I was a university student at the time of the Deschenes commission. As a Ukrainian-Canadian who knew some former members of the Galician division, I was upset at the accusations levelled at the formation. However, over the course of the commission hearings and through later reading, I learned one important thing I didn't know before. Whe…
I was a university student at the time of the Deschenes commission. As a Ukrainian-Canadian who knew some former members of the Galician division, I was upset at the accusations levelled at the formation. However, over the course of the commission hearings and through later reading, I learned one important thing I didn't know before. When the Germans formed the division, they incorporated Ukrainian auxiliary police. These police units had participated in the killing of Jews. This means some members of the division were already guilty of war crimes when they joined. Some, however, doesn't mean all or most.
I once met Sol Littman, whose activism was largely responsible for the Mulroney's government to create the Deschenes commission. I told him I knew some members of the division. He said he would have to know when they joined before he could say whether he thought they were war criminals.
Myroslav Shkandrij mentions anti-Nazi Ukrainian partisans. He's referring to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army whose Ukrainian initials are UPA. The UPA was created by a Nazi-aligned fascist organization called the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The UPA conducted a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Poles living in the Volhynia region. Tens of thousands were murdered. Unfortunately, Ukrainian-Canadian organizations such as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress have defended UPA.
None of this ugly history should deflect us from the fact that as we speak the Russians are committing atrocities in Ukraine. Ukrainians alive today aren't responsible for what some of their ancestors did during World War II. Also, if we focus on history we should remember that many more Ukrainians fought in the Red Army than collaborated with the Nazis.
One final point. Some Russians also collaborated. Anyone interested can search the internet for Vlasov's army.
As you probably know, the OUN had two factions — one led by Stepan Bandera, who I obliquely reference a few times; and a more moderate wing helmed by Andriy Melnyk. There has been *a lot* written about that organization, and its relationship with the broader Ukrainian community. (Again, as I'm sure you're aware.) Its targeting of Jews and Poles is unconscionable and shouldn't be whitewashed, but it should also fit in the historical context. (As Russian propaganda about these groups emphatically refuses to do.)
I'm not an expert, but John-Paul Himka is. He's on Twitter. I recommend his book Ukrainian Nationalists and the Holocaust: OUN and UPA's Participation in the Destruction of Ukrainian Jewry, 1941–1944.
I'm familiar with his work! I haven't read that book, but I've read some of his other work. All I can really do is vulgarize the good work of people like Himka and Shkandrij.
I understand. It's a complicated topic. You did a good job of bringing context to the subject. I was glad to read your article because the social media conversation is so bad. A part of me wants to talk about the incident because it upset me. On the other hand, I worry about getting things wrong. Thanks for bring attention to Shkandrij's book. Someone told me he was writing one, but I didn't know it had come out. I'm going to read it.
I was a university student at the time of the Deschenes commission. As a Ukrainian-Canadian who knew some former members of the Galician division, I was upset at the accusations levelled at the formation. However, over the course of the commission hearings and through later reading, I learned one important thing I didn't know before. When the Germans formed the division, they incorporated Ukrainian auxiliary police. These police units had participated in the killing of Jews. This means some members of the division were already guilty of war crimes when they joined. Some, however, doesn't mean all or most.
I once met Sol Littman, whose activism was largely responsible for the Mulroney's government to create the Deschenes commission. I told him I knew some members of the division. He said he would have to know when they joined before he could say whether he thought they were war criminals.
Myroslav Shkandrij mentions anti-Nazi Ukrainian partisans. He's referring to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army whose Ukrainian initials are UPA. The UPA was created by a Nazi-aligned fascist organization called the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The UPA conducted a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Poles living in the Volhynia region. Tens of thousands were murdered. Unfortunately, Ukrainian-Canadian organizations such as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress have defended UPA.
None of this ugly history should deflect us from the fact that as we speak the Russians are committing atrocities in Ukraine. Ukrainians alive today aren't responsible for what some of their ancestors did during World War II. Also, if we focus on history we should remember that many more Ukrainians fought in the Red Army than collaborated with the Nazis.
One final point. Some Russians also collaborated. Anyone interested can search the internet for Vlasov's army.
Thanks for that extra background.
As you probably know, the OUN had two factions — one led by Stepan Bandera, who I obliquely reference a few times; and a more moderate wing helmed by Andriy Melnyk. There has been *a lot* written about that organization, and its relationship with the broader Ukrainian community. (Again, as I'm sure you're aware.) Its targeting of Jews and Poles is unconscionable and shouldn't be whitewashed, but it should also fit in the historical context. (As Russian propaganda about these groups emphatically refuses to do.)
I'm not an expert, but John-Paul Himka is. He's on Twitter. I recommend his book Ukrainian Nationalists and the Holocaust: OUN and UPA's Participation in the Destruction of Ukrainian Jewry, 1941–1944.
I'm familiar with his work! I haven't read that book, but I've read some of his other work. All I can really do is vulgarize the good work of people like Himka and Shkandrij.
I understand. It's a complicated topic. You did a good job of bringing context to the subject. I was glad to read your article because the social media conversation is so bad. A part of me wants to talk about the incident because it upset me. On the other hand, I worry about getting things wrong. Thanks for bring attention to Shkandrij's book. Someone told me he was writing one, but I didn't know it had come out. I'm going to read it.