YEVHEN KONOVALETS AND INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF UKRAINIAN NATIONALISTS

Ivan  KHOMA; Mykola  POSIVNYCH

doi:10.24919/2519-058X.33.317481

Authors

Ivan KHOMA PhD (History), Head of the Department of History, Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4607-7065
Mykola POSIVNYCH PhD (History), Senior Researcher of the I. Krypyakevych Institute of Ukrainian Studies, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5555-0753

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058X.33.317481

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study the formation, directions and results of the international activities of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists under the leadership of Ye. Konovalets in 1929 – 1938. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, general scientific methods of generalization and typology, as well as special scientific research methods: comparative historical, historical systemic and critical analysis of sources. The Scientific Novelty. On the basis of a rich source material, the major part of which is introduced into a scientific circulation for the first time, the following issues have been elucidated: development and challenges during of international activities implementation; directions and result of international activity. The Conclusions. Therefore, the international activity of Ye. Konovalets and the OUN can be divided into two periods. The first one is 1929 – 1934. During this period, there was an attempt to define conceptual issues of international politics. However, due to the lack of experience in international activities, a sufficient number of specialists and the dynamics of international processes, this was not done. In the process of discussing foreign policy, there was an initiative to unify with other stateless peoples of the former Russian Empire. Due to the lack of specialists and weakness of other national movements, this was not implemented. Instead, in 1930 – 1933, they launched international activities within the framework of the League of Nations successfully. Several times the Ukrainian issue became the subject of consideration in this global international institution. It mainly concerned the life of the Ukrainians in Galicia under the Polish occupation. Trying to convey the truth about the life of the Ukrainians in Poland, it was possible to establish diplomatic relations with Italy, Japan and England, which were engaged in the Ukrainian issue. Diplomatic relations were especially close with Italy, which was considered a kind of lawyer, both in the League of Nations and Germany. At the same time, Ye. Konovalets had no hope for Germany led by A. Hitler in support of the revival of the Ukrainian state. Instead, Germany and Japan were considered the strongest of those capable of breaking the borders formed after World War I. The OUN planned to use the situation in its favour. The second stage of international activity under Ye. Konovalets began in 1937. A kind of pause in international activity, lasting almost for three years, was connected with the murder of the Minister for Internal Affairs B. Pieratski by a member of the OUN in Warsaw. After that, Poland succeeded in getting the activities of the OUN branches in Czechoslovakia, Germany and Lithuania to be limited for a certain time. However, when it became clear that Germany's ambitions in the redistribution of Europe could not be put to rest, Ye. Konovalets and the PUN resumed international activities, especially with Japan. There was hope that this state would start a war with the USSR. Although joint actions with Japan were not agreed upon. In the end, we should state that Ye. Konovalets and the OUN in general in their international combinations did not develop relations with the USA.

Key words: Yevhen Konovalets, Yevhen Onatsky, Dmytro Andriyevsky, Rico Yariy, Stepan Bandera, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, League of Nations.

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