Thread by @CanadianKobzar

🧵FELLAS! STAY AWHILE AND LISTEN! As you have all been waiting, I present to you the first part of three threads relating to Stepan Bandera, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Today's thread - the Prologue. 1/21

In order to understand Bandera and the nationalist movement its absolutely integral to understand its roots. Not only in the opinion of historians, but by contemporaries of the time, the conflict in 1930-40 was a continuation of the Ukrainian War of Independence in 1918. 2/21

Before I begin - this is a sensitive topic. Particularly for Poles and Jews. While, my goal is to voice the Ukrainian perspective, I am NOT justifying any misdeeds of Ukrainians. However, I will not engage in guilt olympics. Dumb comment = hidden response and block. 3/21

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Ukraine was divided. The western part was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the rest was ruled by Imperial russia. Despite this division, Ukrainians on both sides still viewed themselves as one people 4/21:

After WWI, Ukrainians would continue fighting for our independence in the War of Independence. This was fought by Ukrainians against the Polish state, the bolsheviks, the white army, anarchists and others - all at the same time. 5/21

The biggest supporter of Ukraine at this time was Germany (important to remember). It the first state to recognize its independence in 1918, but also actively supported the Ukrainian state, fought alongside Ukraine to reclaim Crimea in 1918 and in Operation Faustschlag. 6/21

The Ukrainian independence movement was lead by various Ukrainian heroes, but of note Yevhen Konovalets, Andriy Melnyk and the elite unit known as the elite Sich Riflemen stand out . They played decisive roles in many major battles for Ukraine. 7/21

Ukraine lost the War of Independence. The consequences were absolutely dire for Ukraine. The majority of Ukraine was ruled by the bolsheviks and later soviet union. The west was ruled by the Polish. Ukrainians suffered under both. 8/21

Life under bolshevik rule without question is the darkest period in Ukrainian history - Ukrainian culture was russified, Ukrainian intellgensia were purged, the Ukrainian language was banned, and over six million Ukrainians were intentionally starved to death by Stalin. 9/21

Life under Polish rule was not much better. Immediately following the war, thousands of Ukrainians died in Polish internment camps. The Ukrainian identity was de facto illegal, Ukrainians were essentially barred from politics and Ukrainian language schools were closed. 10/21

I will add however, that the Polish situation was more complicated. There were several instances of attempts at cooperation. In particular, the policies of Józewski known as the Volhynia Experiment in the 1930's, which unfortunately did not succeed. 11/21

Ukrainians longing for independence continued the fight for freedom. Most notably was the Sich Rifleman, Konovalets. In Prague 1920, he and other Sich Riflemen formed the underground Ukrainian independence movement known as the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO). 12/21

The goals of UVO were to liberate Ukraine from bolshevik and Polish rule through armed resistance and assassination. UVO targeted many Polish politicians, but most notably, they attempted to assassinate Józef Piłsudski (sorry my Polish friends). 13/21

It is important to note that even in the early 1920's Weimar Republic supported this movement. The UVO had an agreement with Friedrich Gempp, the chief of the German Reichswehrministerium Abwehr-Abteilung (wow), to conduct espionage activities against Poland. 14/21

As the Ukrainian nationalist movement grew, eventually the UVO would evolve into a new organization. In 1929 Vienna, joined by Andriy Melnyk and other Ukrainian nationalists, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) was formed with Konovalets as its leader. 15/21

The goal of OUN was the same as UVO - the liberation and creation of an independent Ukrainian state, but heavily influenced by the ideas of Dmytro Dontsov. While not a member of OUN, he advocated for an independent Ukrainian state, similar to Mussolini's Italy. 16/21

As Ukrainian resistance grew, so did the Polish response. In 1930, Poland initiated the "Pacification of Galicia". This consisted of the arbitrary arrest, torture and killing of any Ukrainians suspected of being associated with the OUN. This marked a point of no return. 17/21

By the mid 1930's, many Ukrainian nationalists became more embittered and more impatient. Many saw the methods of OUN as too slow and ineffective. 1939 marked a decisive turning point for OUN for two reasons: 18/21

First of all, 1939 marked the beginning of World War II. But more relevant to the nationalist movement, in 1938 Konovalets was assassinated by the NKVD (soviet secret police), leaving a power vacuum and division in the OUN. 19/21

Some of the "old" OUN supported Andriy Melnyk and became known as the Melnykites or OUN-M. This group favoured more conservative methods at achieving Ukrainian independence. 20/21

However, the younger, more aggressive members of OUN formed under a new more radical leader. This group would be known as OUN-B, after their leader... Stepan Andriyovych Bandera. Who will be the topic of Part 2. 21/21