The Directory

By early fall, it was apparent that the Central Powers were about to loose the war. On 11 November Germany and Austria capitulated. On 14 November 1918 the hetman appointed a new cabinet consisting almost entirely of Russian nationalists and issued a manifesto proclaiming Ukraine’s federation with a “future non-Bolshevik Russia.” The purpose of this act was to gain the support of anti-Bolshevik Russians (the Whites) and their victorious allies – the Entente. That same day, the Ukrainian opposition formed an insurrectionary government, the Directory,[9] led by the two old rivals Vynnychenko and Petliura, and openly declared a rebellion against the hetman.

The Directory’s insurrection grew rapidly. About 100,000 peasants took part in the revolt. The German troops declared neutrality (with the war over they planned to go home soon and did not want to fight). Within a month the hetman’s troops were defeated (some of the hetman’s most efficient units – Sichovi Striltsi and Sirozhupanna Dyvizia went over to the rebels). On 14 December the hetman resigned his post and fled to Berlin.[10] The same day the Directory’s forces triumphantly entered Kyiv and announced the reestablishment of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (УНР).

In contrast to a moderately conservative hetman regime, the Directory was a radical regime of socialist direction. The Directory renewed the УНР law of the Eight Hour Work Day and the Right for Strikes. Ukrainian was established as the republic’s official language. The intelligentsia (secondary school teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc) was proclaimed a “reactionary force”, devoid of election rights and thus excluded from cooperation. The administrative apparatus of the hetman regime was destroyed but a new apparatus was not created. Factual power in regions was in the hands of local otamans (chieftains) many of whom were impossible to control. In fact, the army of the Directory turned into almost independent and undisciplined bands. There was no consensus between Directory leaders on many issues. Some wanted to see Ukraine as a parliamentary democratic republic, others – a Soviet republic resembling that of the Bolshevik Russia but independent from Moscow and more democratic (without a single-party dictatorship). Two key leaders of the Directory V. Vynnychenko and S. Petliura were constantly struggling for power (until February 19, 1919, when Vynnychenko resigned). The Directory failed to establish order. Anarchy returned to Ukraine.

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