TOPIC 5
UKRAINE IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY

The Ukrainian National Movement and Creation of Political Parties

At the end of the 19^th – beginning of the 20^th century the Ukrainian national movement started transformation from its cultural-educational stage into the political one. In 1900 the first Ukrainian political party in Russian-ruled Ukraine was formed. Its name was the Revolutionary Ukrainian Party (RUP). The party had several sections. One group (V.Vynnychenko, S.Petliura) wanted to see Ukraine as an autonomous part of a new democratic and socialist Russian federation. Another group (M.Mikhnovsky) wanted to see Ukraine as an independent state build on nationalism. Their major principle was Ukraine for Ukrainians! The third group (M.Melenevsky) believed that the party should give up the idea of national autonomy or independence and join Russian Marxists in their struggle against Tsarism. Soon several other illegal Ukrainian political parties were formed. They mostly reflected the ideas of the RUP. In general, Ukrainian political parties in Russian-ruled Ukraine were small and fuzzy.

In Austrian-ruled western Ukraine, where Ukrainians had more political rights, the first Ukrainian political party the Ruthenian-Ukrainian Radical Party (Русько-українська радикальна партія або РУРП) was formed ten years earlier in 1890. Its ideology was socialism, unification of Eastern and Western Ukraine, and creation of an independent Ukrainian state. The leaders of the party were Ivan Franko and Mykhailo Pavlyk.

The First Russian Revolution (1905-07) and its Results

At the beginning of the 20^th century a world economic crisis hit the Russian empire. The following recession caused great discontent among the workers. An unsuccessful war against Japan further worsened the situation. On 9 January 1905, the tsarist troops shot a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg. That event started the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907. Thousands of demonstrations and strikes took place all over the empire. In many cities and villages there were clashes between people and tsarist troops. Some military units and warships rebelled. Frightened by the scale of the revolution the tsarist government decided to make concessions. The result was the so called October Manifesto (issued on 17 October 1905) that promised to limit the tsar’s rights, introduce a parliament, and allow more political freedoms. Ukrainians as well as other numerous nationalities of the empire benefited from that. The Ukrainian intelligentsia decided to take advantage of the liberalization policy and to broaden the base of national movement. Ukrainian universities opened Ukrainian studies departments; cultural organizations such as Prosvita and others appeared in many cities; over 20 Ukrainian periodicals were issued. Ukrainian political parties got the right to function legally. Ukrainian deputies formed a powerful faction in the Duma (Russian parliament) where they tried to defend Ukraine’s rights (first of all in cultural and educational spheres). Their ultimate aim was Ukraine’s autonomy.