The First Winter Campaign was a campaign by the Ukrainian People's Republic against the Bolsheviks in Ukraine during the Soviet-Ukrainian War. The main task of the Winter Campaign was to maintain the presence of the Ukrainian People's Army (UPA) in Ukrainian territory against the enemies, through guerrilla action. At the end of November 1919, the remnants of the Ukrainian forces were surrounded (Lyubar-Chortoria-Myropil). The Ukrainian Galician Army, due to Petliura's agreement with the Second Polish Republic, was forced to join General Anton Denikin's Russian Volunteer Army after 6 November 1919. The Ukrainian People's Army troops were surrounded by three enemy armies — the Red Army, Russian Volunteer Army and Polish Army ; in addition, Ukrainian units suffered from the typhus epidemic. On 6 December 1919, at a military meeting in Nova Chortoria, it was finally decided to carry out a Winter Campaign by units of the UPR and the rear of the Volunteer Army. About 5,000 Ukrainians and 35,000–60,000 Poles took part in the campaign against the Red and Volunteer Armies. However, the composition of the Ukrainian combat-ready units numbered 2,000 bayonets, 1,000 sabers and 14 guns.

The Ukrainian–Soviet War is the term commonly used in post-Soviet Ukraine for the events taking place between 1917 and 1921, nowadays regarded essentially as a war between the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Bolsheviks. The war ensued soon after the October Revolution when Lenin dispatched Antonov's expeditionary group to Ukraine and Southern Russia.