In June 1917, the Central Rada established an executive authority, the General Secretariat (since January 1918, the Council of People’s Ministers), where representatives of the USDLP took a leading position: Vladimir Vinnichenko – Chairman and General Secretary of Internal Affairs, Boris Martos – General Secretary for Land Issues, Symon Petliura – for Military Affairs, Valentin Sadovsky – for Judicial Affairs, Ivan Steshenko – for Education and Science.

 

The USDLP reacted negatively to the October coup, opposing the socialist revolution in Ukraine. It sought to create a coalition of democratic forces and prevent the transfer of power into the hands of the Soviets. It played a leading role in the “Regional Committee for the Protection of the Revolution” created in Kiev on October 25, 1917. On November 7, 1917, with the active assistance of the USDLP leaders, the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) was proclaimed, preserving its ties with democratic federative Russia. In December 1917, following a conflict between the party leaders Vladimir Vinnichenko and Symon Petliura, the latter was removed from the General Secretariat. At the end of 1917, left-wing radical groups that supported the proclamation of the Soviet Republic began to separate from the Party (in July 1918, they joined the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Ukraine).

 

On January 9, 1918, Central Rada declared the independence of Ukraine. On January 18, 1918, Vinnichenko dissolved the Cabinet, ceding the leadership to the Ukrainian Party of Socialist Revolutionaries (UPSR). Members of the USDLP also occupied important positions in it, but their degree of influence decreased due to the negative consequences of the Brest-Litovsk negotiations.

 

The USDLP condemned the coming to power of Pavel Skoropadsky and the creation of the Ukrainian State (Hetmanate) on April 29, 1918. In May 1918, the 5th Congress of the USDLP made adjustments to the program. The state independence of Ukraine was proclaimed to be the main goal, the slogan of federation with Russia was condemned. The party members joined the Ukrainian National State Union (May 1918) and the Ukrainian National Union (September 1918, chaired by Vinnichenko). In November 1918, the USDLP took the initiative to form a UPR Directory, which came to power on December 14, 1918, during the uprising against the hetman. Vinnichenko became the first Chairman of the Directory (from December 1918 to February 1919).

 

In January 1919, at the 6th Congress of the USDLP, the Party split into two factions: orthodox Social Democrats who believed that the socialist revolution in Ukraine was premature, and the Independents, who were pro-Bolshevik. In February 1919, the USDLP Central Committee decided to recall the Party members from the Directory. Symon Petliura left the Party and headed the Directory. Further on, members of the USDLP Vladimir Chekhovsky, Boris Martos, and Isaac Mazepa headed the government of the Directory at different times.

 

With the establishment of Soviet power at the end of 1920, USDLP organizations have ceased their activities on the territory of Ukraine. Representatives of the left-wing independents joined the Ukrainian Communist Party (Borotbists) and the right-wing ones joined the Ukrainian Communist Party. Some former members of the Party were later repressed. Some groups operated in exile (they dissolved themselves in November 1938).