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Crimea as Part of the Ukrainian State (1918)

In 1917–1921, Crimea found itself at the epicenter of revolutionary events and foreign interventions. The newly established Ukrainian authorities gradually developed ambitious plans to integrate the peninsula into Ukraine, and during the Hetmanate of Pavlo Skoropadsky (1918), the first serious attempt was made to legally formalize the incorporation of Crimea into the Ukrainian State.

Overview

Despite the fact that according to the Third Universal of the Central Rada, Crimea was not directly part of the territory of the UNR, the Third Universal defined the incorporation of the northern counties (povyts) of Taurida Governorate (Berdyansk, Dnipro, and Melitopol), while separate electoral districts were established for the fleet and Crimea for elections to the Constituent Assembly of the UNR (specifically the Black Sea Naval District). The Sevastopol Ukrainian Council operated in the city, demanding the subordination of the fleet to the Central Council (UCR). In February 1918, the Council of People's Ministers of the UNR determined that "Crimea remains under the influence of Ukraine" and that the entire Black Sea Fleet belongs to Ukraine.

In April 1918, the Zaporozhian Corps of the UNR Army under the command of Colonel Petro Bolbochan liberated Crimea from the Bolsheviks, putting an end to the first wave of Bolshevik terror, and Ukrainian flags were raised over the peninsula. After Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi came to power, systematic work began on the legal formalization of Crimea's accession. On May 7, 1918, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian State approved the intention to appeal to Germany confirming the necessity of annexing Crimea. On June 5, the German command delegated authority on the peninsula to Suleyman Sulkevych, and in the autumn of 1918, negotiations took place between the Crimean Regional Government and Kyiv, resulting in a draft agreement on Crimea entering the Ukrainian State with autonomous status (see Main Principles of the Unification of Crimea with the Ukrainian State).

The agreement was not implemented due to Germany's defeat in World War I and the fall of Sulkevych's government on November 14, 1918.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Elections to the UNR Constituent Assembly (1917–1918): Extension of UNR electoral districts to the Black Sea Fleet and the northern uyezds (counties) of Taurida Governorate under the leadership of the Sevastopol Ukrainian Council.
  • Decision of the Council of People's Ministers of the UNR (February 14, 1918): Crimea was recognized as a sphere of influence of Ukraine, and the entire Black Sea Fleet as Ukrainian.
  • Liberation of Crimea (April 1918): The Zaporozhian Corps of Petro Bolbochan ousted the Bolsheviks; April 22, 1918, is considered the date of liberation.
  • Hetmanate Stage (May–November 1918): Attempts to legally secure incorporation with the support of Pavlo Skoropadskyi.
  • Negotiations with the Crimean Regional Government: The First Crimean Regional Government (1918), headed by Suleyman Sulkevych, concluded a preliminary agreement on Crimea's autonomy within Ukraine.