Timothy Snyder, The Making of Modern Ukraine, Lecture #14: Interwar Poland’s Ukrainians
For those who are not familiar with Timothy Snyder, he is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He speaks five and reads ten European languages, including both Ukrainian and Russian.
His book, “Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin,” which I highly recommend, is not only meticulously researched, it is essential reading for a complete understanding of WWII as well as Europe today.
I have undertaken to summarize all of Snyder’s lectures. I am also following along in the reading (see syllabus link below), which has not only been enlightening, but enjoyable. As always, my summaries are meant to be a guide, rather than a substitution for Snyder’s lectures.
Timothy Snyder’s 14th lecture for his course, The Making of Modern Ukraine, was entitled “Interwar Poland’s Ukrainians.” This lecture covered the complex, and often misunderstood, relationship between Ukraine and Poland.
One of the reasons the history of Ukraine vis-à-vis Poland is complex is that Poland itself kept changing. First it was part of the Habsburg empire, then it was half of the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, then it was the Kingdom of Poland, and then, when Prussia, Russia, and Austria carved it into three separate territories (the Partition of Poland), it ceased to exist altogether. Throughout these transformations, the territory of Ukraine not only shifted hands, but had to adjust to radically different political and social realities.
Ultimately, what this meant for Ukrainians was that in spite of concessions made to Cossacks in the 16th century, and the freeing of the serfs in the 19th century, the majority of Ukrainians, who were peasants, had no political representation and certainly no national status for several centuries.
WWI changed everything. The war established Russia’s influence over the eastern part of Ukraine, while the western part of Ukraine, which had been conquered by Germany, became a power vacuum. This region was also a political powder keg. Western Europe, in its terror of Marxism, was seeking to limit Russia’s influence in Ukraine, with the full cooperation of Ukrainians who had initially welcomed Germany as a liberator. Meanwhile, Poland, newly established as an independent nation after WWI, extended its reach over western Ukraine, over the opposition of Ukrainians in Galicia. Because of these conflicting forces, national recognition for Ukraine was out of reach. (Even though Ukraine declared its independence from Russia in 1918, it was almost immediately absorbed into the Soviet Union, which, while lauding the principle of national sovereignty abroad, didn’t permit it within its borders).
The frustration felt by Ukrainians manifested itself in a military-led nationalist movement, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). In its more radical iteration, the OUN-B (under Bandera), abandoned the moderate pursuit of independence through political pressure and resorted to violence. Because the OUN was highly nationalistic, and had allied itself with Germany (mistaking Germany for its liberator), it has often been described as fascist. In reality, the OUN was against everyone: Russians, Germans, Jews, and especially Poles, whom they massacred.
The reason we study the past is to understand the present. Ukraine’s national history — from the early Cossacks, who epitomized the struggle for sovereignty, to the OUM, which sullied that struggle — is still being enacted today. As organizations and movements evolve over time, the context changes, and so do our views of them.
Snyder wrapped up the lecture with an observation: “Politics,” he said, “is about expectations.” We would do well to remember that admonition as the political climate within the US shifts, and as expectations are not met.
You can watch the 14th lecture for The Making of Modern Ukraine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JUzxdeYRZc
The syllabus for the course is here: https://snyder.substack.com/p/syllabus-of-my-ukraine-lecture-class
You can watch all of Timothy Snyder’s lectures for The Making of Modern Ukraine here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNewfxO7LhBoz_1Mx1MaO6sw_
You can read my summaries of his lectures here: https://ericaverr.medium.com/
Erica Verrillo is the author of the Phoenix Rising Trilogy (Random House). Her short work has appeared in over a dozen publications. She is also the author of the definitive reference guide for treating myalgic encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, now in its second edition (first edition, St. Martin’s). She holds degrees from Tufts University (BA — History) and Syracuse University (MA — Linguistics) as well as doctoral work in Linguistics, Anthropology, and Speech Communication. Her professional life includes: Spanish language editor for the journal Mesoamerica, linguistics instructor (Dartmouth), Spanish and ESL instructor (Syracuse University), classical musician (Oxford Symphony Orchestra), Mayan linguist (SUNY Albany), and director of a non-profit NGO for Mayan refugees. She is the president of the American Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to to serving the needs of patients and caregivers through support, advocacy, and education. Her writing blog, Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity, has received nearly 8 million page views. You are welcome to visit.
