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Proclamation of Ukrainian Statehood
On June 22, 1941 Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. At 29 June, 1941 at night, in abandoned by Soviet troops city Lviv entered Nachtigall_Battalion. Wehrmacht troops entered into the city only at morning Monday June 30, 1941. On Monday June 30, 1941 after the German troops occupied Lviv, a meeting was held in Lviv where members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists proclaimed Ukrainian independence. The proclamation, despite reflecting the aspirations of the Ukrainian people, did not reflect the views of the German regime and was quashed within a few days and the interim Ukrainian administration was arrested.
Nazi’s plans about “Ukrainian state”
Hitler on September 7 , 1939 mentioned to his army Commander in Chief, General von Brauchitsch, the possibility of founding an independent Ukraine. Hitler’s notion was to mark the ultimate frontier between Asia and the West by gathering together the racial German remnants scattered about the Balkans, Russia, and the Baltic states to populate an eastern frontier strip along either the River Bug or the Vistula. With this independent rump Poland, Hitler planned to negotiate a peace settlement that had some semblance of legality and thereby spike the guns of Britain and France. If however this rump Poland fell apart, the Vilna area could be offered to Lithuania, and the Galician and Polish Ukraine could be granted independence – in which case, as Canaris noted, Keitel’s instructions were that his Abwehr-controlled Ukrainians were to provoke an uprising in the Galician Ukraine with the destruction of the Polish and Jewish element as its aim. Bandera’s OUN had at least 2 unsuccessfully attempts to start an uprising in 1940 supported by Abwehr. Due the fault of both such plan was postponed to the time of German invasion.
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Hitler finally abandoned an idea about founding an independent Ukraine by mid of September 1941, when German troops penetrated soviet defence of Kiev's Citadel.
Nazi plans for a “Ukrainian state” as presented in testimony at the Nuremberg Trial
- Memorandum dated 8 May 1941, entitled “General Instructions for all Reich Commissioners in the Occupied Eastern Territories”.
In these instructions to his chief henchmen Rosenberg outlines the political aims and purposes of the attack. …. The Ukraine shall become an independent state in alliance with Germany…
- In report submitted by Rosenberg to Hitler on 28 June 1941 noted what Rosenberg met with Admiral Canaris and had a talk to choose certain persons, who would also able to do political work…. Admiral Canaris had organized certain group of Ukrainians.
- From Rosenberg speech June 20 1941 Germany aims is the freedom of the Ukrainian people… Ukrainian State can be formed
- Rosenberg continues that certain independence movements in the Ukraine deserved support as well.”
Preamble
Vasyl Kuk in his memoires states:
On Monday June 30, at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Prosvita building in Lviv (Rynok square 10) there was a community meeting. Community members of the Lviv and its environs, clergy, leading members of OUN, and members of the Ukrainian underground. The all was overflowing with delegates. The meeting was called by the first assistant to the leader of the OUN Yaroslav Stetsko to honour the Ukrainian fighters who had laid down their lives fighting for Ukraine. In an intensive speech he spoke about the political situation which Ukraine was in with the declaration of war, stating that once again this war will take place in Ukraine over these rich lands and that the Ukrainian people cannot stand idly by but must be active and participate. Regarding Germany he stated that a Union with Germany was only possible if Germany recognized Ukrainian independence and its government. Stetsko read out the Proclamation of Ukrainian independence. Those present listened to the proclamation standing, unanimously endorsed it and sang the Ukrainian national anthem "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina".
Text
The Act of Proclamation of Ukrainian Statehood
1. By the will of the Ukrainian people, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists under the direction of Stepan BANDERA proclaims the formation of the Ukrainian State for which have laid down their heads whole generations of the finest sons of Ukraine.
The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which under the direction and founder and leader Yevhen KONOVALETS has undertaken in the past ten years a bloody battle with the Moscovite-Bolshevik enslavers in an energetic battle for freedom, calls all the Ukrainian people not to place down its weapons until on all Ukrainian lands are united to form a Sovereign Ukrainian Government.
The Sovereign Ukrainian Government will guarantee Ukrainian people order, unilateral development of all its energies and all its needs.
2. In the western lands of Ukraine an Ukrainian Government is formed, which is subordinate to the Ukrainian National Government that will be formed in the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv.
3. The newly formed Ukrainian state will work closely with the National-Socialist Greater Germany, under the leadership of its leader Adolf HITLER which is forming a new order in Europe and the world and is helping the Ukrainian People to free itself from Moscovite occupation.
The Ukrainian National Revolutionary Army which has been formed on the Ukrainian lands, will continue to fight with the ALLIED GERMAN ARMY against Moscovite occupation for a sovereign and united State and a new order in the whole world.
Long live the Ukrainian Sovereign United Ukraine! Long live the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists! Long live the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian people – STEPAN BANDERA.
GLORY TO UKRAINE!
Provisional Government
After the proclamation of the Ukrainian independence the Ukrainian state had been restored and a provisional government was formed with the following composition:
- Prime Minister Yaroslav Stetsko (OUN)
- Deputy Prime Minister Marian Panchyshyn (no political affiliation)
- Deputy Prime Minister Lev Rebet (OUN)
- Minister of Interior Volodymyr Lysyi (Socialist Radical Party)
- Deputy Minister of Interior Konstantyn Pankivsky (Socialist Radical Party)
- Minister of External Affairs Volodymyr Stakhiv (OUN)
- Deputy Minister of External Affairs Oleksandr Maritchak (Ukrainian National-Democratic Party)
- Minister of Defence Vsevolod Petriv (Social Revolutionary Party)
- Deputy Minister of Defence Roman Shukhevych (OUN)
- Deputy Minister of Defence Oleksandr Hasyn (OUN)
- Minister of State Security Mykola Lebed (OUN)
- Minister of Justice Yulian Fedusevych (no political affiliation)
- Deputy Minister of Justice Bohdan Dzerovych (no political affiliation)
- Secretary of the Ministry of National Economy Dmytro Yatsiv (OUN)
- Secretary of the Ministry of National Economy Roman Ilnytsky (OUN)
- Minister of Agriculture Yevhen Khraplyvy (Ukrainian National-Democratic Party)
- Deputy Minister of Agriculture Andriy Piasetsky (Front of National Unity)
- Minister of Health Marian Panchyshyn (no political affiliation)
- Deputy Minister of Health Roman Osinchuk
- Secretary of the Ministry of Health Oleksandr Barvinsky (no political affiliation)
- Minister of Education Volodymyr Radzykevych (no political affiliation)
- Minister of Communication N. Moroz (no political affiliation)
- Minister of Information Oleksandr Hai-Holovko (no political affiliation)
- Secretary of the Ministry of Information Osyp Pozychaniuk (OUN)
- Secretary of the Ministry of Information Yaroslav Starukh (OUN)
- Minister of Political Coordination Ivan Klymiv-Lehenda (OUN)
- Director of Government Administration Mykhailo Rosliak (Socialist Radical Party)
A Council of Seniors headed by Konstantyn Levytsky as president was also formed.
Ukrainian Government in SIPO and SD reports
- July 2 1941: Elements from Bandera group under Stetsko and Ravlyk leadership has organized (in Lemberg) militia and municipal governing;
- July 4 1941: So called “Country Government” proclaimed what it should be placed in Lviv University building. It current composition: Governing - Yaroslav Stetsko (Karbovych, Belenda); Health - Marian Panchyshyn (doctor) ; Justice - Yulian Fedusevych (legal adviser);Security – Ivan Klymiv ; Economy -Dmytro Yatsiv ; Information and propaganda - Oleksandr Holovko (poet); Minister of Defence - Rico Yaryy (married on Jewish women); Culture – vacant. Parlament should be near Cabinet; Dmytro Dontsov planed to be proclaimed as president. It (de facto) does not recognized by Germany, but we should avoid any active action against usurpations, taking into account the situation at front and in region in general. As far as we expect beginning of planned appraisal (at rear of Soviet troops front line) in direction Berdychiv- Zhytomyr-Kyiv
- July 17 1941: After proclaiming “National Ukrainian Government” at Lemberg similar actions conducted at other former Polish territories of Lemberg, Tarnopol and Lutsk cities. When Germans troops coming into the specific area Bandera group immediately begin to organize governing authorities and inspirate meetings for independence.
Reactions to the proclamation
The act of proclamation was soon broadcasted by Yaroslav Stetsko over the radio in Lviv, which made many believe it was supported by the advancing German troops. The act got immediate support from several Ukrainian church officials such as Metropolitan Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Metropolitan Bishop Polikarp Sikorsky of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and Bishop Hryhoriy Khomyshyn Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
An SS Einsatzgruppe arrived in Lviv three days after the act of proclamation but waited until July 9 before they went into action and put Yaroslav Stetsko and his deputy Lev Rebet initially under honorary arrest, but on July 12 they were formally arrested. At the same time Stepan Bandera with several other Ukrainian nationalists were arrested in the General Government. They were all assembled to Berlin where the Germans tried to convince them to withdraw the Act of Proclamation unsuccessfully. On September 15 they were dispatched to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. At the same time Gestapo arrested hundreds of other Ukrainian nationalists who had participated in the process of restoration of the Ukrainian state.
Post war version of Act
Postwar Ukrainian emigration began to downplayed as much as possible the cooperation between the Ukrainian nationalist parties and the Germans and emphasized instead how Ukrainian nationalists fought both the Germans and the Soviets and how the Ukrainian nation suffered enormously at the hands of both. Lebed's group published document collections that doctored historical texts to eliminate pro-German and antisemitic statements Lebed's left his papers to the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.
The Act of Proclamation of Ukrainian State
1. By the will of the Ukrainian people, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists under the direction of Stepan BANDERA proclaims the renewal of the Ukrainian State for which have laid down their heads whole generations of the finest sons of Ukraine. The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which under the direction of it’s creator and leader Yevhen KONOVALETS during the past decade a bloody Moscovite-Bolshevik subjugation carried on stubborn straggle for freedom, calls all the Ukrainian people not to place down its weapons until Sovereign Ukrainian State is formed in all Ukrainian lands.
The Sovereign Ukrainian Government assures the Ukrainian people of regularity and order, multi-sided development of all its forces and satisfaction of it’s demands.
2. In the western lands of Ukraine a Ukrainian Government is created, which is subordinate to the Ukrainian national administration that will be created in the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv.
3. The Ukrainian National Revolutionary Army which is being created on the Ukrainian soil, will continue to fight against Moscovite occupation for the sovereign and united State and a new, just order in the whole world. Long live the Ukrainian Sovereign United Ukraine! Long live the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists!
Long live the director of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists – STEPAN BANDERA.
- Text appeared at John Armstrong, Ukrainian Nationalism, 2nd edition: New York: Columbia University Press, 1963) pp.79-80
Notes
- 1) There seem to be a number of versions of the Proclamation which differ slightly in text.
- 2) Section 3 is often omitted in publications by the Ukrainian Diaspora dealing with this subject.
- 3) In many Ukrainian diaspora publications the word "formation" is often changed to "re-establishment"
Sources
- Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Chapter 1
- Martin Broszat’s Nationalsozialistische Polenpolitik 1939–1945 (Stuttgart, 1961). IMT vol 3. p. 21 http://www.holocaust-history.org/works/imt/03/htm/t021.htm IMT vol 2. p. 448 and 478 http://www.holocaust-history.org/works/imt/02/htm/t478.htm http://www.holocaust-history.org/works/imt/02/htm/t448.htm
- [http://history.org.ua/oun_upa/oun/index.htm Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Chapter 1 p.17-30
- V.Kosyk Ukraine and Germany in WWII. 1993"
- Exhibit USA-144 (Document 1030-PS) IMT Vol III p.356
- Document 1039-PS IMT Vol XI p. 567
- IMT Vol XI p. 478
- Document L-221 Exhibit USA-147 IMT Vol XI p. 481
- (In Ukrainian: Ukrainska Povstanska Armiya - Istoriya Neskorenykh - Lviv, 2007 p.29
- From the front page of the Newspaper "Samostiyna Ukraina" published in Stanislaviv, July 10, 1941
- The Restoration of the Ukrainian State in World War II. Published by Ukrainian Central Information Service, London 1987. ISBN 0-902322-35-4.
- V.Kosyk Ukraine and Germany in WWII. 1993 p.505-515
- The Restoration of the Ukrainian State in World War II. Published by Ukrainian Central Information Service, London 1987. ISBN 0-902322-35-4.
- John-Paul Himka, "War Criminality: A Blank Spot in the Collective Memory of the Ukrainian Diaspora," in Spaces of Identity 5, no. 1 (2005): 9-24. See also Johan Dietsch, Making Sense of Suffering: Holocaust and Holodomor in Ukrainian Historical Culture (Lund: Media Tryck, Lund University, 2006).