Vovchukhiv operation of the Ukrainian halychyna’s army (1919): background, progress, aftermath

Abstract

The formation of the West Ukrainian People's Republic in November 1918, was a natural consequence of the long-standing struggle of Ukrainians of Halychyna for statehood. In a difficult situation of the Ukrainian-Polish war 1918–1919, started by Poland, the West Ukrainian People's Republic carried out state and military formation. Close relations with the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) were established; the Ukrainian Halychyna's Army (UHA) was reorganized on the European way and was ready for the West Ukrainian People's Republic armed defense. It was proved that compared to the Polish state, the military potential of the Ukrainians was much weaker. However, a bright demonstration of the UHA's combat readiness was the Vovchukhiv Strategic Offensive Operation in February–March 1919, which put the Polish troops in Lviv, in particular, and in Halychyna, in general in a tough situation. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the background of the Vovchukhiv operation, its course, and the causes of UHA's defeat. The author states that two factors caused the UHA's offensive strategic operation in February 1919. Firstly, the reorganization of the West Ukrainian People's Republic armed forces with weighty strengthening increased their combat capability and readiness for offensive operations. Also, the hard work of governing structures increased morale and combat capabilities of the army. The military successes of the Ukrainian troops, which caused worry and panic in Warsaw, are described. It is noted that the break in the fightings, organized by the Entente mission, was successfully used by the Polish command to reinforcement on the Halychyna Front with reserves from abroad. Specific examples show that in spring 1919, UHA brigades were forced to resist the numerically larger Polish forces. Because of this, they soon lost the results of the offensive operation. Keywords West Ukrainian People's Republic, Ukrainian Halychyna's Army, Poland, Vovchukhiv operation, Polish-Ukrainian war.