Soviet Annexation of Eastern Galicia and Volhynia

Background

• Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: A secret clause allowed the Soviet Union to invade Poland on September 17, 1939.
• Invasion: The Soviet Union captured eastern provinces of the Second Polish Republic.
• Key Cities: Lwów (Lviv), Tarnopol, Brześć, Stanisławów, Łuck, and Wilno were occupied by Sept 22, 1939.
• Ethnic Composition: Diverse population with ethnic Poles and Jews in cities, Ukrainians in rural areas.
• Resulting Territories: Modern Western Ukraine and West Belarus.

Impact of the Soviet Annexation

• Territorial Expansion: Ukrainian SSR gained 131,000 sq km and increased population by over seven million (1938-1941).
• Other Territories: Some Polish territories were allocated to Soviet Belarus.

Soviet Occupation Policies

• Propaganda: Promoted the removal of Western and Soviet Ukraine borders.
• Administration: Set up provisional administrations and peasant committees for controlled elections.
• Elections: Held on Oct 22, 1939, with high official participation rates; resulted in annexation decisions.

Government and Administration

• Reorganization: Six oblasts created; mostly staffed by newcomers from eastern Ukraine and Russia.
• Local Perception: Jews were associated with Soviet rule, increasing anti-Jewish sentiments.
• Language Policy: Ukrainian became the government and court language; Polish eliminated.

Education and Healthcare

• Education: Ukrainian schools reopened; University of Lviv Ukrainized.
• Healthcare: Improvements were made in village healthcare.

Religious Persecution

• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: Faced restrictions but not abolished; influence limited through anti-religious propaganda.
• Orthodox Church: Pressured to align with Moscow Patriarch; faced restrictions.

Deportations and Demographic Changes

• Initial Deportations: Targeted political figures, Polish officials, and German-speaking people.
• Repression Expansion: Began targeting general Ukrainian population by 1940.
• Operation Barbarossa: Led to mass Soviet prison massacres before retreat.

Importance for Statehood

• Territorial Changes: Unified Ukrainian and Belarusian territories under SSRs.
• Postwar Transfers: Solidified mono-ethnic character due to population transfers and Holocaust.
• Independence: Ukraine and Belarus became nation-states in 1991 after Soviet Union's fall.

Key Figures

• Semyon Timoshenko: Soviet commander during the invasion.
• Volodymyr Kubiyovych: Noted Ukrainian reception of Soviet troops.
• Kyryl Studynsky: Head of People's Assembly of Western Ukraine.
• Nikita Khrushchev: Actively involved in administration.
• Andrey Sheptytsky: Leader of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during occupation.