Photos of UPA's victims

[MichaelB_PL]

Originally Posted by Kathy

Polonization predates the interwar period.

One of the reasons Ukrainian survived as a language was because when it was oppressed in the Austro Hungarian Empire, Ukrainian intellectuals moved to Russian controlled Ukraine, and vice versa. This was especially the case in the mid to late nineteenth century.

How exactly were the Ukrainian intellectuals opressed in AH Empire? By Poles or Austrians?

As for a "Polish reaction", I disagree. The Poles were worried about losing cheap labour. It may be viewed as a somewhat Marxist notion, but history proves that empire is always about wealth. That is as true today as it was in Roman times.

I do not think that is correct - AFAIK the Poles saw national minorities as a source of potential danger, not as a (beneficial) source of cheap labor.

Look for example at the peace conference at Riga of 1921, which ended the Polish-Soviet war - Poland rejected a Soviet territorial offer in a rather unusual way, demanding that less land should be given by the Soviets, basically saying "no thanks, you keep these lands".

Why did the Polish negotiators reduce the territorial gains of Poland? Because the Polish politicians wanted a more nationally homogenous state, prefering homogenity over the benefits given by additional cheap labour.

Peace of Riga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"In fact, a special parliamentray delegation consisting of six members of the Sejm held a vote on whether to accept the Soviets' far-reaching concessions, which would leave Minsk on the Polish side of the border. Pressured by the national democrat Stanisław Grabski, the 100 km of extra territory were rejected, a victory for the nationalist doctrine and a stark defeat for Piłsudksi's federalism, for the national democrats envisioned a unitary Polish state with no more than 1/3 minorities within its borders, a prequisite for any successful Polonization attempts in their eyes."

The Poles have experienced many ethnic based conflicts in the 1918-1921 (Polish-Ukrainian war, Polish-Lithuanian war,the Silesian Uprisings) and because of that they were painfully aware of how easily ethnic issues can spark war - IMO they did't see national minorieties as beneficial source of cheap labour.

The plight of Ukrainians in the nineteenth century, where they were, essentially, serfs for pans, was exceptionally brutal. I have no doubt it was similar for Polish peasants.

Yes, there was even a armed rebellion of Polish peasants under Jakub Szela.

[MichaelB_PL]

Originally Posted by Kathy

They were imprisoned, or were banned from writing, and at times, Ukrainian language publications were banned. This was done by Poles. I was referring to the 19th century, but these policies continued into the 1930's.

I know such policies were implemented by the Poles in the interwar period, but how could the Poles do it in the AH Empire, where they have been subject people themselves? Was it done by ethnic Poles who were employed as AH goverment employees?

In fact, this is correct. When Ivan Pylypiw returned to Nebeliv from Canada, and persuaded large numbers from the village, and surrounding villages, to emigrate, because they could recreate their villages in Canada, and have their own land, he was jailed by the Poles. (...)

Ok, I was referring to the interwar Poland - before 1918-1921 it was surely different.

Really, Michael, you should read some of Dr. Himka's works. He has written extensively on the exploitation of Galician peasants by landlords. Beatings (often culminating in death) and rape of housemaids were also common.

Yes, I think I will obtain some of his works.

In the period you describe, Poland had the largest number of ethnic minorities living on its territory in all of Europe. To get back to a source of the conflict which is the subject of this thread, let us not forget that in the 1920's, Poles developed a policy of "Polonization" of Eastern Galicia and Volhynia, importing Polish settlers in order to displace the native Ukrainian population. These regions were already the most populated agricultural regions in Europe, yet the settlers were given massive subsidies and large allotments of the region's most productive lands.

Yes, I know and thinking about it, it's must've been terrible...

I have been in the today Polish Galicia (around Przemysl/Peremysl) and I've seen the rural countryside there - fertile land, but divided into very small farms with lot's of poverty, much different than in other parts of Poland - I suspect that Eastern Galicia and Volhynia must've been the same in the 30s and that introducing the settlers probably pushed many Ukrainian peasants into poverty.



Michael

[General23]

UPA ARMY ARE FEEDOM FIGHTERS, they fought against ANYONE who even thought of occupying Ukraine!

[MichaelB_PL]

Originally Posted by General23

UPA ARMY ARE FEEDOM FIGHTERS, they fought against ANYONE who even thought of occupying Ukraine!

Well, they were also WAR CRIMINALS, who have murdered tens of thousands of Polish women and children.

BTW the links I've put in the first post in this thread do not work and for some reason I can't edit the post, so here's a link to a site with the photos (different photos, not just with atrocities):

WoЁyЯ naszych przodkСw...



This is a photo from the colony of Katerynówka, where these 3 children were murdered by UPA in an attack during the night from 7th to 8th May of 1943. These are two sons of Piotr&Aniela Mękala and Stasia Stefaniak, a daughter of Polish man and Ukrainian woman, who got her stomach ripped open and arms and legs broken.

A sidenote about the the third described victim - it was common practice for UPA to murder a child if only one of the parents was Polish, this was supposed to create "Ukraine free from Poles".

[bm-21Lemko]

YouTube - NKWD victim in Lvov 1941

Here is where both poles were killed by the NKVD in Lwow or Lviv however you want to pronounce it. The wehrmacht pulled them out of the NKVD headquarters.

It sad but both Poles and Ukrainians were killed by communist government.

YouTube - Victims of soviet teror

4,000 local inhabitents of ukrainians and Poles.

Killed Lithuanian civilians by Polish Armia Krajowa on 23 June 1944 and used possession of Lithuanian prayer books as a means of identifying Lithuanian men

apparently this was out of revenge for the Glinciszki massacre, but the nazi police had already left Dubingiai.

Let us not forget that they were also more killings of civilians not just by UPA but also by AK and Lithuanian schuma battalion.

[Lvivske]

Originally Posted by Zbyszek

UPA ...This terrorist organisation has not been admitted into the world association of war veteran units.

A quick look on google debunks that claim, for at least its practicality

Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko joined several public Ukrainian organizations in calls for reconciliation, pensions, and other benefits for UPA veterans that would equate them in status with the veterans of the Soviet Army

In 2007, president Yushchenko awarded the title "Hero of Ukraine", the country's highest honour to UPA leader Roman Shukhevych.

oh and heres the clincher:

January 10, 2008 Viktor Yushchenko submitted a draft law [so UPA and OUN fighters] as well as persons who assisted these organizations shall be recognized as war veterans.

Yushchenko pushes for official recognition of OUN-UPA combatants

[Lvivske]

Originally Posted by MichaelB_PL

Well, they were also WAR CRIMINALS

Every country has 'war criminals', but that doesn't paint the entire army/organization/nation in the same color.