky, they called themselves the Executive Council of State Affairs. Later, in January 1919, a big meeting called the Labor Congress of Ukraine gave them more power.

The Directorate tried to work together, but it was hard. It officially ended on November 10, 1920. A few days later, a new law changed the government to be led by one person instead of a group.

What was the Directorate?

The Directorate was set up to be a temporary government until a new, permanent one could be chosen. It was decided not to bring back the old Central Rada government. Instead, the new Labor Congress chose the Directorate to be the main government body protecting the republic.

The Directorate was in charge of making laws because the country was in a difficult political situation and the Labor Congress couldn't always meet. Another group, the Council of the People's Ministers, was in charge of carrying out these laws. The Directorate itself had five members from different political groups.

Who were the Members?

The Directorate had several important leaders. Some members left or were replaced as the political situation changed. For example, Volodymyr Vynnychenko left hoping it would help the Directorate talk to the Entente (like France and Britain). Symon Petliura also left his political party to show that the Ukrainian government was changing its approach.

Here are the main members of the Directorate:

• Volodymyr Vynnychenko (Chairman from November 14, 1918, to February 11, 1919).
• Symon Petliura (Chairman from February 11, 1919, to November 10, 1920). He was a leader of the Sich Riflemen.
• Fedir Shvets (A non-political member, representing farmers). He was a member from November 13, 1918, to May 25, 1920.
• Andryi Havrylovych Makarenko  [ uk ] (A non-political member, representing railway workers).
• Opanas Mykhailovych Andrievsky  [ uk ] (From the UPSI party).

Some members left their roles:

• Shvets and Makarenko left the country in November 1919 for state business. They did not return when asked and were later removed from their duties.
• Andrievsky left the Directorate in April 1919 because of a disagreement.
• Yevhen Petrushevych, a leader from the West Ukrainian People's Republic, joined the Directorate after the two Ukrainian states united in January 1919. However, he didn't actively participate and later resigned.

Governments During the Directorate's Time

Over two years, from December 1918 to November 1920, there were five different governments working under the Directorate. After this, the Directorate went into exile (left the country).

Here is a list of the Prime Ministers who led these governments:

History of the Directorate

The Directorate came to power in December 1918 when they removed Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi from his leadership of the Ukrainian State.

After Skoropadsky's Rule

After World War I ended, Skoropadsky lost the support of Germany and Austria-Hungary. So, on November 13, 1918, his opponents formed the Directorate. Their army, led by the newly re-formed Sich Rifles, grew strong. Many of Skoropadsky's soldiers joined the Directorate during a month-long civil war in Ukraine.

Skoropadsky tried to get help from Russian officers, but his troops couldn't stop the Directorate's forces. On December 19, 1918, the Directorate's army captured Kyiv and ended Skoropadsky's government.

The Directorate then brought back the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR). The new government faced challenges, as some wanted a fully independent Ukraine, while others wanted to join with Russia. They decided not to bring back the old Central Rada, but they kept its most important laws. On December 26, 1918, the Directorate officially announced the end of the Hetman's rule.

By the end of 1918, Symon Petliura, a Ukrainian military leader, became very influential in the Directorate.

The UNR army had many enemies. To the northeast were the Bolsheviks, to the southeast were the Russian Whites, and to the southwest were the Romanians who wanted parts of Ukraine. Also, French troops took control of Odessa in December 1918. The UNR quickly made agreements with the French and Romanians, which allowed them to focus their army on other fronts.

Changes in Power (1919-1920)

Major fighting began in January 1919, and the Ukrainian forces were pushed back. Kyiv fell to the Bolsheviks in February 1919, and the government had to move to Vinnytsia.

To try and get support from the Entente powers, the Directorate made a political move. Volodymyr Vynnychenko resigned, and Symon Petliura took over as Chairman of the Directorate on February 11, 1919. This happened a week after the government moved. However, these talks with the Entente did not lead to good results.

By May 1919, the Directorate's armies were trapped in a small area. They then talked with the Poles, who were attacking them from behind. This led to a ceasefire, which allowed the Ukrainians to fight back and retake some land, making Kamianets-Podilskyi their new capital.

In July, the forces of the Western Ukrainian Republic joined the UNR's forces. They had been pushed out of their land by the Poles. Around the same time, General Anton Denikin and his White Army attacked the Bolsheviks. The White Guards pushed the Bolsheviks out of central and eastern Ukraine, giving the Directorate another chance to reclaim Kyiv. But constant attacks from the Red Army and a terrible typhus sickness forced Petliura's forces to retreat into Poland.

In 1920, the Polish Army, with help from two new Ukrainian divisions, prepared to fight Denikin's forces. A treaty in April 1920 allowed the Polish and Ukrainian armies to work together under Polish command. This treaty also recognized Polish control over the land that used to be the Western Ukrainian People's Republic.

In the Soviet-Polish war of 1920, the Poles and Ukrainians advanced together and the UNR was re-established when they recaptured Kyiv. But less than a month later, the Soviets launched a counter-attack, forcing the Poles and Ukrainians to retreat. An armistice (a stop to fighting) was signed in late 1920.

Despite this setback, the UNR forces launched another attack against the Soviets from Poland, but it was quickly defeated. They were forced back into Galicia. In 1920, Poland signed the Treaty of Riga with the Soviet Union, which settled their border dispute. This treaty divided Western Ukraine among Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. It also gave the Soviet Union control over the rest of Ukraine, which became the Ukrainian SSR.

Important Laws and Changes

When the Directorate first took power, it brought back many rights for farmers and workers that had been set by the earlier Central Rada.

For example, regarding land, the Directorate announced that:

• Small farms and workers' land would stay with their owners.
• Other lands would be given to farmers who had little or no land, especially those who fought against the former Hetman.
• The Directorate had the highest authority over all land. This included land owned by monasteries, churches, and the government.
• A People's Land Committee was created to help carry out these land changes.

The Directorate also canceled all the old laws from the Hetman's government that were unfair to workers. They brought back the eight-hour workday, allowed workers to form unions, and supported the right to strike.

See also

In Spanish: Directorio de Ucrania para niños

• General Secretariat of Ukraine
• People's Secretariat