FACES AND PLACES: Just in time: a volume about Galicia Division (02/01/98)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

Just in time: a volume about Galicia Division

With Sol Littman poised to pounce on some "2,000 Galicia Division war criminals," as he has consistently told anyone who would listen, the publication of a history of the Division is just in time, a welcome antidote to the Soviet-era lies being perpetrated by the Canadian director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Written by Michael O. Logush, "Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th Grenadier Division, 1943-1945," is literally a 558-page encyclopedia of the Division, from the moment it was proposed to its transformation into the Ukrainian National Army. The 120 pages of reference notes alone are worth the price of the book.

The book is not jut a collection of dry facts. Mr. Logush weaves a fascinating story by including many human interest narratives of triumph and tragedy, love and hate, in what is one of the more controversial moments in Ukrainian history.

The Division was established in 1943, at a time when it was apparent to most Ukrainians that Germany would lose the war. At the time, Ukrainian leaders were hopeful that a protracted struggle between the USSR and Germany would weaken both. Given their familiarity with Soviet perfidy, they believed that once the war ended, the Western allies would sever their relations with Moscow, creating a power vacuum in Ukraine. Reflecting on the events of 1918-1920 when Poland's superior military forces invaded and captured all of Galicia, they concluded that if Ukraine was to assert itself in the future, it would need a skilled and efficient military force. The plan was to have Germany provide both the training and the equipment for just such a force. An agreement was reached with Germany that the Division would be employed exclusively to fight Communism, would have its own chaplains and would not be subjected to Nazi ideological indoctrination. The Germans refused to permit the Division to call itself "Ukrainian," however. "Galicia" was the compromise.

Soviet-era writers and their apostles in North America have consistently maintained that the Galicia Division was, as Valery Styrkul wrote in the Soviet Ukrainian publication "SS Werewolves," established to fight "Jews and Bolsheviks." Is there any truth to this canard? "With regard to war crimes," writes Mr. Logush, "I want to make it absolutely clear that had I uncovered any crimes, or what may be perceived as such, I assure my readers that I would have inserted it without a moment's hesitation."

It is significant that at the Nuremberg trials Soviet representatives could not produce credible evidence regarding alleged war crimes by the Galicia Division.

Mr. Logush writes that he plans to "produce a work which will examine not only the allegations made against the Division, but what really lies behind the accusations; how certain nations benefited (or continue to benefit) from 'war crimes.'" Our community needs to fervently encourage Mr. Logush in that endeavor.

Mr. Logush makes clear that, contrary to Soviet-era disinformation so enthusiastically embraced by Mr. Littman, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists initially was opposed to the establishment of the Galicia Division. The OUN(B), was especially vehement in that regard. With the exception of Oleh Olzhych, who was later executed by the Nazis, most of the OUN(M) leadership, however, supported the endeavor. In the end the OUN(B) adopted a posture of neutrality.

The leadership of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) also was initially skeptical of the Division, but then realized that the Division could be useful. The plan was to have Ukrainian youth enlist, receive first-rate military training, and then desert into the ranks of the UPA.

And the training was both first-rate and extensive. There is no truth to the charge that the Division was defeated at Brody because it was ill-prepared, writes Mr. Logush. The Division was "exceptionally well-trained and armed, and equipped with the most modern arms, equipment and material of that era." At Brody they encountered a far stronger Soviet front that "was not only superior in numerical strength but also massively reinforced with armor, artillery, aircraft and a massive supply system."

Allegations by Polish Communists that the Division assisted the Germans in the annihilation of the Warsaw uprising in August 1944, also are proven false by Mr. Logush.

Were Ukrainians the only non-Germans who enlisted in the Waffen SS to fight Bolshevism? In his book "The Waffen SS, 1939-1945," George H. Stein lists a number of units comprising Belgians, Dutch, French, Danes, Norwegians, Finns, Swedes, Swiss, Latvians, Bosnians, Estonians, Croats, Serbs, Albanians, Hungarians, Romanians and Bulgarians. The element that united all of them was their hatred of the Soviets.

During my interview with Mr. Logush, he informed me that he has been a military history buff since childhood. He spent six and half years in the U.S. Army and is now a major in the Reserves. It took him 10 years, on and off, to complete what is thus far the definitive work on the Galicia Division. His book sells for $35 and is available at Barnes and Noble book stores.

Is he currently writing the promised book on "war crimes" allegations against the Division? Unfortunately, no. He has switched gears totally. He's completing a book titled "Blood on the Tomahawk: The Revolutionary War in New York's Wilderness, 1777."

Although I'm sure his present project is a worthy one, I am disappointed that he has postponed his promise to write more about the Division. In speaking with him, I sensed that he needs encouragement to return to a task that is of critical significance to our community. The sooner Mr. Logush completes his monograph, the better. Our enemies are still out there working day and night to defame our Ukrainians.

Myron Kuropas' e-mail address is: mbkuropas@compuserve.com

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