Переорієнтація військових кадрів: чому випускники військових навчальних закладів підтримали УНР?

The purpose of this article is to analyze the reorientation of military personnel from the Russian Empire into the service of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) within the broader context of national revival and state-building during 1917–1921. It was investigated why a segment of graduates from imperial military academies, trained in the traditions of the Tsarist army, embraced Ukrainian independence and participated in the formation of national armed forces. The research methodology combines general scientific methods (comparative and structural-analytical) with specialized historical approaches (problem-chronological and historical-biographical), ensuring the study’s objectives are met. The scientific novelty offers a comprehensive interpretation of the officer corps’ motivational transformation: officers once loyal to the Empire who, under revolutionary conditions, came to recognize the necessity of serving national interests. The article highlights how ideological factors (the rise of national consciousness), political pressures (military crisis, disillusionment with the Provisional Government), and organizational reforms (the Ukrainization of units) drove this reorientation. Conclusion. National consciousness was not always ingrained in these officers from childhood, but was actively forged during the revolutionary period. The research showed that the combination of professional ethos, patriotism, and rejection of Bolshevik rule decisively influenced a significant portion of the officer corps to join the UPR. Moreover, this transition also revealed an important social dimension of change. For numerous officers of non-aristocratic origin, service in the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic offered opportunities for professional advancement, public recognition, and participation in the national cause. In this sense, the UPR functioned as a political entity and a vehicle for social mobility for a new generation of Ukrainian military personnel.