The State Center of the Ukrainian People's Republic in Exile: Prerequisites for Reorganization (1945–1948)

Abstract

Summary. The purpose of the research is to investigate the reorganization of the State Center of UNR, which was the first successful attempt to consolidate political parties and organizations of the Ukrainian diaspora in post-war Europe. The article highlights the party structure of Ukrainian emigration in post-war Europe, the complex process of negotiations between the main political forces, their party positions and the vision of the fundamental pillars of the common political-state center. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity, science and interdisciplinary. The author adheres to the societal approach to the study of political processes. The scientific novelty: The restructuring process of the State Center of UNR in exile has hardly been studied at all, and historiography is represented mainly by historical-publicistic and memorial works. This article is based on archival sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Conclusions. Following the completion of the activities of the Council (Rada) and the Government of the Directory in the early 1920s, the idea of consolidation of Ukrainian emigration across the European space remained elusive. The foreign policy situation, which almost ignored the state interests of Ukrainians, offered little room for optimism. On the eve and during the Second World War, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists gained considerable weight among the Ukrainians. After the end of the war a large number of OUN members also found themselves in exile. The existence of four centers of influence (the UNR government-in-exile, the Union of Hetman-Statesmen (UHS) and two wings of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN)) did not imply an easy path to reconciliation in the environment of Ukrainian emigration. Consolidation talks began indolently and rarely went further than declarations and suggestions. The political structures of the overseas Ukrainians, which had a great influence on all Ukrainian political forces in Europe and the occupation government of the Allies, have became a kind of catalyst for this process. The direct involvement of a representative of the Pan-American Ukrainian Conference (PAUC) in these negotiations led to the creation of a Contact Committee, later the Coordinating Ukrainian Committee (CUC). Its work was long, complex (more than two years) and was met with a positive response among the wide circles of the Ukrainian public. Although most parties and organizations were involved in CUC activity, party representation was not permanent; there were constant demarches of the UHS and the OUN Banderist wing (OUNb). The UHS at least formally participated in the process, however, it eventually withdrew from it. The OUNb conducted a permanent destructive policy, but nevertheless it participated in 1 session of the UNRada, although after that it left the structures of the State Center.