During the anti-Hetman uprising in November and December 1918, the Borotbists did not join the supporters of the Directory (from December 14, 1918, to November 10, 1920, the highest authority in the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR), and supported the formation of the Ukrainian Socialist Federal Republic of Soviets in union with other socialist republics, including the Russian SFSR. In January–February 1919, they became part of the Provisional Workers’ and Peasants’ Government (since the end of January, the Council of People’s Commissars) of the Ukrainian SSR. Together with the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine – CP(b)U the Borotbists participated in the organization of military coups against the UPR Directory, which were suppressed. In March 1919, at the 3rd All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets, the Bolshevik resolutions got the votes and the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee (VUTSIK) was formed on a two-party basis: 90 representatives from the CP(b)U and 10 from the Borotbists.

 

On March 3–11, 1919, at the 1st (5th) Party Congress in Kharkov, the UPSR (Borotbists) was renamed the UPSR (Communists-Borotbists) – UPSR (c.b.). At the same time, the name of the UPSR (Communists) – UPSR(c) was often used in practice. In its founding documents, the party recognized the socialist nature of the October Revolution and the proletarian dictatorship and at the same time put forward the idea of Ukrainian communism, emphasizing the national aspect of the transformations, which caused contradictions with the Bolsheviks.

 

In the summer of 1919, the troops of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army on the territory of Ukraine were defeated by the troops of Anton Denikin. According to the Borotbist leaders, that was caused by the Communists’ isolation from local forces and conditions. On August 6, 1919, the Central Committee of the UPSR (c.b.) signed an act with the Central Committee of the USDLP (independent) (a wing of the USDLP that separated in 1919) on the merger of parties and the formation of a single Ukrainian Communist Party (Borotbists) – UCP(b). Thus, they opposed themselves to the CP(b)U, which was considered a temporary “regional organization” of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) – RCP(b). At the end of August and November 1919, the Central Committee of the UCP(b) twice unsuccessfully tried to join the ranks of the Communist International from Ukraine.

 

In the autumn of 1919, during the counteroffensive of the Red Army, the Borotbists again switched to joint actions with the Bolsheviks. In December 1919 – February 1920, the Borotbists were part of the All-Ukrainian Revolutionary Committee, the provisional supreme body of the Soviet government of Ukraine, as well as leading the People’s Commissariats of education, justice, and finance.

 

At the beginning of 1920, amidst victories over the Whites, the contradictions between the CP(b)U and the Borotbists escalated. The CP(b)U began to recruit members of the UCP (Borotbists), at the same time launching a campaign to discredit the party (accusations of supporting “Petliurists” and “insurgent counter-revolutionary elements”). Since mid-February 1920, several local organizations of Borotbists announced their self-dissolution and a desire to join the CP(b)U. Cases of individual leavings from the party increased. The Central Committee of the CP(b)U announced the termination of the agreement with the Borotbists and the individual acceptance of those wishing to join the CP(b)U. The Executive Committee of the Communist International headed by Grigory Zinoviev unanimously refused to accept the UCP(b) (Borotbists), accusing the party of departing from the principles of communism.

 

On March 20, 1920, the All-Ukrainian Conference of the UCP (Borotbists) announced the self-liquidation of the party with its members joining the CP(b)U. According to various estimates, from 5 to 15 thousand Borotbists were accepted to the CP(b)U. The remaining members joined the Ukrainian Communist Party (formed from the right-wing of the USDLP (independent), operated from January 1920 to March 1925), or went underground. In the summer–autumn of 1920, during the re-registration of party membership cards, many former Borotbists were expelled for “nationalist legacies”. However, some of the former members of the party (Grigory Grinko, Aleksander Shumsky, Panas Lyubchenko, etc.) ended up in the leadership of the CP(b)U.