THE NOVEMBER ACTION. NOVEMBER 1 - THE ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINIAN UPRISING IN LVIV

An event that went down the history of Ukrainian state building occurred in the morning of November 1. A lightning military-political operation resulted in proclamation of Ukrainian State in the territory of Galicia. Blue and Yellow flag had been proudly raised above the Lviv City Hall.

Let us back in these days 100 years ago. The First World War comes to an end. Two weeks remain until the outbreak of a revolution in Germany; Austria has already capitulated surrendering to the mercy of the Entente; some parts of the Habsburg Empire have declared independence. The situation has been tense throughout the Europe, especially in the Galicia, populated by two ethnic groups - Ukrainians and Poles.  

The Austrian authorities had deliberately refused to divide the region to the Western and Eastern part as this was proposed to the Ruthenian Supreme Council since it was easier to maintain order in the region in the grounds of contradictions between two local ethnic groups. Both Ukrainian and Poles had sought to take power over the region did not wanted to compromises.

Local Poles had been waiting for arrival of aid from Poland, they planned to take control over Lviv in the first days of November since the Polish Liquidation Committee was established on October 26, 1918. In the evening of October 31 members of the Central Military Committee, together with the Ukrainian National Council gathered for an emergency meeting. Colonel Dmytro Vitovsky made a categorical speech: "We must to take Lviv under control this night. Our military honor demands us to be first who will take power in our land, even if we are destined to lose it tomorrow."

That same night, October 31 - November 1, Ukrainians made a step ahead of the curve, the soldier of Central Military Committee occupied strategic points of Lviv, disarm army units and raised Ukrainian flag over the city hall.