Ukrainian UPA Genocide of Poles Apologists Debunked Polishchuk

Faچszowanie Historii Najnowszej Ukrainy: Woچyڳn 1943 I Jego Znaczenie, by Wiktor Poliszczuk

All Exculpations for the Ukrainian (OUN-UPA) Genocide of Poles Are Completely Demolished

Ukrainian author Polishchuk shows how, ever since the end of WWII, the Ukrainian fascist-separatist OUN-UPA has been repainting itself into a democracy-loving group of freedom-fighters. This played very well in the Cold War era, when anti-Communism was prized and Nazi pasts overlooked. It continues to this day. Part of the problem is that English-language works on this subject, such as Armstrong’s UKRAINIAN NATIONALISM, are based on OUN sources. The LITOPYS UPA series is more pseudohistory. (p. 27). True events are mentioned without context. For instance, one later act of WIN/UPA cooperation (May 1945) is treated as the norm. (p. 12).

YES, THE OUN WAS A FASCIST IDEOLOGY

Leftists have always conveniently called fascist those groups that they did not like. The LEWAKS do it to this day. For this reason, the term fascist has to carefully be applied, and the author does this admirably.

Polishchuk elaborates on the unmistakably fascist nature of the OUN: Its totalitarianism, undisguised amorality, quasi-racist ideation, cult of the WODZ (absolute leader), imperialist (not simply emancipatory) goals, etc. Ukrainians of even uncertain obedience to it were to be killed. (p. 46).

UKRAINIAN COLLABORATION WITH THE NAZIS IN ITS FULLEST SENSE

The notion that the OUN merely cooperated, but didn’t collaborate, with the Nazis is ridiculous. Fact is, both Melnyk and Bandera praised Hitler, wished him victory, said that Ukrainians drew inspiration and example from him, and condemned “the Soviet and Anglo-American imperialists.” (pp. 18-19).

The excuse about Nazi collaborationism being conditional to the Nazis creating an independent Ukrainian state is also untrue. Fact is, Nazi Germany never made any such promise (p. 33), and, long after it became obvious that they wouldn’t do it, the OUN-UPA/Nazi collaboration continued–in fact right until the very end of the German occupation. The Germans armed the UPA. (p. 58).

ANTISEMITISM

Claims about the OUN-UPA not being anti-Semitic are laughable. In April 1941, which is even before the German invasion of eastern Galicia and Volyn as part of Operation Barbarossa, the OUN-b had a declaration stating that the OUN should destroy the Jews. (p. 23). In later 1941, both the OUN-b and OUN-m had published statements echoing Nazi views of Jews. (pp. 24-25). The OUN was instrumental in creating the Ukrainian collaborationist police that not only played a major role in the Nazi extermination of Jews, but also in finding and killing fugitive Jews. (p. 31). Later, and contrary to the rosy portrayals of UPA-Jewish relations, the UPA continued the extermination of Jews. (pp. 22-26).

THE SS-GALIZIEN

The Ukrainian-collaborationist SS-Galizien most certainly DID swear allegiance to Hitler. (p. 27). It didn’t enter combat at Brody until late-July 1944. (p. 8). Polishchuk dismisses the notion of the SS-Galizien becoming transformed into the Ukrainian National Army as nothing more than a fabrication of the OUN-m. Fact is, the SS-Galizien always had a German commander, Fritz Freitag, who at no time came under any form of Ukrainian command. (pp. 17-18).

GENOCIDE WAS IN THE OUN S PLANS LONG BEFORE WWII

Since its inception in 1929, the OUN called for removal of all non-Ukrainians. (pp. 77-78). This became reality in the form of the Nazi-collaborating destruction of the Jews and later the genocide of over 120,000 local Poles. Polishchuk rejects the denials and the blame-the-victim tactics. For instance, against the justification related to past Polish wrongs, he cites the “mega-wrong” of the Soviet Ukrainian famine-genocide, which claimed millions of Ukrainian lives, yet never provoked a genocidal impulse of Ukrainians against Russians! (p. 71). Polish reprisals against UPA actions did occur, but were very limited.

THE OUN-UPA LATE-WWII MAKEOVER AS A PROFESSEDLY DEMOCRATIC UNIT

In July 1944, the OUN-B and UPA condemned both Nazi and Soviet imperialism, and expressed support for political pluralism and democracy. (p. 15; see also 49-50). But notice that this OUN-UPA “pro-western orientation” and “evolution into democracy”, which conveniently began after Stalingrad (p. 18), became especially prominent AFTER the Soviets had almost completely driven the Nazis out of Ukrainian geographic areas, fascism had become a discredited concept, and NazI Germany itself was close to defeat. Finally the OUN-UPA “evolution into democracy” couldn’t be genuine because the OUN-UPA never admitted, let alone confronted and repudiated, its fascist/pro-Nazi/genocidal past.

UPDATE

The courageous Ukrainian Viktor Polishchuk wrote this book decades ago. Since then, nothing has changed. If anything, many Ukrainians are even more apologetic about the genocidal crimes of the OUN-UPA.