Figure 1.--Jews were killed throughout the Ukraine in large and small actions. The killers here about to shoot these Jewish men and a boy look to be Ukranians rather than Germans. |
|
The Ukraine at the time of World War II was part of the Soviet Union. The Holocaust unfolded in the Ukraine much as it did in the Soviet Union as a whole. Estimates suggest that at the time of World War II that the Jewish populstion in the Ukraine totaled about 1,5 million people (1939). This was a substantial portion of the Soviet Jewish population. While substantial, it was only about 3 percent of the overall Ukranian population. The large Jewish population was the result of the Ukraine being part of the Tsaist Pale of Settlement. This was part of a policy designed to keep Jews out of Russia itself. After the NAZI invasion (June 1941), the Soviets evacuated large number of individuals east out of harms way, estimates rin up to 3.5 million people.
Those evacuated included government and Party officials, scientists, skilled workers, and other educated individuals. As the NAZI armies made more progress in the northern and central sectors of the front, there was more time in the south (meaning the Ukraine) for the evacuations to take place. The reason there was less progress in the south is that a subsantial portion of Soviet armor had been deployed in the south. It is unclear just how many Jews were evacuated, but estimates suggest about half to two-thirds of Ukranian Jews were able to reach safety to the east. [Reitlinger p. 251.] Behind the combat forces which swept east were the NAZI Einsatzgruppen C and D. YThese were especially trained units of 500 to 1,000 men who were mobile killing squads with orders to kill Jews. As soon as a city was secured, the Einsatzgruppen began rounding up and killing Jews. Major actions were conducted at Lutsk, Zhitomir and Berdichev. The Romanian Army which participated in the invasion also participated in the killing of Jews. The killoing continued throughout the summer of 1941. They suceeded in killing about 0.6 million Ukraniamn Jews. SS Standartfuehrer Paul Blobel was particularly diligent in carrying out his orders. He commanded Sonderkommando 4A, Einsatzgruppe C. And he participated in the the huge killing operation at Kiev. The killing was conducted at Babyn Yar (Babi Yar) (September 29-30, 1941). Blobel's unit reported killing killed 33,771 Jews in only 2 days. That was about half of the 70,000 Jews killed at Babi Yar. Blobel was tried after the War at Nuremberg and hanged in Landsberg Prison (June 8, 1951). This was where Hitler had been jailed after the Beer Hall Putch and wrote Mein Kampf. The Ukranians are often accused of cooperating with the NAZIs in the killing of Jews. We are not yet able to assess these charges. There is substantial reason for these charges. It is, however, a more complicated issue than often presented. One author focusng on the Ukraine provides a nuanced discussion. [Berkhoff] The Jews of course were only the first step. Overall NAZI plans called for large-scale killing of Ukranians as well as deportations and servitude for those not killed. There were actions against the Ukranians although not on the industrial scale of the Jewish Holocaust. (We will never know for sure what would have happened to the Ukranians had the NAZIs won the War but almost certainly there would have been horendous actions.) There were collaborators of course in every country. Wether there wetre more in the Ukraine than other countries we are not sure. It is true that there was a great deal of anti-Soviet feeling among Ukranian nationalists many if whom saw Jews as supportive of both Communism and the Soviet regime. Miltia groups sometimes referred to as Ukranian Police did aid the NAZIs both in actiins against the Jews, but in anti-Partisan operations. The composition of these units, however, was not entirely ethnic Ukranines, but included Poles, Volksdeutsche, While Russians, and Russians.
Both the boundaries of the Ukraine and the people ruling the area have changed markedly over time. The attitidues toward Jews has varied significantly. Jewish history in the Ukraine began with the Khazars (6th century AD). The Kazar Empire became a major power, controling what is now the Ukraine as well as adjacent areas (8-10th centuries). Jews from Christian Europe (especially Byzantium) sought refuge in the Kazar Empire. The royal family evetually adopted Judaism. As a result, the Ukraine developed on of the largest Jewish communities in Europe. Lithuania-Poland conquered the Ukraine (14th century). An expanding Russian Tsarist Empire defeated the Poles and seized he Ukraine and susequentkly Lithuania and large areas pf Poland. The Germans seized much of the Ukraine in World War I and were in the process of creating a satellite state when the Western Allies cracked the Western Front and forced the Germans to request an armistice (November 1918). In the mean time the Russian Revolutioin broke out and the Ukraine became on of the battlefields in the resulting Civil War (1919-21). The Blolsheviks managed to gain control of much of the Ukraine. The new Polish state in a war with the Bolsheciks manahged to gain control of areas of Beylorusia and the wesern Ukraine.
The Ukraine at the time of World War II was part of the Soviet Union. The Holocaust unfolded in the Ukraine much as it did in the Soviet Union as a whole. Estimates suggest that at the time of World War II that the Jewish populstion in the Ukraine totaled about 1,5 million people (1939). This was a substantial portion of the Soviet Jewish population. While substantial, it was only about 3 percent of the overall Ukranian population. The large Jewish population was the result of the Ukraine being part of the Tsarist Pale of Settlement. This was part of a policy designed to keep Jews out of Russia itself.
After the NAZI invasion (June 1941), the Soviets evacuated large number of individuals east out of harms way, estimates rin up to 3.5 million people.
Those evacuated included government and Party officials, scientists, skilled workers, and other educated individuals. As the NAZI armies made more progress in the northern and central sectors of the front, there was more time in the south (meaning the Ukraine) for the evacuations to take place. The reason there was less progress in the south is that a subsantial portion of Soviet armor had been deployed in the south. It is unclear just how many Jews were evacuated, but estimates suggest about half to two-thirds of Ukranian Jews were able to reach safety to the east. [Reitlinger p. 251.]
Behind the German and Romanian combat forces which swept east were the NAZI Einsatzgruppen C and D. These were especially trained units of 500 to 1,000 men who were mobile killing squads with orders to kill Jews. Two groups were assigned to Army GroupnSouth because of the large numbers of Jews in the Ukraine. As soon as a city was secured, the Einsatzgruppen began rounding up and killing Jews. Major actions were conducted at Lutsk, Zhitomir and Berdichev. The Romanian Army which participated in the invasion also participated in the killing of Jews. The killing continued throughout the summer of 1941. They suceeded in killing about 0.6 million Ukranian Jews. SS Standartfuehrer Paul Blobel was particularly diligent in carrying out his orders. He commanded Sonderkommando 4A, Einsatzgruppe C. And he participated in the the huge killing operation at Kiev. After seizing the city, the Germans immediately began killing Jews. The major killing action was conducted at Babyn Yar (Babi Yar) (September 29-30, 1941). This was a huge ravine outside the city. Blobel's unit reported killing killed 33,771 Jews in only 2 days. That was about half of the 70,000 Jews killed at Babi Yar. Blobel was tried after the War at Nuremberg and hanged in Landsberg Prison (June 8, 1951). This was where Hitler had been jailed after the Beer Hall Putch and wrote Mein Kampf.
The Ukranians are often accused of cooperating withbthe NAZIs in the killing of Jews. We are not yet able to assess these charges. There is substantial reason for these charges. It is, however, a more complicated issue than often presented. One author focusng on the Ukraine provides a nuanced discussion. [Berkhoff] There were collaborators of course in every country. Whether there wete more in the Ukraine than other countries we are not sure. It is true that there was a great deal of anti-Soviet feeling among Ukranian nationalists many if whom saw Jews as supportive of both Communism and the Soviet regime. Miltia groups sometimes referred to as Ukranian Police did aid the NAZIs both in actions against the Jews, but in anti-Partisan operations. The composition of these units, however, was not entirely ethnic Ukranines, but included Poles, Volksdeutsche, While Russians, and Russians.
The Jews of course were only the first step in the NAZI master plan to remake the etnic composition of the Ukraine. The overall NAZI plan called for large-scale killing of Ukranians as well as deportations or servitude for those not killed. There were actions against the Ukranians although not on the industrial scale of the Jewish Holocaust. (We will never know for sure what would have happened to the Ukranians had the NAZIs won the War but almost certainly there would have been horendous actions.)
Berkhoff, Karel C. Harvest of Despair: Life and Death in Ukraine Under Nazi Rule.
Reitlinger, Gerald. The House Built on Sand (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1960), 459 p.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main Holocaust country page]
[Return to Main Ukraine World War II page]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]