ACTIVITIES OF THE UKRAINIAN CANADIAN COMMITTEE DURING WORLD WAR II (1939 – 1945)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24919/2519-058X.34.324618Abstract
The purpose of the research is a comprehensive analysis of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee participation (UCC) in the Canadian federal government's campaign for war efforts aimed at moral and material support for the country's armed forces and the Ukrainian servicemen present there in order to bring about victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, and its struggle with the Ukrainian Society for Aid to the Motherland (USAM) and the Assossiation of Canadian Ukrainians (ACU). The methodological basis of the study is the principles of objectivity, historicism, consistency, and problem-based approach. In the research the following methods have been used: analysis and synthesis, problem-chronological, comparative, to study the role of the UCC and ACU in Canada's war efforts, as well as the method of internal criticism of sources. The scientific novelty consists in processing of a significant number of primary sources and scientific literature, which made it possible to analyze the forms and content of the UCC's campaign in support of the Canadian federal government's course on war efforts to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II and to compare the Ukrainian Canadian Committee and the Assossiation of Canadian Ukrainians in the context of the war and the Ukrainian issue. The Conclusions. The leadership of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee, together with its constituent and other public, youth, and cultural and educational organizations, from the moment of its founding in Winnipeg on November 6–7, 1940, conducted an agitation campaign among the youth of the Ukrainian diaspora of Canada by publishing declarations, communiqués, appeals in the press, announcing art evenings, performances, raffles and other events to collect donations for the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces, and rallied around itself all the “loyal elements” of the Ukrainian community in this country. The Ukrainian Canadian Committee supported the morale of 35,000–40,000 Ukrainian servicemen of the Canadian Armed Forces abroad, providing them with material and moral assistance. The contribution of Canadian Ukrainians and their leadership in the form of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee to the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II was highly appreciated by the Anglo-Canadian press, Canadian state and public figures, scientists, and all other friends of the country's Ukrainian community and its researchers. The participation of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee in the war efforts of the residence country of the Ukrainian diaspora contributed to the deep socio-political integration of the community into civilized Canadian society, instilled in its representatives self-confidence as full citizens at a fateful time for Canada and the world. Having held its first Congress on June 22–24, 1943 in Winnipeg, the main national patriotic representative organization of Canadian Ukrainians, countering the Soviet and Sovietophile propaganda, was able to establish itself as an authoritative body representing and defending the interests of Canadian Ukrainians before the federal government and the Canadian public.
Key words: the Ukrainian Canadian Committee, Assossiation of Canadian Ukrainians, Ukrainian Society for Aid to the Motherland, federal government of Canada, Canadian war effort, British Empire.
References
Baran, O. (1995). Pratsia dlia tserkvy i narodu: zhyttia i diialnist o. d-ra Vasylia Kushnira [A Work for the Church and the People: The Life and Work of Rev. Dr. Vasily Kushnir]. Winnipeg: Vydavnychyi fond o. d-ra V. Kushnira. [in Ukrainian]
Black, J. L. (1998). Canada in the Soviet Mirror: Ideology and Perception in Soviet Foreign Affairs, 1917 – 1991. Ottawa: Carleton University Press. [in English]
Borovyk, M. (1991). Stolittia ukrainskoho poselennia v Kanadi (1891 – 1991) [A Century of Ukrainian Settlement in Canada (1891 – 1991)]. Montreal, Ottawa: Ukrainska Mohyliansko-Mazepynska akademiia nauk. [in Ukrainian]
Druhyi Vse-Kanadiiskyi konhres. (1946). Druhyi Vse-Kanadiiskyi konhres ukraintsiv Kanady [Second All-Canadian Congress of Ukrainians in Canada]. Toronto: Ontario. [in Ukrainian]
Eberhardt, P. (2006). Polish eastern border changes in 1939 – 1945. Annales Geographicae, 39 (2), 29–44. [in English]
Gerus, O. W. (1982) The Ukrainian Canadian Committee. In A Heritage in Transition: Essays in the History of Ukrainians in Canada, (pp. 195–214). Toronto, Ontario: McClelland and Stewart. [in English]
Hrytsiuk, V., Lysenko, O., & Kydon, V. (2021) Proloh nimetsko-radianskoi viiny: politychni ta viiskovo-stratehichni aspekty [Prologue of the German-Soviet War: Political and Military-Strategic Aspects]. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal – The Ukrainian Historical Journal, 3, 56–79. [in Ukrainian]
Istoryia Ukrainskoi SSR. (1984). Istoryia Ukrainskoi SSR: v 10 t. T. 8: Ukrainskaia SSR v Velikoi Otechestvennoi voine Sovetskogo Soiuza (1941 – 1945). [History of the Ukrainian SSR: in 10 volumes. Vol. 8: The Ukrainian SSR in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union (1941 – 1945)]. Kyiv: Nauk. dumka. [in Russian]
Kirkconnell, W. (1940). The Ukrainian Canadians and the War. Toronto: Oxford University Press. [in English]
Kirkkonnell, W. (Without year) Viina – ta ukrainski kanadiitsi [War and Ukrainian Canadians]. B.m. [Without place of publication]. [in Ukrainian]
Kolasky, J. (1979). The shattered illusion: The history of Ukrainian pro-communist organizations in Canada. Toronto: PMA Books. [in English]
Kordan, B. S. (1986). A delicate and difficult question: documents in the history of Ukrainians in Canada 1899 – 1962. Kingston, Ontario: The Limestone press. [in English]
Kordan, B. S. (2001). Canada and the Ukrainian Question, 1939 – 1945: A Study in Statecraft. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press. [in English]
Kravchuk, P. I. (1959) Prohresyvni kanadski ukraintsi i vozziednannia ukrainskykh zemel [The Progressive Ukrainian Canadians and the reunification of the Ukrainian lands]. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal – The Ukrainian Historical Journal, 6, 67–76. [in Ukrainian]
Kravets, D. (2022). Sovietization of Western Ukraine (1939 – 1941) in the public opinion of the Ukrainians in the USA. Storinky istorii – History pages, 54, 188–201. [in English]
Leshchenko, L. O. (2001) “Ukrainske pytannia” v dyplomatychnii istorii Druhoi svitovoi viiny (1939 – 1945) [“Ukrainian question” in the diplomatic history of the Second World War (1939 – 1945)]. Narysy z istorii dyplomatii Ukrainy – Essays on the history of diplomacy of Ukraine, (pp. 491–549). Kyiv: Alternatyvy. [in Ukrainian]
Lysenko, O., & Pyliavets, R. (2019) Bytva za Dnipro u Druhii svitovii viini: sproba novoi kontseptualnoi vizii [The Battle of Dnipro in World War II: An Attempt at a New Conceptual Vision]. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal – The Ukrainian Historical Journal, 4, 88–117. [in Ukrainian]
Maiorov, M. (2017). Neprostyi vybir soiuznyka: vybir mizh zakhidnymy demokratiiamy ta hitlerivskoiu Nimechchynoiu [The Difficult Choice of an Ally: The Choice between Western Democracies and Hitler's Germany.]. Vid Reikhstahu do Ivodzimy. U polumi viiny: Ukraina ta ukraintsi u Druhii svitovii – From the Reichstag to Iwo Jima. In the flames of war: Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Second World War, (pp. 243–295). Kharkiv: Klub simeinoho dozvillia. [in Ukrainian]
Marunchak, M. H. (1991). Istoriia ukraintsiv Kanady [The Ukrainian Сanadians: A History]. Vol. 2. Winnipeg: Ukrainska Vilna Akademiia nauk. [in Ukrainian]
OUN i UPA v 1943 rotsi. Dokumenty. (2008). OUN i UPA v 1943 rotsi. Dokumenty [OUN and UIA in 1943. Documents]. Kyiv: In-t istorii Ukrainy Nats. akad. nauk Ukrainy. [in Ukrainian]
Pershyi Vse-Kanadiiskyi Konhres. (1943). Pershyi Vse-Kanadiiskyi Konhres ukraintsiv Kanady. Vynypeh, 22, 23, 24 chervnia 1943 [First All-Canadian Congress of Ukrainians in Canada. Winnipeg, June 22, 23, 24, 1943]. Winnipeg: Printed by the Ukrainian National Publishing Co. Ltd. [in Ukrainian]
Petryshyn, J. (2011). The “ethnic question” personified: Ukrainian Canadians and Canadian-Soviet Relations 1917 – 1991. In Re-imagining Ukrainian Canadians: History, Politics, and Identity, (pp. 223–256). Toronto-Buffalo-London. [in English]
Piniuta, H. (1952). The Organizational Life of Ukrainian Canadians; with Special Reference to the Ukrainian Canadian Committee. Sandy Lake, Manitoba. [in English]
Potrebenko, H. (1977). No streets of gold. A social history of Ukrainians in Alberta. Vancouver: New star books. [in English]
Prophets and proletarians. (1990). Prophets and proletarians: documents on the history of the rise and decline of Ukrainian communism in Canada. Edmonton: Canadian inst. of Ukrainian studies press. University of Alberta. [in English]
Prymak, T. M. (1988). Maple leaf and trident: the Ukrainian Canadians during the second World War. Toronto: Multicultural history society of Ontario. [in English]
Ramazanov, Sh. Sh., & Levitas, F. L. (2020). Dyrektyva № 21 – plan “Barbarossa”: sproba istorychnoho osmyslennia [Directive No. 21 – the Barbarossa Plan: an attempt at historical understanding]. Storinky istorii – History pages, 50, 186–206. [in Ukrainian]
RCMP Security Bulletins. (1993). RCMP Security Bulletins: The War Series, Part II, 1942 – 1945. St. John's: Canadian Committee on Labour History. [in English]
Rusnachenko, A. M. (2016). Narysy novitnoi istorii Ukrainy. Kn. 5 [Essays on the Modern History of Ukraine. Book 5]. Kyiv: Oleh Filyuk. [in Ukrainian]
Tsentralnyi derzhavnyi arkhiv hromadskykh ob’iednan ta ukrainiky [Central State Archive of Public Associations and Ukrainian Studies – CSAPAUS)]
Tychina, P. (1943). Proch hriaznye ruki ot Ukrainy! [Keep Your Dirty Hands off Ukraine!]. Pravda – The Truth, 123 (9259), 14 maia [May 14], 3. [in Russian]
Ukraina: khronika XX stolittia. (2005). Ukraina: khronika XX stolittia. Roky 1941 – 1943: dovid. vyd. [Ukraine: Chronicle of the Twentieth Century. The years 1941 – 1943: reference edition]. Kyiv: In-t istorii Ukrainy NAN Ukrainy. [in Ukrainian]
Veryha, W. (1967). The Ukrainian Canadian Committee: Its origin and war activity. Toronto: Department of History of the University of Ottawa. [in English]
Vidnianskyi, S., & Martynov, A. (2020). Orhanizatsiia Ob’iednanykh Natsii v umovakh suchasnoi kryzy svitovoho poriadku (do 75-richchia stvorennia OON) [The United Nations in the Context of the Current Crisis of the World Order (to the 75th Anniversary of the UN)]. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal – The Ukrainian Historical Journal, 5, 77–89. [in Ukrainian]
Voytsenko, O. (1973). Litopys ukrainskoho zhyttia v Kanadi. T. 5: Doba konsolidatsiinykh zakhodiv, voienni roky y povoienna rozbudova 1940 – 1949 [The Annals of Ukrainian Life in Canada Vol. 5. Period of consolidative efforts war years and post-war development 1940 – 1949]. Edmonton: Kanadskyi instytut ukrainskykh studii. [in Ukrainian]
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
