Ukraine during World War I Upon the outbreak of World War I , the name " Ukraine " was used only geographically , as the term did not exist nationally . The territory that made up the modern country of Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire with a notable southwestern region administered by Austro - Hungarian Empire , and the border dating to the Congress of Vienna in 1815 . Ukraine ' s role in the prelude to the war . However as the border did not undermine the ethnic composition of Europe , both Empires towards the latter 19th century , on the tide of rising national awareness of the period attempted to exert their influence on the adjacent territory . For the Russian Empire , viewed Ukrainians as Little Russia ns and had support of the large Russophile community among the Ukrainian population in Galicia . Austria on the contrary supported the late - 19th century rise in Ukrainian Nationalism . Ultimately for both empires Western Ukraine was but a pawn in a major standoff for the Balkans and the Slavic Orthodox population it harboured . A Balkan war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia was considered inevitable , as Austria - Hungary ’ s influence waned and the Pan - Slavic movement grew . The rise of ethnic nationalism coincided with the growth of Serbia , where anti - Austrian sentiment was perhaps most fervent . Austria - Hungary had occupied the former Ottoman province of Bosnia - Herzegovina , which had a large Serb population , in 1878 . It was formally annexed by Austria - Hungary in 1908 . Increasing nationalist sentiment also coincided with the decline of the Ottoman Empire . Russia supported the Pan - Slavic movement , motivated by ethnic and religious loyalties and a rivalry with Austria dating back to the Crimean War . Recent events such as the failed Russian - Austrian treaty and a century - old dream of a warm water port also motivated St . Petersburg . Religion also played a key role in the standoff . When Russia and Austria partitioned Poland at the end of the 18th century , they inherited largely Eastern - rite Catholic populations . Russia went to great lengths to revert the population to Orthodoxy , often peacefully ( see Synod of Polotsk ) , but at times forcibly ( as took place in Chelm ) The final factor was that by 1914 , Ukrainian nationalism had matured to a point where it could significantly influence the future of the region . As a result of this nationalism and of the other main sources of Russo - Austrian confrontations , including Polish and Romanian lands , both empires eventually lost these disputed territories when these territories formed new , independent states according to Ivan Rudnytsky . Outbreak . The Russian advance into Galicia began in August 1914 . During the offensive , the Russian army successfully pushed the Austrians right up to the Carpathian ridge effectively capturing all of the lowland territory , and fulfiling their long aspirations of annexing the territory . Ukrainians were split into two separate and opposing armies . 3 . 5 million fought with the Imperial Russian Army , while 250 , 000 fought for the Austro - Hungarian Army . Many Ukrainians thus ended up fighting each other . Also , many Ukrainian civilians suffered as armies shot and killed them after accusing them of collaborating with opposing armies ( see Ukrainian Austrian internment ) . Ukraine after the Russian Revolution of 1917 . During World War I the western Ukrainian people were situated between Austria - Hungary and Russia . Ukrainian villages were regularly destroyed in the crossfire . Ukrainians could be found participating on both sides of the conflict . In Galicia , over twenty thousand Ukrainians who were suspected of being sympathetic to Russian interests were arrested and placed in Austrian concentration camps , both in Talerhof , Styria and in Terezín fortress ( now in the Czech Republic ) . The brutality did not end with the end of the First World War for Ukrainians . Fighting actually escalated with the beginning of the Russian Revolution of 1917 . The revolution began a civil war within the Russian Empire and much of the fighting took place in the Ukrainian provinces . Many atrocities occurred during the civil war as the Red , White , Polish , Ukrainian , and allied armies marched throughout the country . There were couple of attempts during this period when the Ukrainians successfully established their own state . One was with the capital in Kiev and the other in Lviv , but neither one of them gained enough support in the international community and they both failed . The 1919 Treaty of Versailles secured the Ukrainian land after other European countries . In the west , Galicia and western Volhynia were left to Poland . The Kingdom of Romania stayed the Bukovina province . Czechoslovakia secured former lands of the Austria - Hungary , Uzhhorod and Mukachevo . The remaining central and eastern Ukrainian provinces were left to the " brotherly " Soviet Union . As a result of World War I and the Russian Civil War , Ukrainians saw as their attempt to attain a statehood crumbled in favor of other countries when 1 . 5 million had lost their lives while fighting for it . With the end of World War I the Ukrainian national movement went underground .