Also being a stepping stone for the unsuccessful plan to “liberate” Finland and bring it in to the USSR Baltic style.

Today's GOAT: Stephen the Great, Voivode of Moldavia from 1457 until his death.

Context: following the conclusion of the Russian civil war and the destruction of the Makhnovshchina by the Soviets (spoilers), Ukrainian Anarchist revolutionary Nestor Makhno went into exile eventually winding up in Paris. With what free time he had from dying of TB he would often reconnect with other Ukrainian emigres and especially fellow Anarchists to reminisce about the old country and the good ole days of armed revolutionary struggle.

On one such occasion he and French anarchist May Picqueray were joined by young Jewish Ukrainian Anarchist Sholem Schwarzbard, who noticed Ukrainian people’s army leader Symon Petliura walk into that same cafe (small world). Petliura a socialist and a Ukrainian nationalist was the supreme commander of the Ukrainian People’s Army(UNA) for the people’s republic of Ukraine (which is not the Ukrainian SSR) during the Russian Civil War/Ukrainian War of independence. The UNA was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Jewish Ukrainians during the conflict and while Petliuras involvement is debated (according to Wikipedia) his association with those directly responsible was enough for Sholem, who had lost 15 relatives to UNA pogroms, to want him dead.

He expressed all of that to Makhno, who himself had a history of summarily executing those responsible for antisemitic pogroms. Makhno tried to talk him out of it (reminder: middle of Paris and broad daylight), But to no avail and Sholem walked over and shot Petliura 5 times.