National liberation movement in western Ukrainian political trends (1921-1939)

Abstract

After Ukraine gained independence, Ukrainian historians adopted a new approach to assessing interwar period. There appeared comprehensive monographs by L. Aleksievets, M. Kuhutyak, S. Kacharaba, O. Krasivsky, M. Lytvyn and K. Naumenko, V. Marchuk, O. Malyarchuk and many other Ukrainian scholars. Having conquered Eastern Halychyna and Western Volyn, Polish government resorted to terror and a policy of national, religious, and economic oppression. The Ukrainians living in Halychyna refused to recognize legality of Polish government. In return for this, it unleashed a reign of mass terror and arrests. The political views of time reflected deplorable post-war situation. The abuse of power practised by Polish authorities, unemployment, and economic decline enhanced a feeling of hopelessness. The idea of restoring good relations between Ukraine and Poland was becoming more and more influential among older generation. Eastern Halychyna, which was part of Poland, had to support population of Volyn, Polissya, Kholmshchyna, Pidlyashshya, who presented their demands for granting autonomy to all Western Ukrainian lands on 6 June 1920. Under new political conditions, there were no prospects for autonomy, because none of ruling political circles of Poland recognized Western national or territorial autonomy. In national liberation movement in Western Ukraine during interwar period, there emerged five main trends represented both by democratic organizations (which used legal means of struggle) and by two illegal political forces. Ukrainian nationalists and communists had radical views. The leading political forces tried to consolidate national liberation movement and to build their organizational structure. In conditions of state and legislative instability of Halychyna, Polish party tried to foster a spirit of sycophancy in Ukrainian parties. It was necessary to do it so that world could see that Ukrainians had resigned themselves to situation. The Polish political forces tried to involve Ukrainians in autonomy negotiations without actually intending to realize their promise. On 31 August 1920, sergeant majors from Ukrainian Halych Army and Sich Riflemen (Sichovi Striltsi) established Ukrainian Military Organization (UMO), which was region's reaction to Polish occupation. UMO intended to continue armed struggle for Ukraine's The radical views in Ukrainian villages reflected two political trends - Ukrainian nationalism and communism. Ukrainian nationalism was based on feeling of national inferiority, which had dominated for centuries. Both dynamic trends proposed quick and simple solutions to agrarian and political problems. As such solutions were easy for ignorant villagers to understand, it was natural that this very trend enjoyed poorest villagers' support. The opposition of various liberation conceptions testified to crisis of Ukrainian social and political movement. Each of political teams had its own goal, struggle forms and methods. Random civil disturbances had no common objective, which was advantageous for Polish government. The region's difficult religious situation prevented Ukrainian community from consolidating their actions. The fall of Ukrainian statehood, refusal to cooperate with Polish government, and injured feeling of national identity urged active strata of Halych society to consolidate with a view to struggle for state independence. The historical circumstances made national forces search for grounds for political and ideological unification. On 11 July1925, inLviv, there was an all-party congress, where a new political force was created - Ukrainian National Democratic Union (UNDU). The party, which found itself in centre of social and democratic life, displayed a strong opposition to Polish occupation of Western Ukraine and a readiness for a compromise with Soviet Ukraine. It was supported by priests from various faith communities, intelligentsia, students, workers, citizens, villagers. On eve of World War II, Eastern Halychyna and Western Volyn got caught in the crossfire from Poland's imperial policy and myths of communist paradise in Soviet Ukraine. The Bilshovyk policy of modernizing society on class grounds appealed to poorest rural strata. Communist ideology had a certain impact, and tens of thousands of repressed patriots from Halych fell prey to it.