Ukrainian War
The Ukrainian War was a conflict between the conservative branch of the House of Romanov led by Alexander and the liberal branch led by Constantine I, Tsar of Russia.
The Conflict
Prelude
Tsar Nicholas I died by a gunshot wound in 1861. Alexander was accused of regicide, and thus barred from the line of succession. This disinherited his children as well. Alexander's brother, Constantine, was named heir to the Russian throne, while Alexander and his family were exiled to Kiev. Upon the death of Alexander, his son, also named Alexander, rose up to claim what he saw as his birthright.
Deployment
The conservatives negotiated the support of Austria, who had become weary of Constantine's liberal reforms in the region. Alexander managed to convince Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph that he was the rightful Tsar of Russia. With the Austrian military, the conservatives managed to secure the region of Ukraine and attempted to march into Russia.
Battlefield
The battlefields did not move much from the start to the end of the war. The borders of the treaty laid along the fronts of the battlelines. As Ukrainian and Austrian forces attempted to push further into Russia, Germany under Otto von Bismarck threatened to enter on the side of Russia and suppress the revolution. As such, the borders of the Ukrainian territory remained heavily fortified, and few skirmishes occurred beyond that.
Conditions
From their stronghold in Kiev, the conservatives launched an invasion of the rest of the Ukrainian territory, hoping by doing so it would starve out the Russian populace. Ukraine had been known as the "breadbasket of Europe", and contained a great amount of the Russian food production.
The Engagement
The liberal's numerical advantage was taken away by the involvement of the Austrians. The conservative plan of cutting off the Russian food supply hindered the liberal's logistic capabilities.
Outcome
The stalemate and supply issues of the liberal army caused Constantine to sue for peace. Ukraine was recognized as an independent nation with Alexander as Tsar. Russia lost much of its Black Sea naval capabilities as it had to cede a large portion of its fleet to Ukraine.
Aftermath
Russian diplomats saw the war as a defeat, and vowed to never allow such a thing to be repeated. In the coming years, Russia entered into a military arms race with Ukraine, and rapidly modernized its military weaponry and tactics. This also served to curve the hyperexpansion of Japan into China, causing a rift between the once close allies and pushing Japan closer to Britain.
Having felt isolated by both Germany and Austria-Hungary, Russia signed an alliance with the Kingdom of Holland. This put Russia and Britain at considerable odds.
Historical Significance
Legacy
The Russian Navy, having been significantly diminished in the west, sought recuperation in the east. The Russian government negotiated a lease of Port Arthur from the Qing Dynasty of China in 1893. This caused tensions between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan, the latter having envisions of territorial gain in the region.
The successes of the Ukrainian forces inspired other revolts in the Russian Empire. The Polish and Finnish nationalists began to arm themselves, searching for allies within and outside of Europe. During Russia's encroachment into Qing China, these rebellions began to be quietly supported by Japan.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
1882
Ending Date
1883
Conflict Result
Stalemate
Belligerents
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Invade Russia and take the throne back for the Alexandrovich branch of the Romanov family.
Defend Russia and put down the conservative rebellion, keeping the throne in the hands of the Constantinovich branch of the family.
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