People's Secretariat facts for kids
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1917 |
| Dissolved | 1918 |
| Jurisdiction | Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets |
| Headquarters | Kiev |
The People's Secretariat of Ukraine was a special government group in Ukraine. It was like the main office for the Soviets (councils of workers and soldiers) in Ukraine. This group started in Kharkiv on December 30, 1917.
It was created by the Bolsheviks (a political party in Russia) and their friends. They wanted to set up a Soviet government in Ukraine. This new government was against the Central Rada and the General Secretariat of Ukraine, which were other groups trying to lead Ukraine at the time. The People's Secretariat said it had the right to govern all of Ukraine, just like the General Secretariat did.
The Central Executive Committee of Ukraine, a big council, said Ukraine was not independent. They said Ukraine was part of the Russian SFSR (Soviet Russia). They also told people to fight against the Central Rada and the General Secretariat.
Who Was in the People's Secretariat?
All the leaders, called secretaries, were part of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. This party later formed a new group called Social-Democracy of Ukraine. This new group started in Kiev in December 1917. It was led by a special committee, with Yevgenia Bosch in charge.
The government leaders were chosen at the first big meeting of Soviets in Ukraine. This meeting was called the 1st All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets and took place in Kharkiv.
At first, they couldn't decide who would be the main leader. So, the Secretary of Internal Affairs took charge for a while. The Secretariat first worked from Kharkiv. Then, in January 1918, they moved to Kyiv after the Red Army took control of the city.
Some important people in the Secretariat included:
- Yevgenia Bosch, who was the Secretary of Internal Affairs and led the group for a time.
- Mykola Skrypnyk, who was the Secretary for Labor Affairs and later became the president of the Secretariat.
- Volodymyr Zatonsky, who was the Secretary for Education and later for International Affairs.
In March 1918, some changes happened. Yevgenia Bosch left because she didn't agree with a peace treaty called the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Mykola Skrypnyk then became the new president of the People's Secretariat. The government had to move again, first to Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk) and then to Taganrog, as other armies moved into Ukraine.
Even though the Secretariat had its own internal affairs department, the main security work was done by a Russian group called the Cheka.
Disagreements and Changes
Some leaders, like Yevgenia Bosch, often took orders directly from Lenin, who was the leader of Soviet Russia. In March 1918, at the Second All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets, the People's Secretariat said that Soviet Ukraine was independent from Soviet Russia. This happened as other armies, called the Central Powers, were moving across Ukraine. However, because these armies were advancing quickly, the Soviet government had to retreat to Taganrog.
There was a big disagreement between Joseph Stalin (a powerful figure in Russia) and Mykola Skrypnyk (the head of the Ukrainian People's Secretariat).
On April 4, 1918, Stalin sent a message saying that Ukraine should not involve the Don region in the war with Germany. He also said that the Ukrainian government was "playing government" and should stop. He thought they should leave Taganrog and Rostov-on-Don.
Mykola Skrypnyk strongly disagreed. He sent a letter back to the Russian government. He said that the Ukrainian government acted on the will of the Ukrainian people, not on orders from any Russian leader. He said that calling their fight a "game" was wrong, especially when Ukrainian people were fighting for their freedom. Skrypnyk also said that Taganrog was part of Ukraine, and only the people living there could decide if they wanted to be part of Russia or Ukraine. He asked the Russian government to explain Stalin's words, as they could hurt the fight for socialism in Ukraine.
What Happened Next?
On April 18, 1918, the People's Secretariat was officially ended. It was then combined with the Central Executive Committee of Ukraine to form a new group called the Povstanburo, or Insurgency Bureau. This new bureau had nine members, including some Bolsheviks like Andriy Bubnov, Volodymyr Zatonsky, Heorhiy Pyatakov, and Mykola Skrypnyk.
