Few know of the Germans that Catherine invited once the Turks were kicked out of Ukraine. Catherine was German and Germany had developed terrific farming and milling technologies plus there were a surplus of farmers, especially among the fundamentalist Germans (Mennonite, Amish, etc). So it is they who first populated the Odessa area and then onward to the Caucuses. Within generations, they had developed rich farms, orchards, and mills which were heavily targeted by the Bolshevics. They numbered about 1.5 million but by 1921 - 1939, half were murdered and their villages and homes plundered. It is these German Ukranians that rushed to welcome the nazis as saviors. It is their letters that were posted in Berlin Storefronts at the height of the Holodomor during the winter of 1932-33 that gave Hitler the final nudge to reach the 40% threshold and attain the Chancellory.
This makes for an interesting alignment between the Holodomor, WWII, and the Holocaust. There is no understanding the history of Ukraine without this element.
Incidentally, the last link is to Gareth Jones who uncovered the Holodomor. It was his mother who was a nanny for Hughes that instilled a love for Ukraine in Gareth. Hughes went to Ukraine to bring the Welsh mining and steel making technology. Gareths mother wrote extensively of her days among the cossacks, riding the Steppes (that were well populated by Ukrainians and not Russians). In fact it was Eastern Ukraine that was the most heavily targeted by the Russians for extermination (attached). Furthermore, Ukraine that was populated by Ukrainian speaking Ukrainians extended well beyond the present borders but Russia has been nibbling away at it for more than a century (attached)
Additional history to ponder. While I appreciate Graham's quite lesson, not mentioning the Holodomor was a significant miss. I wasn't around then but can appreciate the tragedy. Thanks for some more to add to my readings - one day, eventually.
(The first two references are quite out of print, any alternatives? The letter was useful.)
The Holodomor certainly affected all of Ukraine, though I don't think it hit the Donbass coal miners as hard as the farming regions. Stalin wanted industry. He wanted to crush the independent farmers ("kulaks", Russian for fists) and impose collective farming. As far as coal goes, all he had to do was to nationalize the industry - not much change in the employee status of the miners.
Excellent bit of background with a bit left out. Apparently many in the US think the Euromaidan was a CIA sponsored effort. I see Nuland capitalizing on the revolt to enhance Obama's stature. Meanwhile odd things were going on involving our fine addict Hunter. Corruption has been a regular part of Ukraine that seems to have affected most leaders resulting in the departure of many of the young, best and brightest. But change seemed to arrive as Zelensky took to a new stage. Maybe his efforts to improve things ran afoul of Putin's chosen criminals over the organic criminals.
The Russians are in the process of losing, we all can hope gracefully. Their troops really don't want the fight while the Ukrainian troops have a real cause.
The CIA is of course a likely suspect. I neglected to mention that the US gave substantial support to Yushenko, a western Ukrainian with an American wife. Nonetheless, I felt at the time that Maidan was truly organic, an uprising of people totally fed up with an absolutely corrupt president. I have yet to see hard evidence of CIA involvement, which I'm quite sure would be presented if it existed. All I see are allegations.
Few know of the Germans that Catherine invited once the Turks were kicked out of Ukraine. Catherine was German and Germany had developed terrific farming and milling technologies plus there were a surplus of farmers, especially among the fundamentalist Germans (Mennonite, Amish, etc). So it is they who first populated the Odessa area and then onward to the Caucuses. Within generations, they had developed rich farms, orchards, and mills which were heavily targeted by the Bolshevics. They numbered about 1.5 million but by 1921 - 1939, half were murdered and their villages and homes plundered. It is these German Ukranians that rushed to welcome the nazis as saviors. It is their letters that were posted in Berlin Storefronts at the height of the Holodomor during the winter of 1932-33 that gave Hitler the final nudge to reach the 40% threshold and attain the Chancellory.
This makes for an interesting alignment between the Holodomor, WWII, and the Holocaust. There is no understanding the history of Ukraine without this element.
https://www.amazon.com/Open-Wound-Genocide-Minorities-1915-1949/dp/1891193082
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Meet-Again-Heaven-Relatives/dp/1891193236
https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Basement-Forgotten-Executioners-Ukraines/dp/1944680349
https://www.garethjones.org/overview/muggeridge2.htm
Incidentally, the last link is to Gareth Jones who uncovered the Holodomor. It was his mother who was a nanny for Hughes that instilled a love for Ukraine in Gareth. Hughes went to Ukraine to bring the Welsh mining and steel making technology. Gareths mother wrote extensively of her days among the cossacks, riding the Steppes (that were well populated by Ukrainians and not Russians). In fact it was Eastern Ukraine that was the most heavily targeted by the Russians for extermination (attached). Furthermore, Ukraine that was populated by Ukrainian speaking Ukrainians extended well beyond the present borders but Russia has been nibbling away at it for more than a century (attached)
Enjoy.
Additional history to ponder. While I appreciate Graham's quite lesson, not mentioning the Holodomor was a significant miss. I wasn't around then but can appreciate the tragedy. Thanks for some more to add to my readings - one day, eventually.
(The first two references are quite out of print, any alternatives? The letter was useful.)
The Holodomor certainly affected all of Ukraine, though I don't think it hit the Donbass coal miners as hard as the farming regions. Stalin wanted industry. He wanted to crush the independent farmers ("kulaks", Russian for fists) and impose collective farming. As far as coal goes, all he had to do was to nationalize the industry - not much change in the employee status of the miners.
Excellent bit of background with a bit left out. Apparently many in the US think the Euromaidan was a CIA sponsored effort. I see Nuland capitalizing on the revolt to enhance Obama's stature. Meanwhile odd things were going on involving our fine addict Hunter. Corruption has been a regular part of Ukraine that seems to have affected most leaders resulting in the departure of many of the young, best and brightest. But change seemed to arrive as Zelensky took to a new stage. Maybe his efforts to improve things ran afoul of Putin's chosen criminals over the organic criminals.
The Russians are in the process of losing, we all can hope gracefully. Their troops really don't want the fight while the Ukrainian troops have a real cause.
The CIA is of course a likely suspect. I neglected to mention that the US gave substantial support to Yushenko, a western Ukrainian with an American wife. Nonetheless, I felt at the time that Maidan was truly organic, an uprising of people totally fed up with an absolutely corrupt president. I have yet to see hard evidence of CIA involvement, which I'm quite sure would be presented if it existed. All I see are allegations.