Ukraine During World War Ii

The history of Ukraine during World War II.

Examines Soviet Ukraine's long transition from war to 'peace' after World War II, and the bitter struggle for land, food and power.

In her Four Essays on World War II, Olena Stiazhkina inscribes the Ukrainian history of World War II into a wider European and world context. Among other aspects, she analyzes the mobilization measures on the eve of the war, and reconsiders Soviet narratives on them. Scrutinizing social and political processes initiated by the Bolshevik leadership in the 1920s and 1930s, she outlines how mobilization and militarization became integral parts of Soviet politics. Today, the Kremlin uses Soviet and post-Soviet Russian narratives of World War II to justify its aggressive policies towards a number of democratic countries. Russia is engaged in falsification of the past to underpin claims of a so-called “Russian World” and its ongoing war against Ukraine. Against this background, Stiazhkina offers a new understanding of what happened in Ukraine before, during, and after World War II.

Ukrainians in the World War II. Facts, figures, persons. A complex pattern of world confrontation in our land and Ukrainians on the all fronts of the global conflict.

“If I find a Ukrainian who is worthy of sitting at the same table with me, I must have him shot,” declared Nazi commissar Erich Koch. To the Nazi leaders, the Ukrainians were Untermenschen—subhumans. But the rich land was deemed prime territory for Lebensraum expansion. Once the Germans rid the country of Jews, Roma, and Bolsheviks, the Ukrainians would be used to harvest the land for the master race. Karel Berkhoff provides a searing portrait of life in the Third Reich’s largest colony. Under the Nazis, a blend of German nationalism, anti-Semitism, and racist notions about the Slavs produced a reign of terror and genocide. But it is impossible to understand fully Ukraine’s response to this assault without addressing the impact of decades of repressive Soviet rule. Berkhoff shows how a pervasive Soviet mentality worked against solidarity, which helps explain why the vast majority of the population did not resist the Germans. He also challenges standard views of wartime eastern Europe by treating in a more nuanced way issues of collaboration and local anti-Semitism. Berkhoff offers a multifaceted discussion that includes the brutal nature of the Nazi administration; the genocide of the Jews and Roma; the deliberate starving of Kiev; mass deportations within and beyond Ukraine; the role of ethnic Germans; religion and national culture; partisans and the German response; and the desperate struggle to stay alive. Harvest of Despair is a gripping depiction of ordinary people trying to survive extraordinary events.

Galicia, 1939. Confusion and terror reigns. Constant battles between the various occupiers of Ukraine keep the people of Lviv unnerved. One young boy from nearby Halych watches the turmoil and tries to understand. He wants to hold onto his future, and a future for his family, and country.A story never told before, about the plight of Ukrainians from a child's perspective. A story of strength gained not by fighting a war, but by uniting as a people and remaining respectful of culture, religion, and freedom.Dreamer is a story about a Ukrainian boy, Ivan Rudenko, during WWII. His unique perspective explores the adversity that he and his family face from all directions. Overtaken by the Polish, the Russians, and then the Germans, the family help victims and counsel their neighbors. But shortly after the Nazi occupation, they find there's no more hope for freedom. Unable to help their Jewish neighbors any longer from oppressors, they flee toward their unknown future.Living in the middle of wartime chaos, the family faces harsh realities and choose to hope for a better future despite the odds.Ivan meets new friends along their journey through Slovakia and then the Bohemian Black Forest, people with their own stories. Finding hope in Regensburg, the family dreams of becoming American citizens and finding a home at last. They bear witness to the struggles of the war's aftermath, compiled with the anxiety of waiting their turn to emigrate.This is a story about keeping the dream of a free Ukraine alive and one boy's search for a home.