March 1918

For the Austro-Hungarian troops, this month passed with relatively few combat actions. Of course, the usual trench warfare and reconnaissance operations continued on the Italian front and on the borders of Transylvania. Here, the reorganized and equipped Romanian troops with the help of the Entente returned after the Russians had gone home. The biggest change was the collapse of Russia and the occupation of the Russian Empire.

The disintegration of the empire was accompanied by the strengthening of the self-determination of the nationalities living on its territory. In addition to Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic nations and Finland also separated from the body of the former Russian Empire. The situation was chaotic in the Caucasus, where the mixed non-Russian population also fought against each other. For the Central Powers, the establishment of an independent Ukraine was of greatest importance.

The communist leaders of the crumbling empire concluded the peace treaty in Brest-Litovsk at the last moment. This peace treaty was also accepted by the established Ukrainian state. Supported by allies advancing in Ukraine as well, the Ukrainians expelled the Bolshevik Russian government troops from Kiev at the beginning of March. The Ukrainian state remained under the occupation of the Central Powers until the end of the war. In the civil war that followed, its territory once again became a battlefield. Even the Russo-Polish war of 1920, fought for the designation of future state borders, took place for the most part here. But that’s another story. Ukraine’s independence ceased at the end of the war with the defeat of the powers that supported it.

These events were depicted on the one hand with the previously presented armistice and peace badges. Various Kappenabzeichen of the Ukrainian troops can also be linked to the events. I have already presented one of these. I have attached to this post the badge celebrating the Brest-Litovsk peace treaty and another Ukrainian badge.