German Military Invasion of Ukraine: the Beginning of Phase Three (March 5 — late March 1918)
Journal: Ukrainian Studies
Year: 2019

It was a challenging task for the German Army to force Bolsheviks out of the Left-Bank Ukraine. The operation began on March 5, 1918. The Dnipro River was a formidable defensive line where Bolsheviks attempted to block German offensive and to oppose Central Rada as the government of Ukraine. Therefore, the principal task of Phase Three was to defeat Bolshevik forces along the line Bakhmach – Poltava – Dnipro bank up to Kherson and Mykolaiv. In case of success, this operation would have paved way