Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Position Paper: June 19th 1999

Ukrainians During World War II

In 1986, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, at the time the Ukrainian Canadian Committee ("UCC"), took an active part in the public hearings of the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals, headed by the Honourable Mr. Jules Deschênes, former Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec ("Deschênes Commission").

Historical perspective

In his representations to the Deschênes Commission on May 5, 1986, UCC's counsel, Mr. John Sopinka, Q.C. (who later became a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada), gave the following historical perspective of World War II to demonstrate that Ukrainians had to battle both Nazi and Soviet repression:

"It is my submission that there is no evidence that Ukrainians were in any general way the allies of Nazi Germany during World War II. Far from being the allies of Nazi Germany, Ukrainians found themselves in the unenviable position of having to battle both Nazi and Soviet repression.

[...]

A brief review of the historical evidence is necessary in order to demonstrate that the Ukrainian nationalist organizations such as the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (the "OUN") and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (the "UPA") were not in any way allied with the Nazis. Indeed, they were enemies.

Ukraine is a nation of some 50 million people which has been forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union. After years of Czarist rule, the eastern part of Ukraine enjoyed a brief reign of independence before the brutal invasion of the Red Army. Under Soviet administration, Ukrainians were the victims of a brutal reign of terror. This reign has been characterized by deportations and mass murder on a scale equalled only by Hitler. It has been estimated that as many as ten million Ukrainians died in the course of the man-made famine decreed by Stalin in 1932-33.

[...]

When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Ukrainian nationalists seized the opportunity to attempt to re-establish their independence. On June 30, 1941, the Bandera wing of the OUN proclaimed Ukrainian independence. However, the Nazis had other plans for Ukraine. Much of Ukraine was scheduled to be depopulated by the Nazis to make way for German settlers after the war. As Slavs, Ukrainians were considered to be sub-human "untermenschen". There is no need to dwell on this aspect of Nazi ideology which has been explained many times before.

The Germans reacted swiftly to the OUN declaration of independence. Bandera and the leaders of the OUN who could be found were quickly arrested. The rest of the OUN was forced underground. An effort by the Melnyk wing of the OUN to establish a government in Kiev later that year was also suppressed by the Gestapo with many of its leaders meeting their fate in mass executions at Babi Yar. Western Ukraine was incorporated into the General Government established for Poland. A secret directive to the Einsatzkommando S-5 on November 25, 1941 ordered the liquidation of the Bandera movement of the OUN.

In 1942, the UPA was formed as the military arm of the OUN under the leadership of Roman Shukhevych. The principal enemy of Ukrainians at that time was the Nazi German occupier. The Russian Front was hundreds of miles away at that point.

Nazi repression against nationalist groups continued. Soon after consolidating their rule in Ukraine, the Nazis began a policy of mass deportation of Ukrainians and other occupied peoples as slave labourers in Germany. Far from collaborating with the Nazis, the UPA was involved in fighting them. Membership in the UPA or the OUN were considered capital offences by the Nazis who routinely executed or deported those whom they caught. There have been produced to the Commission a number of posters announcing the execution of Ukrainians accused of membership in "forbidden Ukrainian organizations", hardly a way to treat allies. In the spring of 1944, the UPA held a court martial and public execution of one commander who collaborated with the Germans in order to obtain arms. These are not the actions of a collaborating militia.

[...]

When the Red Army advanced and recaptured most of Ukraine by mid-1944, the UPA was involved in fighting the new occupant.

[...]

Already suffering from the famine of 1932, Ukraine lost an estimated 7.5 million of its citizens during World War II as a result of both Nazi and Soviet repression. An estimated two million Ukrainians were deported to Germany as slave labourers. It has also been estimated that in 1943 between 10 and 28% of the population of the prison camps was Ukrainian. This is not the story of a people in some way favoured or privileged by the Nazis."

(our emphasis)

Despite numerous unfounded accusations in the media over the years that Canada harbors Nazi war criminals of Ukrainian descent, the aforementioned representations are supported, amongst others, by the fact that Courts of criminal jurisdiction in Canada have never convicted anyone of Ukrainian descent of being a Nazi war criminal.

Galicia Division

Members of the First Division of the Ukrainian National Army ("Galicia Division"), who are of Ukrainian descent and live in Canada, have repeatedly been wrongly targeted as Nazi war criminals despite the fact that their activities during the Second World War have been closely investigated and scrutinized on several occasions.

In its 1986 report to the Canadian Government, the Deschênes Commission pointed out that:

"For its part, Immigration had asked External Affairs on 9 August 1950 to ascertain from the United Kingdom what was the record of the Division.

[...]

The British Foreign Office answered on 4 September 1950, and its answer was relayed to Canada in a dispatch of the following day. In the main it stated:

`While in Italy these men were screened by Soviet and British missions and neither then nor subsequently has any evidence been brought to light which would suggest that any of them fought against the Western Allies or engaged in crimes against humanity. Their behaviour since they came to this country has been good and they have never indicated in any way that they are infected with any trace of Nazi ideology.

(...)

From the reports of the special mission set up by the War Office to screen these men, it seems clear that they volunteered to fight against the Red Army from nationalistic motives which were given greater impetus by the behaviour of the Soviet authorities during their earlier occupation of the Western Ukraine after the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Although Communist propaganda has constantly attempted to depict these, like so many other refugees, as "quislings" and "war criminals" it is interesting to note that no specific charges of war crimes have been made by the Soviet or any other Government against any member of this group.’"

(our emphasis)

The Deschênes Commission then proceeded to examine the charges of war crimes against the members of the Galicia Division and made the following clear findings:

"Before turning to the individual examination of all the cases on the Master List, it is worthwhile to pause and examine the blanket accusation brought against the members of the Galicia Division. (This Division is known interchangeably as "Galicia", from its German name, or "Halychyna", from its Ukrainian name. The Commission has decided to use Galicia. This choice has been made for reasons of stylistic convenience only and denotes absolutely no preference of substance.)

[...]

The Commission accordingly FINDS that:

56-	The Galicia Division (14.Waffengrenadierdivision der SS [gal. Nr. 1]) should not be indicted as a group.
57-	The members of the Galicia Division were individually screened for security purposes before admission to Canada.
58-	Charges of war crimes against members of the Galicia Division have never been substantiated, either in 1950 when they were first preferred, or in 1984 when they were renewed, or before this Commission.
59-	Further, in the absence of evidence of participation in or knowledge of specific war crimes, mere membership in the Galicia Division is insufficient to justify prosecution.
60-	No case can be made against members of the Galicia Division for revocation of citizenship or deportation since the Canadian authorities were fully aware of the relevant facts in 1950 and admission to Canada was not granted them because of any false representation, or fraud, or concealment of material circumstances.
61-	In any event, of the 217 officers of the Galicia Division denounced by Mr. Simon Wiesenthal to the Canadian government, 187 (i.e., 86 per cent of the list) never set foot in Canada, 11 have died in Canada, 2 have left for another country, no prima facie case has been established against 16 and the last one could not be located."

Twelve years later, on October 23, 1998, the Honourable A. Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, informed the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association that:

"I also agree with your position in respect of the Galicia Division of the Waffen SS who were admitted to Canada in 1950. This matter was considered by the Honourable Jules Deschênes in his report on war criminals in Canada. As you may know, Mr. Justice Deschênes concluded that mere membership in the Division was insufficient to justify prosecution. In addition, he found that no revocation of citizenship case could be made against individuals based on their membership in the Division since the Government of the day was fully aware of that membership.

Despite this, over a number of years the War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity Section of the Department of Justice has, in conjunction with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, investigated allegations against individual members of the Division. In particular, all archival and investigative records of relevance in Eastern Europe have been reviewed since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. [...] Particular attention has been paid to identify any specific individuals who may have had involvement in police units or other German-controlled organizations prior to joining the Division. The evidence we have been able to uncover is insufficient to merit the commencement of court proceedings against any members of the Division."

(our emphasis)

 

June 19th, 1999