Evolution of Diplomatic Relations between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Polish Republic: From Establishment to Break (November 1918 — March 1921)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/uhj2024.04.119Keywords:
Ukrainian-Polish relations, Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR), Polish Republic, S. Petliura, J. Piłsudski, Warsaw Pact, Riga TreatyAbstract
The purpose is to study Ukrainian-Polish relations in the context of the international situation, to trace the development of relations between the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Polish Republic from their inception at the end of 1918 to the conclusion of the Warsaw Pact, to determine its essence and assessments by the figures of that time, and to analyze the impact on the further development of interstate relations.
The methodological basis is the principles of historicism, scientific, problem-chronological, and historical-systemic.
The scientific novelty lies in the systematic and detailed coverage of events, processes, and phenomena in Ukrainian-Polish relations from the establishment of consular offices in both countries to the conclusion of the Warsaw Pact and the subsequent breakdown of cooperation after the signing of the Riga Treaty in 1921. The author comprehensively analyzes the diplomatic and military-political aspects of these events, which allows for a deeper understanding of their impact on the further development of Ukrainian-Polish relations. The main results. The author analyzes the stages of the formation of interstate relations, identifies the main goals and objectives of establishing diplomatic cooperation for Poland and the UPR, as well as their leaders, J. Piłsudski and S. Petliura, finds out the reasons for the complication of political dialogue between the two states, reveals the main points of negotiations on the way to the conclusion of the Warsaw Pact, and investigates the reasons for its non-realization.
Conclusions. The establishment and development of Ukrainian-Polish relations were determined by the final acts of the World War I. Poland declared state independence, and Ukraine restored the republican form of government. The former gained favor with the victorious Entente powers, while the latter tried to get rid of the odium of a satellite of the Quadruple Alliance. The realization by the leaders of both republics of the danger posed by Bolshevik Russia became a consolidating factor on the path to mutual understanding. The goals pursued by both states were significantly different. For S. Petliura, the western neighbor was not only a political but also a military ally, while for J. Piłsudski, the existence of an independent but Polish-oriented state in the east was vital to avoid having a common border with Russia. The situation was complicated by the formation of the West Ukrainian People’s Republic, the Ukrainian-Polish war in Eastern Halychyna, and the existence of the Volyn Front. The unsuccessful course of Ukrainian military operations against the Bolsheviks in the first half of 1919 contributed to Ukraine’s rapprochement with Poland. In turn, by signing an agreement with the UPR, Warsaw officially tried to get the UPR to give up its claims to Eastern Halychyna. The culmination of the Ukrainian-Polish diplomatic dialogue was the forced conclusion of the Warsaw Pact. However, the joint military campaign against Kyiv not only failed but also inspired a successful Red Army offensive in the western direction, causing considerable concern not only among the Polish government but also among the leaders of European states. The Riga Treaty concluded in 1921 between Poland and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic / Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, effectively amounted to the denunciation of the Warsaw Pact and dashed hopes for the independence and unity of Ukraine for many years.
References
Verstiuk, V. (2005). Soiuz Yu. Pilsudskoho — S. Petliury 1920 r. v suchasnii ukrainskii istoriohrafii. Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA. 41: Istorychni nauky. Kyiv. 61-65. [in Ukrainian].
Vidnianskyi, S. (2017). Varshavskyi dohovir 1920 r. v otsintsi suchasnoi ukrainskoi istoriohrafii. Ukraina dyplomatychna. Kyiv. 18: 91-100. [in Ukrainian].
Hai-Nyzhnyk, P. (2021). Pereosmyslennia roli S. Petliury ta znachennia viiskovo-politychnoho soiuzu Ukrainy z Polshcheiu (1920) v suchasnii ukrainskii istorychnii pamiati. Spadshchyna Pilsudskoho ta Petliury. Kyiv. 60-78. [in Ukrainian].
Borymskyi, V. (2015). Polsko-ukrainskyi soiuz 1920 r. v ukrainskii i polskii istoriohrafiiakh (Candidate’s thesis). Cherkasy. [in Ukrainian].
Derevianko, I. (2004). Ukrainsko-polski vidnosyny 1918-1921 rr.: politychnyi aspekt (Candidate’s thesis). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Datskiv, I. (2009). Dyplomatiia ukrainskykh derzhavnykh utvoren u zakhysti natsionalnykh interesiv: 1917-1923 rr. Ternopil. [in Ukrainian].
Mykhailova, O. (2002). Ukraina u skhidnii politytsi Yu. Pilsudskoho (kinets 1918 r. — kviten 1920 r.). Problemy vyvchennia istorii Ukrainskoi revoliutsii 1917-1921 rr. Kyiv. 231-254. [in Ukrainian].
Varhatiuk, S. (1996). Zovnishnia polityka Dyrektorii UNR. (Candidate’s thesis). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Hud, B., Holubko, V. (1997). Nelehka doroha do porozuminnia: do pytannia genezy ukrainsko-polskoho viiskovoho spivrobitnytstva (1917-1921 rr.). Lviv. [in Ukrainian].
Matiash, I. (2019). Pochatok instytutsiinoi istorii ukrainsko-polskykh dyplomatychnykh vidnosyn. Shliakhamy mizhderzhavnykh vzaiemyn. Kyiv. 14-36. [in Ukrainian].
Matviienko, V. (2002). Ukrainska dyplomatiia 1917-1921 rokiv: na terenakh postimperskoi Rosii. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Verstiuk, V. (2020). Soiuz Pilsudskoho — Petliury v istorii borotby za ukrainsku derzhavnist. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal. 2: 4-21. [in Ukrainian].
Korolov, H. (2020). Ostannia bytva za antemurale? Ukrainsko-polskyi soiuz 1920 r. u konteksti “vilsonivskoho momentu”. Przegląd Wschodni. 61: 91-103. [in Ukrainian].
Piskun, V. (2020). Stavlennia naddniprianskykh politychnykh kil do Varshavskoi uhody. Przegląd Wschodni. 61: 66-71. [in Ukrainian].
Rukkas, A. (2013). Razom z polskym viiskom: Armiia Ukrainskoi Narodnoi Respubliky 1920 r. Nizhyn. [in Ukrainian].
Rukkas, A. (2020). Razem z Wojskiem Polskim: Armia Ukraińskiej Republiki Ludowej w 1920 r. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Mykhailova, O. (2011). Polsko-ukrainskyi soiuz 1920 r.: viiskovo-hospodarcha spivpratsia na terytorii Pravoberezhnoi Ukrainy (kinets kvitnia — seredyna chervnia). Problemy vyvchennia istorii Ukrainskoi revoliutsii 1917-1921 rr. Kyiv. 6: 295-336. [in Ukrainian].
Tynchenko, Ya. (2020). Ukrainska Armiia u 1920 r. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Lytvyn, M. (Ed.). (2017). Ukrainsko-polski vidnosyny: Novitnia doba. Lviv. [in Ukrainian].
Kulchytskyi, S. (2021). Symon Petliura: "Ya viriu i pevnyi, shcho Ukraina yak derzhava bude!". Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Lytvyn, S. (2018). Symon Petliura u borotbi za samostiinu Ukrainu. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Sribniak, I. (1995). Symon Petliura na choli derzhavy ta viiska (do pytannia pro polsko-ukrainski vzaiemyny 1919-1920 rr.). Zbirnyk prats druhoho konkursu petliuroznavtsiv Ukrainy. Kyiv. 137-164. [in Ukrainian].
Zaretska, T. (2007). Yuzef Pilsudskyi i Ukraina. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Soldatenko, V. (2007). Vynnychenko i Petliura: politychni portrety revoliutsiinoi doby. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Pisuliński, J. (2013). Nie tylko Petlura: Kwestia ukraińska w polskiej polityce zagranicznej w latach 1918-1923. Toruń. [in Polish].
Bruski, J. J. (2000). Petlurowcy: Centrum Państwowe Ukraińskiej Republiki Ludowej na wycho dźstwie w latach 1919-1924. Krakow. [in Polish].
Bruskyi, Ya.Ya. (2020). Ideia ukrainsko-polskoho soiuzu v ukrainskii politychnii dumtsi 1918-1920 rr.: pro et contra. Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal. 2: 22-37. [in Ukrainian].
Nowak, A. (2020). Klęska imperium zła: Rok 1920. [in Polish].
Nowak A. (2001). Polska i trzy Rosje: Studium polityki Jozefa Piłsudskiego (do kwietnia 1920 r.). Krakow. [in Polish].
Legieć, J. (2002). Armia Ukraińskiej Republiki Ludowej w wojnie polsko-ukraińsko-bolszewickiej w 1920 r. Toruń. [in Polish].
Szajdak, S. (2005). Polsko-ukraiński sojusz polityczno-wojskowy w 1920 r. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Karpus, Z. (1999). Wschodni sojusznicy Polski w wojnie 1920 r.: Oddziały wojskowe ukraińskie, kozackie i bialoruskie w Polsce w latach 1919-1920. Toruń. [in Polish].
Karpus, Z., Klimecki, M. (2022). Czas samotności: Ukraina w latach 1914-2022. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Matiash, I. (Ed.). (2019). Ukraina i Polshcha: Shliakhamy mizhderzhavnykh vzaiemyn: Zb. nauk. prats z nahody 100-richchia vstanovlennia polsko-ukrainskykh dyplomatychnykh vidnosyn. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Baliuk, V., Doroshko, M., Parukh, V. (Eds.). (2021). Spadshchyna Pilsudskoho ta Petliury: Mynule, sohodennia ta maibutnie partnerstva Polshchi ta Ukrainy. Kyiv; Lublin. [in Ukrainian, in Polish].
Pisuliński, J., Skalski, W. (Eds.). (2020). Sojusz Piłsudski — Petlura: Dokumenty i materiały. Warszawa; Kijow. [in Polish].
Kowalczyk, E., Rokicki, K. (Eds.). (2023). 1920 rok — wojna światow. T. 2: Europa wobec wojny polsko-bolszewickiej. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Kowalczyk, E., Rokicki, K. (Eds.). (2021). Studia przypadkow w stulecie Bitwy Warszawskiej. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Papakin, A. (2015). Dovhyi shliakh do soiuzu: kontakty mizh Varshavoiu ta Kyievom u 1918-1919 rr. Intermarum: istoriia, polityka, kultura. Zhytomyr. 2: 198-208. [in Ukrainian].
Hunczak, T. (1983). Ukraine and Poland in Documents: 1918-1922. New York.
Dotsenko, O. (1923). Litopys Ukrainskoi revoliutsii: Materialy i dokumenty do istorii Ukrainskoi revoliutsii. Kyiv, Lviv. 2 (5). [in Ukrainian, in Polish].
Stakhiv, M. (1966). Ukraina v dobi Dyrektorii UNR. 7. Scranton. [in Ukrainian].
(1964). Dokumenty i materialy po istorii sovetsko-polskikh otnosheniy. T. II: Noyabr 1918 g. — aprel 1920 g. Moscow. [in Russian].
Kapustianskyi, M. (2004). Pokhid ukrainskykh armii na Kyiv — Odesu v 1919 r. (korotkyi voienno-istorychnyi ohliad). Ukraina: 1919 rik: dokumentalno-naukove vyd. Kyiv. 59-282. [in Ukrainian].
Klimecki, M. (1997). Polsko-ukraińska wojna o Lwow i Galicję Wschodnią 1918-1919. Warszawa. [in Polish].
Derevinskyi, V. (2018). Ostap Lutskyi u vyzvolnii borotbi za nezalezhnist (1918-1921). Kraieznavstvo. 4: 118-128. [in Ukrainian].
Dotsenko, O. (1923). Litopys Ukrainskoi revoliutsii: Materialy i dokumenty do istorii Ukrainskoi revoliutsii. Kyiv; Lviv. 2 (4). [in Ukrainian, in Polish].
Hryhoriiv, N. (1936). Poliaky na Ukraini. Scranton. [in Ukrainian].
Petliura, S. (1999). Statti. Lysty. Dokumenty. Kyiv. 3. [in Ukrainian].
Petliura, S. (1979). Statti. Lysty. Dokumenty. New York. 2. [in Ukrainian].
Mazepa, I. (2003). Ukraina v ohni i buri revoliutsii, 1917-1921. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Petliura, S. V. (1993). Statti. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Verstiuk, V., Boiko, O., Pyrih, R. (Eds.). (2008). Dyrektoriia, Rada Narodnykh Ministriv Ukrainskoi Narodnoi Respubliky 1918-1920: Dokumenty i materialy: U 2 t. Kyiv. 2. [in Ukrainian].
Doroshenko, D. (2007). Moi spomyny pro nedavnie mynule (1914-1920). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Petliura, S. (1994). Vybrani tvory ta dokumenty. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
Shulhyn, O. (1931). Prokliati pytannia. Tryzub. 1: 6-7. [in Ukrainian].
(1937). Pilsudski, J. Pisma zbiorowe: wydanie prac dotychczas drukiem ogłoszonych. Warszawa. 5. [in Polish].
Verstiuk, V. (2011). Ryzkyi myrnyi dohovir 1921 r. i zavershennia borotby za Ukrainsku Narodnu Respubliku. Problemy vyvchennia istorii Ukrainskoi revoliutsii 1917-1921 rr. Kyiv. 6. 337-366. [in Ukrainian].
