The alleged peace in Brest of Lithuania concluded in March 1918, ending Russia's participation in the war, created a fresh geopolitical configuration in the east of Europe.
In view of their interests, Germany sought, on the 1 hand, the maximum weakening of Russia, as they succeeded, due to the fact that the Baltic Republics – Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania – were separated from the Russian Empire, and the independency of Ukraine was recognised, which the Germans generously awarded to Polish Chelm land and a part of Podlasie. On the another hand, having no plans for Poland, it should be understood that they did not anticipate our independency as something that would favour their concepts, in general the Polish substance was not undertaken during the negotiations.
As a result, the peace of Brest caused Poles to look for their freedom on the side of Ententa. However, the fresh configuration of east Europe has become a fact and the peace of Brest, although cancelled by the Treaty of Versailles and the denunciation by Russia, has de facto shaped a fresh east Europe. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania have become independent countries and Ukraine has besides been counting on joining independent countries, but it has not been successful. First of all, this was due to the manipulative attitude of Germany, which not so much depended on the freedom of the mentioned states, but on the weakening of Russia and the creation of puppet states entirely dependent on Berlin, which would defender the Germanized Mitteleuropa from communist Russia. Incidentally, this concept later attempted to implement Józef Piłsudski in the form of the alleged Inter-sea. It wasn't a successful communicative either. Returning to German fantasy, there should besides be no illusions about Poland's fate, if they were to succeed. Poland would most likely become an autonomous part of the German empire. But what we are primarily curious in is what is the geopolitical impact of the concept The Germans had on Ukraine.
Part III. Period of decisive changes
Ukrainian Attempts to Be Independent
Following the overthrow of the Tsarate by the February Revolution in March 1917, the alleged Ukrainian Central Council was established in Kiev, alleged Russian part of Ukraine, which first proclaimed the autonomy of Ukraine, which was to function within the Russian Federation, to declare the independent Ukrainian People's Republic on January 22, 1918. The ongoing negotiations in Brest were observed in Kiev. In carrying out their geopolitical ideas, Germany recognised the independency of the Ukrainian State and allowed the representatives of the Council to participate in the deliberations. The recently established Ukrainian republic gained favorable territorial conditions at the expense of the inactive non-existent Poland and became an ally of Germany. It is clear that both Poles and Russia did not like the solution. However, it was Germany that dictated the conditions and this dictatorship besides included the recently established Ukraine, which became their protectorate.
In return, the Germans granted Ukraine the right to obey and the work to comply with their commitments to the fresh masters. These commitments included the provision of food to the central states. erstwhile the execution of the commitments began to neglect in February 1918, the German army entered Ukraine and 2 months later the Central Council was removed from power. Independent Ukraine was to be only from Russia, Germany expected surrender. To this end, they abolished the democratic form of Ukrainian statehood with left-wing slope, establishing a dictatorship under leadership Paweł Skelepadski. Skępadski, citing the military traditions of the Cossack, created the alleged Hetmanat. The Hetmanate could only be with the support of Germany, but as shortly as on 11 November 1918 in Compiegne they accepted their defeat in planet War I, it collapsed. The restoration of the Ukrainian People's Republic was announced in December 1918. This time in the mediate between democracy and the dictatorship of the form of government. The directorate was established, in which the main violins played Volodymyr Wynownikko and Simeon Petlura.
Fronts of fighting for independent Ukraine
Can it be said that the situation has changed for the better for Ukraine's independence? Doubtful, though the Germans were eliminated from the large geopolitical game, and the old enemies of Ukrainian self-esteem came to their place – i.e. the pomped, communist Russia and restored Poland. Both of these countries viewed Ukraine as their own and both were ready for war for their historical rights. The Ukrainian position had for both historical owners Ukraine's secondary importance and could possibly lead to comparative autonomy at most in Poland or Russia. So there was a situation where Ukrainians fought for their independency on 2 Ukrainian-Russian and Ukrainian-Polish fronts. In the event of a Ukrainian-Russian conflict, national affairs were mixed with social issues.
In the case of Russia, this meant that the Whites represented the national interest, i.e. they sought to recreate the large Czarski empire, while the Reds – in their quest to make a fresh social order – declaratively rejected the Russian national interest. The problem was that this fresh social order had to be implemented somewhere, preferably in the widest geographical scale. As a result, the Reds, like the Whites, sought to recreate the imperial empire. It is clear that whether it will be a self-employed or a russian power – for the subordinate peoples it was little crucial than for the Russians. For them, it was inactive a Russian hegemony, which became more severe erstwhile it turned out that the fresh order did not meet expectations. In the case of Ukraine, the conflict between the 2 Ukrainians was expressed in the establishment of the Ukrainian People's Republic with the capital in Kiev, which sought to make an independent Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian Republic of Rad (1917) with the capital in Kharkiv, which sought to build a fresh social order, putting national affairs forward. Both Ukraine had their sponsors. The 1 from Kiev, the dying empire of the Second Reich, the 1 from Kharkiv – the forming communist empire. As is known, the defeat of the Second Reich yet determined the defeat of Ukraine independent of Russia.
Geopolitics of Poland. Drawing Treaty
Before, however, what form of Ukrainianity has emerged from these incredibly complicated struggles, the Polish subject must be taken into account. 2 days after the end of planet War I, the Ukrainians formed another state, which they called the Western Ukrainian People's Republic. This left-wing rash in Ukraine was interesting. All 3 fresh Ukrainian states called themselves ‘people’. ZURL was established in the Austrian partition, the alleged east Galicia with its capital in Lviv, with inspiration from Vienna. As you can see, the possessors had a large influence on the formation of extra-obligation political reality. A certain analogy can be found in the Polish Regency Council, which was created by Germany in the Kingdom, which voluntarily – due to the fact that it is hard to compose “self-now” – gave power to Piłsudski, specially released from Magdeburg prison, making him the Chief of State. For the restored Poland, the creation of another Ukrainian state in the areas which the Republic viewed as its own was unacceptable. The concept of Ukrainian people born on the basis of the Austrian partition was incomprehensible for Poles. The Ukrainians not only wanted to expel Poles from Ukraine, but wanted this to scope the Sanu line. It began a very fierce and very bloody armed conflict lasting from November 1918 to July 1919. On January 22, 1919, both Ukrainian states formed 1 organism. The anniversary of the act of unification became in 1990. National feast of Ukraine.
In the head of the then president Leonida Kuczma This vacation speaks of the territorial unity of Ukraine. URL took over ZURL's conflict with Poland, continuing the war with Red Russia and White Russia (Anton Denikin). The URL could not win this conflict. The People's Republic of West Ukraine, thanks mainly to the Polish state, ceased to exist. Under the force of the ununited, which does not mean that not acting for the same intent Poland, White Russia and Red Russia, ended its existence in 1921. The Polish-Soviet War was decisive in this respect, during which Poland agreed with the URL on the common fight against Russia. The URL destroyed by Poland on the 1 hand, on the another hand by Russia, concluded that Poland as the weaker side of the Soviet-Polish conflict would be little evil.
For Poland, the alliance with the URL was not only military, but legitimized its east expansion. The agreement was formalised on 21 April 1920, the alleged Warsaw agreement, in which Poland, recognizing the independency of Ukraine, obtained from it the east Galicia and Volyn. The agreement besides led to the creation of a Polish-Ukrainian military alliance directed against russian Russia. Polish and Ukrainian armies were to cooperate under Polish command. In Ukrainian areas, an agreement deemed non-Polish was to be created a Ukrainian state. It must be clearly stated that the agreement with Poland did not find designation in the eyes of Ukrainian society and Petlur as the head of URL lost his support. The agreement had a short life – little than 6 months. In October 1920, the war effort was completed, and with them Poland recognized the independency of the Ukrainian People's Republic. In place of it, Poland recognized the Ukrainian Socialist russian Republic with its capital in Kharkov as a Ukrainian state. The Treaty of Drawing of March 18, 1921, which formally ended the war and sanctioned the territorial conquests of Poland, was beneficial only for Poland. Poland withdrew from any work to an independent URL, while accepting the puppet socialist Ukraine.
The triumph of Poland in the historical consciousness of Poles took on a mythical character. And the triumph in the Warsaw conflict of 13–25 August 1920 is frequently portrayed as “the miracle over the Vistula” and became the foundation story of the Second Republic. However, for Polish-Ukrainian relations, the wording of the Treaty of Riga was clearly negative. Supporters of Ukrainian independency took him as a betrayal and as a conventional usage of Ukrainians by Polish "gentlemen". As a result, dislike of Poles bordering with hatred gradually in times of the Second Republic grew. Feelings on the 1 hand were exacerbated by the Polonization policy of the then Polish state, and on the another hand, by the emergence of fascist ideology in Ukraine, which, while feeding on the state-forming disasters of Ukrainians, preached physical annihilation of a abroad element. The consequence of these trends was cruel murders which were experienced by the Polish community of Ukraine in the 1940s.
Causes of Ukrainian independence
In conclusion, independency trends were not fruitful. Consider their authenticity. The URL was a German inspiration, the Western Ukrainian People's Republic – Austrian, and the Ukrainian Socialist russian Republic – of course Russian. The fact that it was external forces that stimulated the mentioned efforts of Ukrainian state-generated Ukrainians makes it seem that Ukrainian state organizations, in fact, were set up to live, not so much to prosecute the interests of independent Ukraine as to defend the interests of the powerholders. Consequently, their efforts for popularity and support in Ukrainian society could not be effective. Secondly, the defeat of the Central States in planet War I eliminated the forces who wanted to make an independent, progermanic Ukraine. As a result, Russia and Poland remained on the square of the conflict of Ukraine, whose conflict led to another partition of Ukraine sanctioned by the Riga Peace. In particular, Poland was destructive in relation to Ukraine, which not only seized Ukrainian territory, citing its historical rights, but besides recognized the puppet of russian Russia – Ukrainian Socialist russian Republic as a Ukrainian state.
Authenticity of Ukrainian independency movement. Nestor Machno
Let us consider what would happen if Ukrainian independency aspirations were indeed Ukrainian. past of the alleged Free territory created by Nestora Machno may be the answer to the question. In addition to the efforts of Ukrainian society to make its own state, more or little externally controlled (it can be stressed that Poland has not made an effort to make its puppet state of Ukraine, which should be interpreted as a belief that efforts will be unsuccessful due to Ukrainian polonaphobia), The Ukrainians of Zaporozh created their own non-state concept of an independent territorial unit. It was an anarchist organization that rejected the structure of state power by self-organising on the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation. The Free Territory, besides called Machnowszów from the name of its creator Nestor Machno, existed from 1918 to 1921. It adopted the principles of anarchocommunism as the basis of its social functioning. Anarchocommunism assumed that after the overthrow of capitalism and the state people should form cooperative communities. Anarchocommunism was different from communism due to the fact that communism did not presume the immediate demolition of the state. In the Free Territory, decisions were made on the basis of direct democracy and individual freedom was guaranteed. The problem for Machnowszczyzna was that – although it was purely a Ukrainian concept and enjoyed the support of the peasantry – it was in conflict with all forces that had something to say in Ukraine. With the Whites – due to the fact that they wanted a restaurant of capitalism, with Reds – due to the fact that they did not advocate the liquidation of the state, with the Ukrainian People's Republic – due to the fact that it was not seen as Ukrainian, especially after becoming Hetmanat and with the Ukrainian Socialist Republic, due to the fact that it was seen as a Russian tool.
However, for Machna the most crucial opponents were the Whites, inactive the Ukrainian forms of Ukraine and yet the Bolsheviks themselves. As a result, a kind of agreement was created between the Bolsheviks and Machna. Until 1 point Vladimir Lenin decided to usage his communist views, turning a blind eye to anarchism. Machno proved to be an highly valuable ally. His Revolutionary Pows dancing Army of Ukraine with up to 100,000 soldiers operated very effectively. Her triumph over the White Volunteer Denikina Army under Peregonika in September 1919 is seen as a landmark minute from which the Bolsheviks gained strategical advantage in the Russian Revolution. The enemy set to win Denikin Peter Wrangla, to Petlura and his visions—as he said, “the bourgeois Ukraine”, rejected by the victorious Bolsheviks who, owing him much, did not tolerate his charisma and individualism, yet was forced to flee and live on emigration in 1921. Along with it, the thought of independent Ukraine was defeated and the road for marionette russian Ukraine was opened. For the fullness of the image 1 can besides mention the alleged Holodnajarska Republic existing in the areas of the Cherkah region, which was first broken up by White troops and then by Reds. The memory of this Ukrainian quest for independency was restored in the neo-Nazi movement of modern Ukraine. In summary, forces fighting independent Ukraine were besides powerful to have any chance of success. The most serious fighting for Ukraine took place between external forces – Germany, Russia and Poland. In these struggles, the Ukrainians were besides weak to build their state. The Germans defeated by the Ententa in the West were the earliest of the struggles. Poland was recently created thanks to the winning war with Bolsheviks it gained a "our" historically part of Ukraine. This did not appeal to Ukrainians and for the triumph of peace of the Russian Polish population came to pay. Finally, the Russian-Russian struggles led to the complete defeat of the counter-revolution and the triumph of real communism.
Ukrainian Socialist russian Republic
Since the Ukrainian Socialist russian Republic has been associated with russian Russia since its beginning, it has received rights to represent Ukrainianism (a word more appropriate in this context than the Ukrainian people). The Probolshevik USRR from 1919 to 1922 existed as an independent state to become 1 of the founding republics of the russian Union in 1922. In relation to the Czarski times, specified treatment was a novum, as the cultural diversity of Ukraine was recognised, its territory was designated and the right to self-government was accepted. It was not an independent state, but it was besides not like a collection of governors in Czarski times. Moreover, Ukraine became an entity of global law, being together with Belarusian and Russian SRR as a founding associate of the UN. The fact that Ukraine was 1 of the founders of the USSR allowed it to sign a treaty with Belarus and Russia on its dissolution in 1991. However, despite this laughter of history, it should be noted that Ukraine went along with Russia the full life way of the USSR from cradle to grave. This common civilisational way is found present especially in east Ukraine, where society values the common past and values that were created together. Western Ukraine sees things differently, which is the origin of the disintegration of modern Ukraine.
Areaally socialist Ukraine suffered 2 major modifications – the cancellation of the Treaty of Riga and the annexation to Ukraine in 1939 Volyn and east Galicia, formerly the Polish so-called. Kresy and about the annexation of Crimea in 1954 on the 300th anniversary of the Perejassan settlement resulting in Bohdan Chmielnicki dedicated himself to the care of Tsar's Russia. Despite the social anachronism, the Communist russian Union honored the unity of the Russian people, due to the fact that so in Russia's historiography, the Perejassan settlement is perceived, the embodiment of Crimea to the USRR. In Crimea, the arbitrary decision of Nikita Khrushchev, who made this "transfer", the applause did not find what was expressed after the Majdanian coup of 2014, erstwhile they vetoed their Ukrainian affiliation by referendum, becoming depending on the position – the annexed territory occupied or united with the homeland of liberated territory.
Birth of Ukrainian Fascism and Russian Denazification Action
One of the consequences of Ukraine's failure to become independent after planet War I was the birth of Ukrainian fascism. Seeing the failure of attempts to build an independent state, as well as critically assessing the pseudo-independence of communist Ukraine, began to advance utmost forms of combat. This is how Ukrainian fascism was born, who wanted and wanted an independent Ukrainian state at the expense of the cultural and biological demolition of all minorities. Since Russia is seen as the main opponent of alleged Ukraine, it is the main intent of the aggression of Ukrainian Fascism. So we are in a situation where the present Ukraine is the territorial successor of this 1 created by the russian Union. The question that is being raised is: can Ukraine, built under another conditions, become independent, renounce its past and keep hostility towards the founding Russia? I don't think so. Firstly, Ukraine is besides divided in its own past assessments, secondly, the hostility of parts of Ukraine towards Russia is besides infantilely utmost for the second to take action in the interests of their own safety.
Denazification and demilitarisation action Ukraine has been taken and a large part of Ukraine will simply become Russian. More precisely, the territories of the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporosian, Khersonian, Nikolayavian and Odessk provinces will become Russian again. Ukraine will be cut off from the Black Sea. The territory of western Ukraine will make a fresh Ukrainian state that will gotta have neutral position and become a puppet of Russia. The destiny of Lviv in the context of historical rights of Poland will stay to be determined. This is in the event of Russia's victory. In the event of her defeat, the process of annihilation will be more or little rapid, and it will be a success for her if she loses her power status. However, specified a anticipation does not seem realistic.
What is possible is to accomplish a position quo in which the Russians will not be able to decision forward and the Ukrainians will not be able to remove them from Ukraine. Then meaningful negotiations will begin, as a consequence of which Ukraine will recognise the failure of Crimea and Donbas. However, this conflict is not truly a conflict on territory. From a country friendly to Russia, post-maidan Ukraine became hostile to it, without even considering the anticipation of neutrality. Its territory began to be lent to the expansion of NATO military logistics. This was not done with a view to defending Ukraine, but with a view to gaining strategical advantage in a planned military confrontation with Russia. On the Ukrainian side, Nazism was the ideological origin of specified a policy.
Ukrainian Nazism is organically anti-Russian. Sponsored by the West, it rapidly developed as a tool threatening Russia's security. The consequence was a denasification action to remove root problems. We remember that the denazification of West Germany made this country rather a peaceful political creation. Demilitarization of Ukraine is the demolition of its current military possible and the prevention of its remilitarisation. This second can be done radically effectively by limiting its territorial base. If successful, the geopolitical consequences will be significant. The present planet order based on the military hegemony of the West will be overthrown. The cultural and economical foundations of this dominance are already being eroded. Through its anti-Russianity and serveilism towards the West, Pomajdany Ukraine found itself between the hammer and the hardwood. The hammer is Russia trying to forge a fresh planet order (a bit like the revolutionary year 1918), and an anvil – defending the old order of the West.
Andrzej Klunik-Nowak
Think Poland, No. 13-14 (30.03-6.04.2025)
