New Reconquista or the Holy War of the Ukrainian Nation

The epoch, which we used to call “The First War of Independence”, today is needed a new historical reading. Many people used to talk about those bloody First War of Independence years mainly in the sad intonations defeated and humiliated. We often impose populist or “national-democratic” version of Ukrainian history, where all our history is described as a series regular defeats and masochism try to present as the basis of our national character. This poor theory leads to question, that all heroic and militant deliberately removed from Ukrainian history, while defeat so “tastes” politically and become to “anchor points” of our history.

   For example, in the First War of Independence we see many interesting things. We see the painful collapse of illusions of several generations of intellectuals who hovered in impotent fantasies about peaceful coexistence of nations and of Ukrainian autonomy within the “democratic Russia.” We see the failure of all hopes for any external help Ukraine. We see the bloody Bolshevik barbarism. We see nasty knife in the back of our nation, which she put her cunning Entente destroying the West Ukrainian People's Republic or UNR, armed with rabid anti-Ukrainians Russian White Guards and even forbidden to sell drugs and surrounded Ukrainian People's Republic.

   We see the phantom elite that was unable to grow to a level which has grown whole Ukrainian nation. We see that in the Ukrainian war fought against all. Against the Red and White Moscow against Poland, against Entente against the rest of smaller predators that were tearing Ukraine apart. It was our Holy War, the Reconquista, the war against the whole world. For the very life of the nation, according to her right back in world history after centuries of sleep.

   Ukrainians have lost the war, though fought like mad. Although several were close to victory, but the scarcity of politicians, their lack of constant readiness to go to the end, the thirst for revenge, has meant that the victory slipped from the hands in the last moments.

   The First War of Independence showed how tragic is the lack of a true elite of the nation, ready to take responsibility and right to a million. That poor, bourgeois outlook for people at the helm of the UPR led her to defeat. Mediocre writers, scientists nursing desk, cynical populist, cowardly “real politics” in this human material will not create a genuine elite! Fanatics, supporters of voluntarism, ruthless young romance – that someone was missing among the elite of the time! At least a dozen such violent on the mountain itself – business and be done! Total Ukrainian Reconquista would be victorious!

   The war in which the whole world against you, play no shame. Especially if you are not surrendered, did not raise the white flag, but instead raised the battle flag that says – «Will Ukraine or death!». Eugen Konovalets did not give up, as well as Yulian Holovinskyi, Mykola Mikhnovskyi, Averkiy Honcharenko, chieftain “Black Raven”. As the enemy did not give up thousands and thousands of others, known and unknown, which war against Ukraine on the whole world lasted for many decades.

   Age of 1917-1922 years will remain in our memory not through political nonentity type of Volodymyr Vynnychenko and Co. and their idle tales and extravaganza of national liberation struggle in which ethnographic mass melt in the nation as “iron into steel”. Street fighting in the winter Kiev, held Sich Riflemen ruthless suppression of the anti-Ukrainian rebellion in the factory of the “Arsenal”, the legendary Zaporizhzhya army Corps of UNR, which broke in tow than one enemy division, triumphant Crimean campaign Bolbochan, lightning November coup in Ukraine, Chortkiv offensive Ukrainian Galician army, yellow-retaliation blue terror which staged a bloody red invaders haidamaks Cold Ravine or Kholodnyi Yar and other Ukrainian insurgents throughout Ukraine.

   Most people have the necessary conclusions from that war. UMO, UNO, and then the UPA – that's the best lesson that could only be done with the war against Ukraine around the world. The real elite, leading a nation at war – only because of this we left the twentieth century the winners! We stood in the stormy ocean afloat despite any storms that have dropped to the bottom of many stories. But not us!

The history of the First Ukrainian War of Independence

   Today we are faced with a task similar to the tasks faced by Ukraine in those years. Formal “nation-building”, which leads us to the abyss, or complete national and social revolution that will bring Ukraine into world leaders? Post occupation oligarchic or pseudo new national elite? Ukrainian nationalists already know the answers to these questions remained to put them into practice.

   Then, the new nationalist Ukraine, the memory of our holy war years 1918-1922 will be a constant reminder of the greatness of our nation, who took the challenge and fought for years against all. For themselves and their sacred right to own triumph…

Author – Kalev Korpinen