W. WILSON'S ADMINISTRATION AND THE BEGINNING OF THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT IN EASTERN (NOVEMBER 1918 – FEBRUARY 1919)

Abstract

The involvement of the United States in the process of the Polish-Ukrainian armed conflict is among rather unexplored aspects. This armed conflict began in November 1918, after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The purpose of the article is to elucidate this issue in detail. The methodology of the research is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity, scientificity, verification, authorial objectivity, a moderate narrative constructivism, as well as the use of general (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special historical (historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-systemic) methods. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography the attempt has been made to analyze the American policy on the Polish-Ukrainian armed conflict in Eastern Halychyna at the end of 1919 – the beginning of 1919, based on the analysis of the US Department of State official published documents concerning this issue. The Conclusions. During November 1918 – February 1919, Washington acted as an arbiter in the process of resolving the Polish-Ukrainian conflict in Eastern Halychyna, which resulted from the efforts of both sides to implement the idea of creating an independent state using the US-proclaimed principle of “the right of nations for self-determination”. Both Poland and the ZUNR, claiming the control of the region, engaged in the international struggle actively, including the appeal to the White House, seeking for the recognition of their claims as legitimate. This activity turned out to be quite effective for the ZUNR. Owing to the repeated appeals for help to W. Wilson's administration, the declarations that the proclamation of the Ukrainian state was the realization of the principle of the nations' self-determination, the Western Ukrainian government made sure that its interests were no longer ignored, despite Washington's support of Poland.