Ukrainian Fascism Series: The Roots

The US media has officially become an operation focused on war time anti-Russian propaganda, no other voices are being allowed and those that dare to are quickly being shut down. One of the most egregious lies being spewed forth is that Nazism and fascism are not an issue in Ukraine, it’s time to set the record straight. The roots of this Ukrainian Ultra Nationalism run deep gaining prominence in 1919 at the end of the Polish-Ukrainian war. This short war originated in ethnic differences between a number of groups in the area of Galicia. The House of Habsburg’s who were sympathetic and lenient towards national minorities ruled Galicia, a part of Austria-Hungary. This leniency allowed for the growth of numerous Nationalist movements. Archduke Wilhelm of Austria, whom had adopted a Ukrainian identity sent two regiments of Ukrainian troops into Lemberg, modern day Lviv, as the Austro-Hungarian government fell apart, these two regiments set about creating what became known as the Ukrainian National Council, later known as the Verkhovna Rada. The main purpose of this was uniting the lands of Western Ukraine into one state. The Poles were looking to take control of the area as well but were defeated by Dmytro Vitovsky, who took control of the area he proclaimed as the West Ukrainian People’s Republic and named its capital Lviv. This proclamation took many who lived in the areas by surprise, much of the area still had a majority of ethnic Poles as its population, specifically Eastern Galicia, Volhynia, Carpathian Ruthenia and Bukovina and overnight these Poles found themselves now no longer living in Poland but Ukraine. Neither country had true claim over the area since it had just recently been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and it boiled down to a matter of military might. Fighting began and initially remained centered around the self-proclaimed capital of Lviv, as well as the routes leading to Lviv. Local militias opposed the Ukrainian Galician armies with self-defense units that consisted mostly of Polish students, World War I veterans, and even children. These rag tag groups took advantage of the knowledge provided by the World War I veterans and were able to hold their own against the poorly organized and tactically weak Ukrainian attacks. The Polish were adept at buying time through the use of ceasefires, during which they would simply regroup and reinforce their positions before beginning their attack again and breaking the ceasefire. The Polish resistance also had a great amount of support from the local population seeing as the area, until Ukraine claimed it as theirs, was part of what was considered as part of Poland. This feeling of many of the inhabitants led to the seeing of the Ukrainians as invaders prompting a strong resistance rather than an acceptance of new rule. Fighting raged on, spilling over into smaller areas around the Lviv region until Lt. Colonel Michal Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski was able to push through into Lviv with a large contingency of Polish troops and take the city. Reported widespread looting took place and as many as 300 civilians were killed. The Poles sought to cut off any further support for the Ukrainians, putting a great deal of activists and resistance leaders in detention camps. By November of 1918 Poland controlled Lviv and the railway that connected it to central Poland, the Ukrainians still held smaller locations as well as Eastern Galicia, leaving them the ability to attack Lviv on three different sides. Poland continued claiming new territories and retaking previously established ones that Ukraine had sought as their own. Ukraine attempted to reciprocate the same actions of conquering and reclaiming; leading the opposing forces into an endless cycle of defeats and victories with neither gaining much actual ground. Continue Reading at: Become a patron: Find the latest information on daily events and history at: