"Dictator in Exile": Political Influence of Yevgen Petrushevych in Western Ukrainein the 1920's ; "Диктатор в екзилі": політичні впливи Євгена Петрушевича в Західній Україніу 1920-х роках

Abstract

Yevgen Petrushevych, the head of the Ukrainian National Council, dictator of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR), was in exile in Vienna since the end of 1919. His emigration government demanded from international institutions to recognize the right of Ukrainians in Eastern Galicia and Bukovina to national self-determination. Diplomatic measures of Y. Petrushevich did not reach positive results, and on March 15, 1923 the Council of Ambassadors of the Triple Entente countries announced the inclusion of Eastern Galicia in the Second Rzeczpospolita.The main thesis of the article is an analysis of the influence of Petrushevych on the political life of Western Ukraine in the conditions of Polish domination.Despite a negative decision of the Council of Ambassadors, Y. Petrushevych believed that he should continue his activity at the international level, aimed at recognizing Ukrainian independence aspirations. Hence, he tried to confirm his status as a representative of the Ukrainians of Eastern Galicia. In the autumn 1923, Y. Petrushevych moved to Berlin where he, along with his closest supporters, continued his international activity. The head of UNRada (Ukrainian National Council) tried to keep Ukrainian movement in the Eastern Galicia under control, in particular, the reorganization of Ukrainian political parties in the region. But the failures of foreign policy of Y. Petrushevych seriously harmed his authority as the head of the Ukrainian leadership council (the Provid). In the public consciousness, thoughts about political and legal collision of his status were being spread.Y. Petrushevich, having realized that in case of restoration of the UNRada, he would not receive any support, was looking for the ways his authorities to be continued. When the national-democratic forces began negotiations on the unification, Petrushevych tried to control the process from Berlin. He insisted that the newly formed party include as few supporters of the "autonomist course" as possible.However, created in 1925, the Ukrainian National Democratic Union (UNDO) did not support the policy of Y. Petrushevych and soon came out of his influence. In Eastern Galicia still continued to function some political environments loyal to the former dictator. They created the Ukrainian Labor Party (UPP) of the left radical direction and pro-Soviet orientation. The 1928 elections to the Polish Sejm demonstrated the real support of various political forces in Western Ukraine. About 600,000 voters gave their votes for the UNDO, 300,000 were given to the Ukrainian Socialist Radical Party, and two Communist fractions from the political organization "Sel-Rob" received about 150,000 votes. Only 40,000 voters appeared to support the UPP, and only one activist, the lawyer from Berezhany Mykhaylo Zakhidnyi, became the ambassador from this political force. The development of a new party system actually removed Y. Petrushevych from the political space of the region. Without the massive support of the national asset of Western Ukraine, his representative functions were significantly limited.Because of differences in foreign policy orientations with Yevhen Konovalets, Y. Petrushevych also lost influence on the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO). The Western Ukrainian National Revolutionary Organization (ZUNRO), created by him, did not have sufficiently experienced activists, therefore, it did not become an effective force in the national movement of Western Ukraine. Established in 1929, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), led by Y. Konovalets, actually left Y. Petrushevych and his supporters outside the framework of Ukrainian politics. ; У статті, на основі опублікованих і архівних документів, української преси 1920-х років, мемуарів і спеціальних досліджень, висвітлено діяльність і впливи Євгена Петрушевича, який перебував на еміграції, на національний рух у Західній Україні в умовах польського панування. Звернено увагу на намагання голови Української Національної Ради тримати під контролем реорганізацію українських політичних партій у краю та підтвердити свій статус репрезентанта українців Східної Галичини на європейській арені. Проаналізовано творення в українському політикумі середовищ, лояльних до колишнього диктатора, і характер діяльності підконтрольної йому Західно-Української національно-революційної організації (ЗУНРО). Автор відзначив, що після негативного для українців Східної Галичини рішення Ради Послів Антанти, яке передало край до складу Польської держави, політичний вплив Диктатора ЗУНР був нівельований. Розбудова нової партійної системи фактично усунула Є. Петрушевича з політичного простору краю. Констатовано, що Диктатор продовжив міжнародну діяльність в екзилі, однак, без підтримки національного активу Західної України його репрезентативні функції були значно обмежені.