National Liberation Struggle of State Center of UNR in Exile and Ideology of ‘Non-Predetermination’ in the 1950s
Abstract
The policy of the State Center of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) on international and foreign associations and institutions in the 50s of the 20th century is analyzed in the paper. It has been found out that the activities aimed at the collapse of the USSR and the restoration of Ukraine’s independence were accompanied by strong ideological disputes both within the Ukrainian political emigration and in relations with international partners.
The evolution of the attitude of American governmental and private factors to the problems of the non-Russian peoples of the USSR and their right to self-determination is traced. When for the US government institutions and most Russian emigration centers the major task in anti-Bilshovyk activity was the destruction of the ‘evil empire’, for Ukrainians and their allies it was no less important to restore the sovereignty of their states. The ideological concept of ‘non-predetermination’ professed by some national liberation centers (primarily Russian) and the partners from the American Committee for Liberation from Bolshevism became that ‘watershed’ that for a long time held the Ukrainian emigration community back from working at the Institute for the Study of the USSR and at Radio Liberty.
Ukrainian political emigration during this period was divided into two main camps: supporters of cooperation with these American structures and its opponents.
In general, the choice for Ukrainian emigration was small: either to be locked in their emigrant environment and adhere to the principles of «pure politics» or to use the capabilities and resources of West allies, especially the United States.
The majority of Ukrainian political forces chose the second path. At the same time, the State Center of the Ukrainian People’s Republic as a whole, and the parties that were part of it, never questioned the priority of restoring the independence of the Ukrainian State.
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