Unrealized Opportunities: Attempts of Ukrainian-Polish Understanding (Autumn 1939 – First Half 1941)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/uhj2020.01.063Keywords:
Ukrainian question, Ukrainian-Polish relations, Polish Government-in-Exile, Government-in-Exile of Ukrainian Peoples’ Republic, World War IIAbstract
The purpose of the research is to investigate the search for ways of Ukrainian-Polish dialogue, taking into account the specific circumstances of the early stages of World War II. The article covers the main discussions on the Ukrainian question during the formation of the political course of the Polish Government-in-Exile and its subdivisions from the beginning of war to the middle of 1941. The main circumstances, causes, course, consequences and causes of failure of these conversations are analyzed. The author also focuses on the initiatives of the Government-in-Exile of the Ukrainian People’s Republic to cooperate with the Polish Government and its Western allies. The main "players" and their actions in these political processes have been identified. The main prerequisites, content, development and reasons for the failure of their discussions are analyzed.
The research methodology is based on the principles of the critical analysis of archival sources as well as on the method of comparative analysis of the sources and historiography to the historical research. The scientific novelty. The author highlights the motivation of Ukrainian and Polish politicians to seek compromise in order to cooperate in the fight against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany on the basis of a wide range of small-known or unknown documents of Polish, American, Ukrainian and Canadian archival documentary. A special attention is devoted for studying the problems that have been accompanied process of achievement of political consensus between Ukrainians and Poles.
Conclusions. Many efforts have been made by the Ukrainian and Polish Governments-in-Exile to reach consensus on many contentious issues. Nevertheless, Polish and Ukrainian politicians have failed to reach an understanding due to differing views on territorial and other political questions. However, significant attention to establishing a dialogue in the plans of the Polish and Ukrainian emigration governments can be regarded as good evidence of their search for cooperation at the beginning of World War II.
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