Council of People's Ministers

It was reorganized out of the General Secretariat of Ukraine upon the proclamation of the 4th Universal and Independence on January 25, 1918 after the return of the Ukrainian delegation from the preliminary peace talks from Brest-Litovsk.

At the preliminary talks in Brest, Ukraine was recognized as an equal-rightful participant and was scheduled to finalized the treaty on February 9, 1918.

Until the end of the month January 1918 the member of the former General Secretariat continued to serve as full pledged ministers.

The major changes was no introduction of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and the former secretary of Food Supply Kovalevsky was replaced by Dmytro Koliukh (unaffiliated).

The initial coalition was composed Esdeks, SRs, Federalists, and national minorities, however by the end of January a crisis has developed between Esdeks and SRs as the Bolshevik forces of the Soviet Russia were quickly advancing towards Kiev, while the Kiev Bolshevik faction instigated another disorder.

On April 29, 1918, what is believed to be as, an anti-socialist coup d'état brought to power a conservative in his political views former Russian General, a well-respected military specialist throughout the region, an elected Hetman of the Free Cossacks Association, Pavlo Skoropadsky.

…The rights of a private property as the basis of culture and civilization are to be restored completely, all the directives of the former Ukrainian government as well as the Provisional Russian government are abolished and annulled… On the financial and economic field will be restored the full liberty of trade and will be opened a wide space for the individual entrepreneurship and initiative… The same day Skoropadsky issued couple edicts: Manifesto to the Entire Ukrainian Nation (author Aleksandr Paltov) and Laws concerning the Provisional State System in Ukraine.

The mentioned edicts provided the Council of Ministers with the legislative and executive functions, members of which were appointed by the hetman and solely responsible to him.

Pressure from the Ukrainian National Union (UNU) (Battle of Motovilivka) and witnessing that Central Powers were losing ground (Bulgaria armistice Sep.29, Ottoman Empire - Oct.30) forced the Skoropadsky's regime to start negotiations to broaden his base of support.

The Union demanded eight ministerial portfolios, the convocation of a diet, end of censorship and restriction on freedom of speech.

The federation with Russian triggered a full-scale uprising which turned into a month-long warfare led by the Directorate of Ukraine.

Between December 15–25 there was a stand off between the Revolutionary Committee in Kiev and the Temporary Council of State Affairs (TRZDS) in Vinnytsia.

On February 13 a new government, consisting of non-socialist members, was formed in order to convince the representatives of the Entente to provide some military support in the fight with Bolsheviks.