How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras?

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Futurist
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How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras?

#1

Post by Futurist » 24 Dec 2020, 00:59

How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras? Seems like a relevant question considering that Germany occupied Ukraine during World War I, again during World War II, and is currently expanding its sphere of influence (specifically the European Union) into Ukraine yet a third time within a century! So, Yeah, I was wondering how exactly the typical Germans felt about Ukraine and Ukrainians under Bismarck, under Kaiser Wilhelm II, under the various Weimar German governments, and even in the early years of Nazi rule in Germany.

Thoughts?

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ostland
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Re: How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras?

#2

Post by ostland » 24 Dec 2020, 10:02

Well, what we call Ukraine today has been a Germanic sphere of influence for centuries. As crown lands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the area was economically bound to Austria and therefore also to Germany. The lands of Galizien, Lodomerien and the Bukowina and the people living there (Ruthenen) had import and export interests.

Also see:
https://ww1.habsburger.net/de/kapitel/d ... e-ruthenen
"Merken Sie sich eins; bei uns zu Haus' sind nur die Mannschaften Ostmärker. Die Herren Offiziere sind Österreicher! Servus Doktorchen!"


Futurist
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Re: How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras?

#3

Post by Futurist » 28 Dec 2020, 01:53

TBF, though, only a small part of Ukraine was ever actually ruled by the Hapsburgs.

George L Gregory
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Re: How did Germany feel about Ukraine and Ukrainians in the Imperial and Weimar German eras?

#4

Post by George L Gregory » 30 Dec 2020, 20:53

I’ve never read any material from the 1920s and 1930s that even mentioned the Ukrainians, let alone was even remotely anti-Ukrainian. The anti-Ukrainian sentiment was evident during the war though, just look at what the Reichskommissariat Ukraine Erich Koch said about the Ukrainians.

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