The Collaboration of Ukrainian Nationalists with Nazi GermanyBoth the Ukrainian state and its society have undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the new millennium. With the “Orange Revolution” in 2004 and even more with the “Revolution of Dignity”(Euromaidan) in the winter of 2013/14, a slow and difficult process of inner liberalization, democratization and modernization took shape that might finally result in the integration of the country into the European Union.
Alongside these remarkable changes, extremely emotional and conflict-laden debates about the historical past and national legacy are also taking place. This often leads to painful retrospection, taking into ac-count that recent Ukrainian history was battered by two World Wars and also 70 years interlocked with the Soviet Communist regime a history full of repression, violence, ethnic conflicts and paternalism. It is the narrative of a repeated national awakening and keen fights for freedom, but also of aggression against vulnerable ethno-cultural minorities in similar circumstances. A Ukrainian feeling of national cohesion arose in the 19th century, firstly in the arts, language and intellectual ideas. Poets like Taras Shevchenko, musicians like Mykola Lyssenko and painters like Oleksandr Murashko planted the seeds of Ukrainian culture and character. As in many other ethno-cultural groups of the centenary, national patriotism also gained traction, along with the vision of an independent Ukrainian state. These efforts have been stunted twice, first of all by external forces in the course of both World Wars (and more than ever in their results.) Moreover, the Ukrainian fight for independence has regrettably twice turned into political and military radicalization, not least at the expense of minorities like the Jews. It is possible to retrace this ambivalence surrounding idolized heroes bravely and somewhat successful fighting for freedom in both World Wars, while at the same time unable to prevent mass crimes committed by their own followers. This is true, for example, in the case of Symon Petljura, the highly esteemed govern-mental head of the short-lived independent Ukraine at the end of World War I, and similarly true in the case of Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian na-tionalist organization OUN-B in the 1940s. Petljura was assassinated in Parisin May 1926 by the Jewish activist Salomon Schwarzbart, who avenged his family killed by Petljura troops in the Russian Civil War years before. Bandera was murdered in Munichin 1959 by a Soviet KGB (Комитетгосударственнойбезопас-ности/Committee for State Security) agent. Consequences of challenging NAZI authority Auxiliary police 109, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 201-st Ukrainian Schutzmannschaftant-battalions participated in anti-partisan operations in Ukraine and Belarus. In February — March 1943 50-th Ukrainian Schutzmannschaftant-battalion participated in the large anti-guerrilla action «Winterzauber» (Winter magic) in Belarus, cooperating with several Latvian and 2nd Lithuanian battalion. Schuma-battalions burned down villages suspected in supporting Soviet partisans. ("Gerlach, C. «Kalkulierte Morde» Hamburger Edition, Hamburg, 1999"). All inhabitants of the village Khatyn in Belarus were burnt alive by the Nazis with participation of the 118th Schutzmannschaft battalion on 22 March 1943. Waffen-SS Division "Galizien" By April 28, 1943 the German Command had created the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Galizien (1st Ukrainian) manned by 14,000 Ukrainians. The history, composition, and function of the Waffen-SS Galizien are the topic of contentious debate among scholars still today. Some have held that these men volunteered eagerly for war against the Soviets, claiming that as evidence of active support of Nazi Germany: [Williamson, G: "The SS: Hitler's Instrument of Terror"] while others claim that at least some of them were victims of compulsory conscription as Germany suffered defeats and lost manpower on the eastern front. [cite book | author=Melnyk, Michael | title=To Battle: The Formation and History of the 14. Gallician SS Volunteer Division | publisher=Helion and Company Ltd] Sol Litman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center claims that there are many proven and documented incidents of atrocities and massacres committed by the Waffen-SS Galizien against minorities, particularly Jews during the course of WWII: [cite book | author=Litman, Sol | title=Pure Soldiers or Bloodthirsty Murderers?: The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Galicia Division | edition=Hardcover | publisher=Black Rose Books | year=2003| id=ISBN 1551642190] however other authors, including Michael Melnyk, [cite book | author=Melnyk, Michael | title=To Battle: The Formation and History of the 14. Gallician SS Volunteer Division | publisher=Helion and Company Ltd] and Michael O. Logusz [cite book | author=Logusz, Michael | title=Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th grenadier Division 1943-1945 | publisher=Schiffer Publishing] maintain that members of the division fought almost entirely at the front against the Soviet Red Army and defend the unit against the accusations made by Litman and others since the war. Neither the division nor any of its members were ever charged with any war crime.
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