Military standoff between bolshevik and republican forces for Sumy city in december 1918 – january 1919

DMYTRO V. KUDINOV. 

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This publication deals with a poorly researched page of national military history – the confrontation between Republican and Bolshevik armed groups for the city of Sumy in the late 1918 – early 1919. The groups of sources used by the author in the writing of the article are outlined, the aim of the publication is defined, specifically: “to disclose as fully as possible the details of the military confrontation around the city of Sumy in the winter of 1918-1919 and to justify the reasons for the defeat of the republican troops.” The major content blocks of the main part of the article are: the description of the geopolitical and military-political situation that emerged in the last quarter of 1918 and preceded the change of power in Sumy district; the deployment of pro-Bolshevik partisan movement in the territories of Okhtyrka and Sumy districts, offensive actions of red partisans near Sumy; preparation of Sumy training for defense by the armed forces of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and local authorities; the situation in the city on the eve of the Bolshevik offense; assault of Sumy by red partisans; the results and consequences of the breakthrough of the front in the Sumy area. Thus, the author not only has covered solely military actions of the combatants, but also has drawn attention to the socio-political and ideological aspects of the confrontation, which, in his opinion, were noless important than the military training of the warring parties. In particular, ideological atmosphere in the city is analyzed, the polarization of city dwellers is distinguished in accordance to adherence of conservative or radical views on solving urgent issues of socio-economic and political life, the weakness of the position of Ukrainian democracy is emphasized, which could not but affect the support of the logistics and moral support of the defenders of Sumy. Description of the preparation and implementation of the offensive operation of the red partisans or defense measures of the Republicans includes an assessment of the troops of the adversaries, the armament, the phased mobilization of the contingent, its social composition. The description of the offense itself includes its planning, the implementation of tasks, specification of the episodes of the fight. Reconstruction of the picture of firefight is carried out on the basis of memoirs and the song of the 9th Sumy Rifle Regiment of the Ukrainian Soviet Army, the successor of the guerrill ad etachment of Bagatsky.[/restab]

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Ukrainian People’s Republic, group of forces of Kursk direction, V.O. Antonov-Ovseenko, P.S. Bagatsky, K.L. Lepeha, V.Z. Filonovich, Ukrainian Soviet Army, republicans, city council, foot troops, horse cavalry, machine guns, memoirs. [/restab]

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