For the second year, the Ukrainian Army played the role of the advance guard of Europe in the fight against the Communist International. But it performed this role alone, bleeding, in such difficult circumstances as rarely any army has ever experienced… The Entente powers made a big mistake by treating Ukraine with hostility. This mistake was felt in 1920 when the Red Army charged into Poland; it is still felt today and will be a threat to the peaceful life of people in the future. Only by restoring an independent Ukrainian state can Europe get rid of the constant threat of Soviet imperialism.
Oleksandr Udovychenko
Oleksandr Udovychenko was a Ukrainian military and public figure, Colonel-General of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) Army in exile, and Vice President of the UNR in exile from 1954 to 1961.
He was born on February 20, 1887 in Kharkiv. He came from a military family. Udovychenko graduated from a realschule in Kharkiv (1905), the Higher Military Topographic Command School in St. Petersburg (1908), and the Mykolaiv Military Academy of the General Staff (1916).
During the First World War, he was at the front. In 1917, he was appointed Chief of Staff of a division. Oleksandr Udovychenko took an active part in the Ukrainization of Russian army units. From October 1917, he was a military adviser to Symon Petliura. As the Chief of Staff of the Haidamaka Battalion of Slobidska Ukraine, he distinguished himself in the battles for the Arsenal factory in Kyiv in January 1918.
He served as a senior officer in the UNR General Staff during the Ukrainian state and later joined the side of the Directorate of the Ukrainian National Republic. Later, he was the Quartermaster General of the Southwestern Front Group of the UNR Army, Chief of Staff of the Hutsul Regiment, and commander of an infantry division on the Bolshevik front.
From August 1919, he was the Commander of a group of Ukrainian troops that successfully resisted the Southern group of the Bolshevik 12th Army. In March 1920, Udovychenko formed and headed the Iron Division, which is considered one of the most capable units of the UNR Army. He led the Right Group of the UNR Army in a joint campaign with the Poles towards Kyiv.
In 1924, Oleksandr Udovychenko emigrated to France. At first, he worked as a mine worker. Udovychenko headed the UNR veteran Ukrainian Military Society. He was Deputy Defense Minister as part of the State Center of the UNR government-in-exile. He was in charge of intelligence and counterintelligence activities. Udovychenko was also the Vice President of the UNR government-in-exile (1954-1960).
Author of the books Ukraïna u viini za derzavnist’ (Ukraine in the War for Statehood, Winnipeg, 1954) and Tretia zalizna dyviziia (The Third Iron Division, New York, 1971).
He died on April 19, 1975 in Maintenon (France).
