Author:  Taras Hunczak Taras Hunczak is a professor emeritus at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. He lectures in Ukrainian, Russian, and East-European history. Dr. Hunczak has written extensively on Ukrainian history, the twentieth century in particular.

On November 22, 1917 the Ukrainian government, known as Central Rada, adopted the Third Universal solemnly declaring the establishment of the Ukrainian National Republic. In response, the Bolsheviks, who came to power in Russia through a coup d’état on November 7th, issued an ultimatum, which made various demands on the Ukrainian government, but in reality the Bolsheviks were already at war with the Ukrainian government.