Ukrainian General Military Committee (; ''Ukrayinskyi heneralnyi viyskovyi komitet'') was the highest military institution in

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

established by the First All-Ukrainian Military Congress on 18 May 1917 for the purpose of governing the Ukrainian military movement and transforming the Russian military on the territory of Ukrainian lands into national military force. The committee is seen as a precursor of the Ukrainian

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. The delegates of military congress decided that the committee would be subordinated to the

Central Council of Ukraine The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council (), was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations o ...

rather than the

Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...

or the All-Russian General Military Command.

Formation

Initially it was composed of 19 members:S.V.Petliura
Svoboda Ukrainian Daily. June 3, 1926. p2

Symon Petliura Symon Vasyliovych Petliura (; – 25 May 1926) was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He was the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian People's Army (UNA) and led the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Ukrainian War of Independence, a pa ...

(chairman),

Volodymyr Vynnychenko Volodymyr Kyrylovych Vynnychenko (; – March 6, 1951) was a Ukrainian statesman, political activist, writer, playwright and artist who served as the first List of prime ministers of Ukraine, prime minister of the Ukrainian People's Republic.< ...

, General Mykhailo Ivanov, Colonel Ivan Lutsenko, Colonel Oleksandr Pilkevych, Colonel Viktor Pavlenko, Lt.Colonel Yuriy Kapkan, Lt.Colonel Volodymyr Poplavko, Lieutenant (

Poruchik The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe, also called ''poruchnick'' in Slavic languages, is one used in Slavophone armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either the lowest or second lowest officer rank. Etymology The rank designatio ...

) Arsen Cherniavsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik) Mykola Mikhnovsky, Ensign ( Khorunzhyi) A.Pevnyi, Ensign (Khorunzhyi) Vasyl Potishko, Ensign (Khorunzhyi) Mykhailo Poloz, Ensign (Khorunzhyi) Fedir Seletsky, military administrator I.Horemyka-Krupchynsky, soldiers S.Hrazhdan and Dmytro Rovynsky, sailor Semen Pysmenyi. In June 1917 they were co-opted with General Luka Kondratovych, Colonel Oleksandr Zhukovsky, Lt.Colonel Vasyl Matiashevych, Lt.Colonel Oleksandr Slyvynsky, Captain (

Sotnyk Sotnik or sotnyk (; ; ) was a military rank among the Cossack starshyna (military officers), the Russian ''streltsy'' and Cossack cavalry, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, the Ukrainian Galician Army, and the Ukrainian People's Army. Administrat ...

) S.Biletsky, Captain (Sotnyk) H.Hlibovsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik) Volodymyr Kedrowsky (deputy chairman), Lieutenant (Poruchik) M.Levytsky, Lieutenant (Poruchik) Petro Skrypchynsky, Soldier S.Kolos (secretary).

Subsequent fate of its members

* After realizing perspectivelessness of establishment of the Ukrainian military, Mikhnovsky resigned from the committee. Chairman of the Polubotko Military Club, Mikhnovsky forcefully tried to convince members of the

in militarization of Ukraine through the mutiny of members of Polubotko Military Club and Polubotko Regiment. * During the advance of Muravyov's Red Guards, Mykhailo Poloz was arrested due to cooperating with Bolsheviks and convicted to death by

firing squad Firing may refer to: * Dismissal (employment), sudden loss of employment by termination * Firemaking, the act of starting a fire * Burning; see combustion * Shooting, specifically the discharge of firearms * Execution by firing squad, a method of ...

. * Symon Petliura became the first minister (secretary) of Military Affairs of Ukraine, but eventually resigned in protest to policies of Vynnychenko's government. * Since October 1917 Ivan Lutsenko became one of leaders of

Free Cossacks Free Cossacks () were Ukrainian Cossacks that were organized as volunteer militia units in the spring of 1917 in the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Free Cossacks are seen as precursors of the modern Ukrainian national law enforcement organiz ...

. * Viktor Pavlenko became a chief of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

and created two Serdyuk Divisions. Later he worked in creation of the Ukrainian Air Force. * Yuri Kapkan replaced Pavlenko as a commander of all Ukrainian forces during the winter of 1917-18. * During the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Vasyl Potishko became one of organizers of the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council. * In 1918 Luka Kondratovych headed the anti-Soviet Turkestan Military organization in

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. * Oleksandr Zhukovsky became a minister of Military Affairs and minister of Naval Affairs in 1918 and chief of Border Guard in 1919. * Oleksandr Slyvynsky replaced Kapkan as a commander of all Ukrainian forces. After the resignation of

Pavlo Skoropadsky Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi (; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, who served as the hetman of the Ukrainian State throughout 1918 following a coup d'état in April 29 of the same year. Born the son of a n ...

, Slyvynsky resigned as a chief of General Staff. * Members who formed the Ukrainian General Staff (General Bulawa): Oleksandr Slyvynsky (chief) and Fedir Seletsky.

Composition

* Presidium - 5 members

Sections

* Propaganda-Educational and Organizational ** Editorial-Publishing—Dmytro Rovynsky * Inspectorate—Mykhailo Ivanov * Mobilization and Military Communications—Volodymyr Kedrovsky * Military Engineering—Mykola Shumytsky * Sanitary-Medical—Dmytro Odryna * Jurist-Consultative—M.Levytsky * Military Training—Volodymyr Poplavko (since October 1917 - Arsen Cherniavsky) * Chancellery—S.Kolos * Committee Commandant and Free Cossacks Organization—A.Pevnyi * Commission of Special Services—Luka Kondratovych

Representatives

* Headquarters in Saint Petersburg—Oleksandr Pilkevych * General Staff in Saint Petersburg—Oleksandr Zhukovsky *

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) ( 600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of War (Esto ...

-- Mykhailo Poloz * Southwestern Front headquarters—P.Skrypchynsky *

Odessa Military District The Odessa Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This district consisted of Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldavia and five Oblasts of Ukraine, Ukrainian oblasts of Odesa ...

headquarters—Volodymyr Poplavko *

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

headquarters—Arsen Cherniavsky * Naval Affairs—Semen Pysmennyi

References

External links

Ukrainian General Military Committee
Boris Tristanov website. "History of Poltava". {{Authority control Military history of Ukraine Military of Ukraine 1917 establishments in Ukraine Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)