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Nation and Memory in Russia, Poland, and Ukraine

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Nation and Memory in
Russia, Poland, and Ukraine

Lecture 11
The Great War

Week 1, Spring Term

Outline

1. National concepts and war aims 2. Galicia: Atrocities, occupation, reconquest 3. The February Revolution 4. Outlook

Putzger, Historischer Weltatlas, pp. 106-107
Pavel Miliukov, leader of the liberal party (Kadets)

Russian Concepts 1914

Tsar and supporter of autocracy
Society

• Strengthening of the authority of the Tsar
Constitutional reforms, participation of society

• Territorial gains in West and
South (Constantinople)
Territorial gains in West and
South (Constantinople)

• Defeat of Germany and Austria Defeat of Germany and Austria • Occupation of East Galicia and Occupation of East Galicia and
Bukowina – Liberation of Russian (East Slavic – Ruthenian) population
Bukowina – Liberation of Russian (East Slavic – Ruthenian) population

• To win the support of the Poles To win the support of the Poles –
– Promise of autonomy of unified ethnic Polish territory under tsarist rule
Promise of autonomy of unified ethnic Polish territory under tsarist rule

Józef Piłsudski
Roman Dmowski

Polish Concepts 1914

  • Piłsudski
  • Dmowski

  • • Independence
  • • Autonomy of a unified

Poland under tsa

• Together with Russia
• Together with Austria and

Germany
• Polish nation state, exclusive, mainly Polish Catholics
• Federation of Poland with
Ukraine, Lithuania etc., inclusive

• Assimilationist
• Rights of minorities

• “Piast Poland” – territory in the West

• Enemy No. 1: Germany
• Jagiellonian Poland – territory in the East

• Enemy No. 1: Russia

Ukrainian Concepts 1914

  • Russian Ukraine
  • East Galicia

  • • Defeat of Austria
  • • Defeat of Russia

• Autonomy of ethnic • Autonomy (Ukrainian
Ukrainian territory in a Crownland) in Austria, constitutional or democratic Russia partition of Galicia and Lodomeria

• Unification of Ukraine
• Unification of Ukraine under Austrian under Tsar Emperor

Outline

1. National concepts and war aims 2. Galicia: Atrocities, occupation, reconquest 3. The February Revolution 4. Outlook

1914

Multiethnic borderland Confessions/Religions

Crownland Galicia and Lodomeria

Lviv/Lwów/Lemberg

• 8,016,000 inhabitants • 46.5% Roman-Catholic • 42.1% Greek-Catholic • 10.9% Jewish

212,000 inhabitants 51% Roman-Catholic 28% Jewish 19% Greek-Catholic

East Galicia

West Galicia

5,235,000 inhabitants 25.3% Roman-Catholic 12.4% Jewish

2,689,000 inhabitants • 88.6% Roman-Catholic • 7.9% Jewish • 3.2% Greek-Catholic

61.7% Greek-Catholics
Synagogue 'Golden Rose'
One of the Khasidic synagogues

Jewish hospital
Progressive synagogue 'The Temple'

Одна из экзекуций
О. Роман Березовский и крестьяне Лев Кобылянский и Пантелеймон Жабяк
(См.стр. 31). http://www.talergof.org.ua/foto/1-114.html

World War I

Destroyed Jewish settlement in Galicia, 1914 Österreichisches Staatsarchiv, Kriegsarchiv http://kurier.at/thema/erster-weltkrieg/fuer-kaiser-und-vaterland- juedisches-leben-und-sterben-im-ersten-weltkrieg

Saving sacred objects from the fire,
1914 © Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Kriegsarchiv

Russian Occupation Policy

Making East Galicia Russian: Russification Ukrainians as Little Russians Persecution of Ukrainophiles Church Policy Co-operation with Polish Elites: limited success

Discrimination of Jews

Outline

1. National concepts and war aims 2. Galicia: Atrocities, occupation, reconquest 3. The February Revolution 4. Outlook

Revolutions in Russia
Alexander Kerenski
Vladimir I. Lenin

Consequences of the February
Revolution

For Poles full independence now a realistic option Austrian/German offers no longer very attractive In Galicia: weakens Polish loyalty to Habsburg dynasty
(also result of death of Emperor Franz Josef)

Ukrainians in Galicia: still loyal – need Austrian support against Poles

Most Jews loyal to Austria

Outline

1. National concepts and war aims 2. Galicia: Atrocities, occupation, reconquest 3. The February Revolution 4. Outlook

Brutalisation of political and ethnic conflicts (also availability of weapons and trained soldiers)

Defeats and war related problems undermine loyalty to Austrian and Russian Empire

Possibility of national autonomy or independence have a mobilising effect on ethnic minorities in Empires

Question: who will profit more from destabilisation of old imperial order? Will there be socialist or national revolutions?

What we demand in this war, therefore, is nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression.

XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.

8 January, 1918 President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen

Points (Delivered in Joint Session of the Congress, January 8, 1918)

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