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93-1255: There are a few theories as to the origin of the name: The name occurs only in two other places, the first being a Celtic area in antiquity, and the second one being derived from its Romanian name: [REDACTED] Duchy of Poland 970 - 981 Kievan Rus 981-1018 [REDACTED] Duchy of Poland 1018-1025 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Poland 1025-1031 Kievan Rus 1031-1170 [REDACTED] Duchy of Belz 1170-1234 [REDACTED] Principality of Galicia–Volhynia 1234-1340 [REDACTED] Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1340-1366 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Poland 1366-1377 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Hungary 1378-1387 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Poland 1387-1569 [REDACTED] Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1569-1772 [REDACTED] Habsburg monarchy 1772-1804 [REDACTED]   Austrian Empire 1804-1867 [REDACTED]   Austria-Hungary 1867-1918 [REDACTED] West Ukrainian People's Republic 1918-1919 [REDACTED]   Second Polish Republic 1919-1939 [REDACTED]   Nazi Germany 1939-1944 [REDACTED]   Polish People's Republic 1944-1951 [REDACTED]   Soviet Union 1951-1991 [REDACTED]   Ukraine 1991-present Belz

186-467: A 16-year-old playing the song was overheard by an SS guard at Auschwitz extermination camp, who then forced the child to play it repeatedly to ease the moods of Jews being herded into the gas chambers . Belz is also a very important place for Ukrainian Catholics and Polish Catholics as a place where the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (this icon was believed to have been painted by St. Luke

279-675: A Russian state. Western Ukrainian diplomats in Paris sought contact with Russian counterparts in that city. The Russian Whites had mixed views of this proposed alliance. On the one hand, they were wary of the Galicians' Russophobia and concerned about the effect of such an alliance on their relationship with Poland. On the other hand, the Russians respected the discipline and training of the Galician soldiers and understood that an agreement with

372-475: A ban on Polish press and publications was issued in Lviv by Ukrainian authorities and printing presses demolished (Poles had similarly banned Ukrainian publications in territories they controlled ) Ukrainian authorities tried to intimidate Polish population in Lviv by sending soldiers and armed trucks into the streets and dispersed crowds that could turn to Polish demonstrations. Christoph Mick states that initially,

465-759: A camp in Kosiv , according to various sources from 300 to 600 (dying from typhoid) in Mykulyntsi, 100 in Kolomyia, and 16 to 40 in Berezhany , due to unheated barracks at temperatures of −20 °C. Cases of robbing, beating, torturing or shooting of Polish prisoners were reported. According to the historian Christopher Mick, the Ukrainian government in general treated the Polish population under its control no worse than

558-601: A chance to compromise with Poland and obtain international recognition of the Ukrainian state by the Entente. The commission succeeded in getting the armistice treaty signed on 24 February 1919, and presented its proposals to the parties on 28 February, which was rejected by the West Ukrainian side. As a result of the failure to agree on the demarcation line, Polish-Ukrainian hostilities resumed on 2 March. In April 1920, Józef Piłsudski and Symon Petliura agreed in

651-703: A draft truce convention on 15 February 1919. The truce, along the Barthelemy Line, was to be purely military and not affect the decisions of the Paris Peace Conference in any way. An integral part of the convention was to be a supplementary treaty concerning the Boryslav-Drohobychian Oil Basin  [ pl ] . It was to remain on the Polish side of the truce line under the management of an international commission, with 50% of oil production to be transferred to

744-541: A law was passed that made Ukrainian the state language . According to this law, however, members of national minorities had the right to communicate with the government in their own languages. Polish historian Rafał Galuba writes that Polish population was treated as second class citizens by West Ukrainian authorities After 1 November several members of Polish associations were arrested or interned by Ukrainian authorities; similar fate awaited officials who refused to swear an oath of loyalty to Ukrainian state. On 6 November

837-823: A part of the General Government . Belz is situated on left, north waterside of the Solokiya river (affluent of the Bug river), which was the German-Soviet border in 1939–1941. During the war, the delegation of the Hrubeshiv Ukrainian Relief Committee operated in the city. After the war Belz reverted to Poland (where it was again within the Lublin Voivodeship ) until 1951 when, after a border readjustment, it passed to

930-708: A peace between the Polish and Ukrainian populace. Although relations between Poles and the West Ukrainian People's Republic were antagonistic, those between the Republic and its Jewish citizens was generally neutral or positive. Deep-seated rivalries existed between the Jewish and Polish communities, and anti-Semitism, particularly supported by the Polish National Democratic Party , became a feature of Polish national ideology. As

1023-685: A report that he submitted to the Polish Foreign Ministry in early 1920, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lviv Józef Bilczewski stated that the anti-Polish violence under Ukrainian governance was widespread and organised by the government, rather than being spontaneous. He headed a rescue committee that provided food to the poorest, and along with the Greek Catholic Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky he tried to negotiate

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1116-559: A result of the Ukrainian disapproval, the Entente delegation made another attempt at mediation. This was carried out by the Inter-allied Commission for Poland  [ pl ] subcommittee set up on 15 February 1919 and headed by Joseph Noulens . The sub-commission consisted of General Joseph Barthelemy ( France ) as chairman, Colonel Adrian Carton de Wiart ( UK ), Dr Robert Howard Lord ( United States ) and Major Giovanni Stabile ( Italy ). The subcommittee presented

1209-547: A result, many Jews came to consider Polish independence as the least desirable option following the First World War. In contrast to the antagonistic position taken by Polish authorities towards Jews, the Ukrainian government actively supported Jewish cultural and political autonomy as a way of promoting its own legitimacy. The Western Ukrainian government guaranteed Jewish cultural and national autonomy, provided Jewish communities with self-governing status, and promoted

1302-484: A rule "by bayonet, cudgel, and axe". Polish officials resigned en masse, which undermined the Republic's ability to lead an effective administration. Poles dominated the urban areas and started an uprising against the Ukrainian rule not only in Lviv, but also in Drohobych, Peremyshl , Sambir and Yaroslav . This made the West Ukrainian government unable to exert control over the western half of its territory, and made

1395-713: A two-party political system, dominated by the Ukrainian National Democrats and by its smaller rival, the Ukrainian Radical Party . The ruling National Democrats gave some of their seats to minor parties in order to ensure that the government represented a broad national coalition. In terms of the Ukrainian National Council's social background, 57.1% of its members came from priestly families , 23.8% from peasant households, 4.8% from urban backgrounds, and 2.4% from

1488-637: Is situated in a fertile plain which tribes of Indo-European origin settled in ancient times: Celtic Lugii , next (2nd-5th century) Germanic Goths , slavized Sarmatians ( White Croats ), and at last Slavic Dulebes (later Buzhans ), who eventually become part of the Kievan Rus' in 907, when Dulebs took part in Oleg 's military campaign against Czargrad ( Constantinople ). Mainly рolish historiography located here also Lendians tribe whо also paid tribute to Kievan Rus'. The town has existed at least since

1581-491: The Belz Hasidic dynasty . When Rebbe Shalom died in 1855, his youngest son, Rebbe Yehoshua Rokeach (1855–1894), became the next Rebbe. Belzer Hasidism grew in size during the tenure of Rebbe Yehoshua's son and successor, Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach (third Belzer Rebbe)(1894–1926). Rebbe Yissachar Dov's son and successor, Rebbe Aharon Rokeach (1880 to 1957), escaped from Nazi-occupied Europe to Israel in 1944, re-establishing

1674-694: The Congress of Gniezno and obtained the right of investiture from Otto III , the Holy Roman Emperor , who assented to the creation of three additional bishoprics in Kraków , Kołobrzeg , and Wrocław and an archdiocese in Gniezno. During the meeting of the two rulers, Otto also bestowed upon Bolesław I royal regalia and a replica of the Holy Lance , which were later used at his coronation as

1767-685: The Drohobych oil fields by surprise but were driven back, outnumbered by the Ukrainians. The resulting stalemate saw the Poles retaining control over Lviv and a narrow strip of land around a railway linking the city to Poland, while the rest of eastern Galicia remained under the control of the West Ukrainian National Republic. The Polish population was hostile to the newly formed West Ukrainian state. They considered it

1860-697: The Duchy of Poland or the Principality of Poland , is the historiographical name given to a polity in Central Europe , which existed during the medieval period and was the predecessor state of the Kingdom of Poland . Civitas Schinesghe, meaning "Gniezno State", is the first recorded name related to Poland as a political entity, dating to the year 991 and attested to in a later papal regesta called Dagome iudex from 1080. The document states that

1953-713: The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria . Belz received a railway connection in 1884 with the opening of the railway line Jarosław–Kowel. With the collapse of Austria-Hungary following World War I in November 1918, Belz was included in the Western Ukrainian People's Republic . It came under Polish control in 1919 during the Polish-Ukrainian War . In April 1920, the Second Polish Republic, represented by Józef Piłsudski, and

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2046-514: The Piast duke Mieszko I and his wife, Oda von Haldensleben , had given the guidance of unam civitatem in integro, que vocatur Schinesghe ("a whole state, which is called Schinesghe") over to the Holy See . Though the proper Latin name for Poland, Polonia , which came into use some time later, is not explicitly used in the document, the name Schinesghe presumably refers to Gniezno , which

2139-584: The Polish pogrom in Lviv . The Ukrainian press maintained a friendly attitude towards the West Ukrainian Republic's Jewish citizens. Their Hebrew and Yiddish schools, cultural institutions and publishers were allowed to function without interference. Reflecting the republic's demographics, approximately one-third of the seats in the national parliament were reserved for the national minorities (Poles, Jews, Slovaks and others). The Poles boycotted

2232-637: The Polish-Ukrainian War , a French general Marie Joseph Barthélemy  [ de ] proposed a demarcation line, known as the Barthelemy Line  [ pl ] , that was supposed to cease the fighting between the Polish and West Ukrainian army. In 1918, the Entente countries sought to form a common anti-Bolshevik front, which was to include the Polish, White Russian , Romanian and Ukrainian armies. The outbreak of Polish-Ukrainian hostilities in Lviv on 1 November thwarted these plans, so

2325-623: The Prut from Kolomyia to Chernivtsi in Bukovina . The West Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed on 1 November 1918. The Ukrainian National Rada (a council consisting of all Ukrainian representatives from both houses of the Austrian parliament and from the provincial diets in Galicia and Bukovina ) planned to declare the West Ukrainian People's Republic on 3 November 1918, but moved

2418-521: The Treaty of Warsaw to a border on the river Zbruch , officially recognizing Polish control over the disputed territory of Eastern Galicia. In exchange for agreeing to a border along the Zbruch River , recognizing the recent Polish territorial gains in western Ukraine, as well as the western portions of Volhynian Governorate , Kholm Governorate , and other territories (Article II), Poland recognized

2511-510: The peace treaty with Austria . The Entente also never recognised the Western Ukrainian People's Republic. With regard to the territory of eastern Galicia, it attempted to introduce a makeshift solution, a long-lasting (25 years) mandate for Poland to administer Galicia, with the territory being granted the status of autonomy . The expiry of the mandate period was to be followed by a plebiscite . The political intention of

2604-425: The petty nobility . In terms of the identified council members' vocational background, approximately 30% were lawyers, 22% were teachers, 14% were farmers , 13% were priests, and 5% were civil servants. Approximately 28% had PhD 's, mostly in law. The West Ukrainian People's Republic governed an area with a population of approximately 4 million people for much of its nine-month existence. Lviv functioned as

2697-517: The socialist revolutionary attitude of their Kyiv-based peers with some dismay and with the concern that the social unrest in the East would spread to Galicia. Likewise, the West Ukrainian troops were more disciplined while those of Kyiv's Ukrainian People's Army were more chaotic and prone to committing pogroms, something actively opposed by the western Ukrainians. The poor discipline in Kyiv's army and

2790-417: The socialistic Kyiv-based Ukrainian government. The territory of the West Ukrainian People's Republic comprised 12 military districts, whose commanders were responsible for conscripting soldiers. The government was able to mobilize 100,000 soldiers in the spring of 1919, but due to a lack of military supplies, only 40,000 were battle-ready. In general, the government of the West Ukrainian People's Republic

2883-530: The sovereignty of the Second Polish Republic over the territory of Eastern Galicia on 15 March 1923, with the reservation that Poland introduce autonomous status for this territory, a surrogate for which was the Act on Provincial Self-Government of September 1922, stating in its very title the special character of the territory of Eastern Galicia within the Polish state. Following a decision by

Belz - Misplaced Pages Continue

2976-474: The 10th century as one of the Cherven Cities which were under Polish rule in the 970s. In 981 Belz was incorporated into Kievan Rus' . In 1170, the town became the seat of a duchy . In 1234 it was incorporated into the Duchy of Galicia–Volhynia , which would control Belz until 1340 when it came under Lithuanian rule. Belz was under Polish rule from 1366 to 1772, first as a fief, and since 1462 as

3069-658: The Council of Ambassadors, the West Ukrainian government in exile led by Sydir Holubovych in Vienna dissolved on 15 March 1923, and most of its members returned to Poland, being actively involved in the political and social life of the Ukrainian minority in the Second Polish Republic . From 22 to 25 November elections took place in Ukrainian-controlled territory for the 150-member Ukrainian National Council that

3162-487: The Entente states at the time was to preserve the territory of eastern Galicia for White Russia . Poland opposed these ideas, while at the same time pursuing a policy of establishing its own governance on the disputed territory, integrating it into the Polish state. Following the consolidation of Soviet power in Russia and the restoration of non-Bolshevik Russia becoming unachievable, the Council of Ambassadors recognised

3255-523: The Entente states began to press both the Poles and Galicians to seek a settlement and adopt the demarcation line proposed by the allied states. On 19 January 1919, by the order of General Franchet d'Esperey , a peacekeeping mission under the command of General Joseph Barthelemy arrived in Kraków . Initially, the mission familiarised itself with the Polish position, which opted for the Bug - Świca  [ pl ] line. It then travelled to Lviv, meeting with

3348-767: The Evangelist ) had resided for several centuries until 1382, when Władysław Opolczyk , duke of Opole , took the icon home to his principality after ending his service as the Royal emissary for Halychyna for Louis I of Hungary . Literature – Belles-lettres : a poem Maria: A Tale of the Ukraine written by Antoni Malczewski , and a novel Starościna Bełska: opowiadanie historyczne 1770–1774 by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski . Civitas Schinesghe Civitas Schinesghe ( Ecclesiastical Latin : [ˈtʃivitas skiˈnesɡe] ; Polish : Państwo Gnieźnieńskie ), also known as

3441-1301: The Hasidut first in Tel Aviv and then in Jerusalem. For recent history see Belz (Hasidic dynasty) § Belz today . At the beginning of World War I, Belz had 6100 inhabitants, including 3600 Jews, 1600 Ukrainians, and 900 Poles. During the German and Soviet invasion of Poland (September 1939), most of the Jews of Belz fled to the Soviet Union in Autumn 1939 (the German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation ). However, by May 1942, there were over 1,540 local Jewish residents and refugees in Belz. On June 2, 1942, 1,000 Jews were deported to Hrubieszów and from there to Sobibor extermination camp . Another 504 were brought to Hrubieszów in September of that year, after they were no longer needed to work on

3534-667: The Jewish community, imprisoning and even executing perpetrators of such crimes. The government also respected Jewish declared neutrality during the Polish-Ukrainian conflict. By the orders of Yevhen Petrushevych it was forbidden to mobilize Jews against their will or to otherwise force them to contribute to the Ukrainian military effort. In an effort to aid Western Ukraine's economy, the Western Ukrainian government granted concessions to Jewish merchants. The West Ukrainian government's friendly attitude towards Jews

3627-586: The League of Nations declaring on 23 February 1921 that Galicia lay outside the territory of Poland, that Poland did not have the mandate to establish administrative control in that country, and that Poland was merely the occupying military power of Eastern Galicia , whose fate would be determined by the Council of Ambassadors at the League of Nations . After a long series of further negotiations, on 14 March 1923 it

3720-553: The Poles a potential ally against his Russian enemies. In response to the Kyiv government's diplomatic talks with Poland, the Western Ukrainian government sent a delegation to the Soviet 12th Army , but ultimately rejected Soviet conditions for an alliance. In August 1919, Kost Levytsky , head of the Western Ukrainian state secretariat, proposed an alliance with Anton Denikin 's White Russians which would involve guaranteed autonomy within

3813-486: The Polish government treated the Ukrainians under its control, writing that Ukrainian authorities didn't treat the Polish population "gently" and that Ukrainian authorities mirrored Polish authorities by making speaking in Polish unwelcome. Mick acknowledges that Ukrainian side during the siege of Lviv stopped caring about supplies reaching the city and attempted to disrupt water supply to city. Its fierce artillery fire killed many civilians, including women and children. In

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3906-400: The Polish offensive possible. Two smaller states west of the West Ukrainian People's Republic also declared independence as result of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Komańcza Republic , an association of 30 Lemko villages based around Komańcza in eastern Lemko Region , existed between 4 November 1918 and 23 January 1919. Being pro- Ukrainian it planned to unite with

3999-451: The Republic's capital from 1 November until the loss of that city to Polish forces on 21 November, followed by Ternopil until late December 1918 and then by Stanyslaviv (present-day Ivano-Frankivsk ) until 26 May 1919. Despite the war, the West Ukrainian People's Republic maintained the stability of the pre-war Austrian administration intact, employing Ukrainian and Polish professionals. The boundaries of counties and communities remained

4092-488: The Soviet Union ( Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ). (See: 1951 Polish–Soviet territorial exchange ) Since 1991 it has been part of independent Ukraine. Until 18 July 2020, Belz belonged to Sokal Raion . The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Lviv Oblast to seven. The area of Sokal Raion was merged into Chervonohrad Raion (modern Sheptytskyi Raion). The Ashkenazi Jewish community in Belz

4185-442: The Ukrainian People's Republic as an independent state (Article I) with borders as defined by Articles II and III and under otaman Petliura's leadership. Neither the Polish government in Warsaw nor the exiled Western Ukrainian government agreed to this treaty. The Western Ukrainians continued pressing their interests during the negotiations following World War I at the Paris Peace Conference . These efforts ultimately resulted in

4278-421: The Ukrainian People's Republic, represented by Symon Petlura signed the Treaty of Warsaw , in which they agreed that the Polish-Ukrainian border in Western Ukraine would follow the Zbruch River . This left Belz, along with the rest of Eastern Galicia in the Polish Republic. From 1919 to 1939 Belz was annexed to the Lviv Voivodeship , Second Polish Republic . From 1939 to 1944 Belz was occupied by Germany as

4371-417: The Ukrainian delegation. The Ukrainians opted for the San line as a future demarcation line. In this situation, General Barthelemy presented his compromise proposal on 28 January 1919. The armistice line was to run along the Bug River to Kamionka Strumiłłowa , then along the border of the districts to Bóbrka , then along the Bóbrka-Wybranka railway line, westwards to Mikołajów (leaving Mikołajów itself on

4464-416: The Ukrainian government gave local Jewish militias responsibility for the maintenance of security and order. In the regions of Sambir and Radekhiv approximately a third of the police force was Jewish. Jews fielded their own battalion in the army of the Western Ukrainian National Republic , and Jewish youths worked as scouts for the West Ukrainian military. Most of the Jews cooperating with and serving in

4557-403: The Ukrainian government refused to take Polish hostages but as both the Polish civilian and military resistance to Ukrainian forces grew, Polish civilians were threatened with summary executions by Ukrainian commander in chief for alleged attacks and shots on Ukrainian soldiers. In response, the Polish side proposed a peaceful solution of the conflict and joint Polish-Ukrainian militia to oversee

4650-404: The Ukrainian side), then along the railway line Lviv - Stryi to the border of the disputed territory in the Eastern Carpathians . The Stryi - Lavochne railway line was to remain in Ukrainian hands. This was to be a temporary line, until the matter was settled by the Paris Peace Conference . The Polish side accepted this solution, but the Ukrainian delegation insisted on the 'San line'. As

4743-449: The Ukrainian side. Poland and ZUNR were only to be able to record the volume of production and pay for oil supplies. The project secured Entente interests in the oil basin and was the first step towards its neutralisation. At the time of the proposal, the territory of the basin was under the control of the Ukrainian Galician Army . For the West Ukrainian government, the terms of the Armistice Convention were unfavourable; however, they offered

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4836-665: The Ukrainians. Poles didn't support the Ukrainian authorities and set up an underground resistance movement that engaged in acts of sabotage. All fieldwork was stopped, the harvest destroyed and machinery purposely broken; Poles also issued to keep up the morale among the population. In response, Ukrainian authorities engaged in terror, including mass executions, court martial and set up detention centers where some Poles were interned. The conditions in these camps involved unheated wooden barracks, lack of bedding and lack of medical care, resulting in high levels of morbidity from typhoid . Estimated casualties at these camps include nearly 900 at

4929-559: The West Ukrainian People's Republic is often abbreviated as ZUNR (as a direct translation of the Ukrainian abbreviation — ЗУНР). Sometimes it can also be abbreviated as WUPR (from West Ukrainian People's Republic ) or WUNR (from West Ukrainian National Republic ). According to the Austro-Hungarian census of 1910, the territory claimed by the West Ukrainian People's Republic had about 5.4 million people. Of these, 3,291,000 (approximately 60%) were Ukrainians, 1,351,000 (approximately 25%) were Poles, 660,000 (approximately 12%) were Jews, and

5022-432: The West Ukrainian People's Republic, but was suppressed by the Polish government . On 5 December 1918, the Lemko-Rusyn Republic , centred around the village of Florynka , declared independence. Western Ukrainian Russophiles sentiment prevailed among its inhabitants, who were opposed to a union with the West Ukrainian People's Republic and instead sought unification with Russia. An agreement to unite western Ukraine with

5115-473: The West Ukrainian civil service. From November 1918, ethnic Poles in the civil service who refused to pledge loyalty to the West Ukrainian government either quit en masse or were fired; their positions were filled by large numbers of Jews who were willing to support the Ukrainian state. Jews served as judges and legal consultants in the courts in Ternopil , Stanyslaviv , and Kolomyia . Jews were also able to create their own police units, and in some locations

5208-421: The West Ukrainian government into exile . When the UPR decided late the same year that it would trade the territory for an alliance with Poland against Soviet Russia , the exiled West Ukrainian government broke with the UPR. The exiled government continued its claim until it dissolved in 1923. The coat of arms of the ZUNR was azure , a golden lion rampant. The colours of the flag were blue and yellow, with

5301-433: The West Ukrainian government left for exile in Vienna. The Directorate informed Poland on 2 December that it had no interest in western Ukraine. The West Ukrainian government-in-exile then "rejected the joint institutions" with the Directorate and on 20 December unilaterally repealed the Unification Act. The exiled government resumed the name West Ukrainian People's Republic at the beginning of 1920. In at attempt to stop

5394-412: The West Ukrainian military were Zionists . In general, Jews made up the largest group of non-ethnic Ukrainians who participated in all branches of the West Ukrainian government. The liberal attitude taken towards Jews by the Western Ukrainian government could be attributed to the Habsburg tradition of inter-ethnic tolerance and cooperation leaving its mark on the intelligentsia and military officers of

5487-418: The Western Ukrainians would deprive Kyiv's Ukrainian People's Army , at war with the Russian Whites, of its best soldiers. In November 1919 the Ukrainian Galician Army , without authorization from their government, signed a ceasefire with the White Russians and placed their army under White Russian authority. In talks with Kyiv's Directorate government , Western Ukrainian president Petrushevych argued that

5580-431: The Whites would be defeated anyway but that the alliance with them would strengthen relations with the Western powers, who supported the Whites and would help the Ukrainian military forces for their later struggle against the victorious Soviets. Such arguments were condemned by Petliura . As a result, Petrushevych recognized that the West Ukrainian government could no longer work with Petliura's Directorate and on 15 November

5673-410: The attitude was often that of indifference, and the male Ukrainian population often tried to avoid service in its military. Part of the defeated army found refuge in Czechoslovakia and became known there under the name Ukrajinská brigáda ( Czech ). On 16 July 1919, the remaining army consisting of about 50,000 soldiers, crossed into the territory of the Ukrainian People's Republic and continued

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5766-399: The blue in a much lighter shade than in the modern Ukrainian flag. Until November 13, 1918, the state was officially known as the Ukrainian State . After the Unification Act on January 22, 1919, the state became a part of the unified Ukrainian People's Republic and simultaneously became an autonomous region, known as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic . The name of

5859-399: The capital of a voivodeship . On October 5, 1377, the town was granted rights under the Magdeburg law by Władysław Opolczyk , the governor of Red Ruthenia . A charter dated November 10, 1509 once again granted Belz privileges under the Magdeburg rights. In 1772, Belz was incorporated into the Habsburg Empire (later Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire ) where it was a part of

5952-465: The date forward to 1 November due to reports that the Polish Liquidation Committee was to transfer from Kraków to Lviv . Shortly after the republic proclaimed independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire a popular uprising took place in Lviv, where half of the residents were Polish and did not want to be part of a non-Polish state. A few weeks later Lviv's rebellious Poles received support from Poland. On 9 November, Polish forces attempted to seize

6045-450: The elections, while the Jews, despite declaring their neutrality in the Polish-Ukrainian conflict, participated and were represented by approximately 10 percent of the delegates. Localized anti-Jewish assaults and robberies by Ukrainian peasants and soldiers, while far fewer in number and less brutal than similar actions by Poles, occurred between January and April 1919. The government publicly condemned such actions and intervened in defence of

6138-525: The entire time of its existence there were no cases of mass repressions against national minorities in territories held by the West Ukrainian People's Republic, Hrytsak states that this differentiated the Ukrainian government from that of Poland. Katarzyna Hibel writes that while officially West Ukrainian People's Republic like Poland declared guarantees of rights of its national minorities, in reality, both countries were violating them and treated other foreign nationalities like fifth column . On 15 February 1919

6231-463: The farms in the area. The Yiddish song “Beltz, Mayn Shtetele” is a moving evocation of a happy childhood spent in a shtetl . Originally this song was composed for a town which bears a similar-sounding name in Yiddish ( belts ), called Bălți in Moldovan / Romanian , and is located in Bessarabia (presently the Moldova Republic). Later interpretations may have had Belz in mind, though. The song has special significance in Holocaust history, as

6324-478: The first King of Poland in 1025, when Bolesław I received permission for his coronation from Pope John XIX , an event that elevated Poland from a duchy to a kingdom . The Dagome iudex outlines the borders of the Polish realm: Western Ukrainian People%27s Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic ( Ukrainian : Західноукраїнська Народна Республіка (ЗУНР) , romanized :  Zakhidnoukrainska Narodna Respublika (ZUNR) ; see other names )

6417-447: The formation of Jewish national councils which, with the approval of the Western Ukrainian government, established the Central Jewish National Council in December 1918 to represent Jewish interests in relation to the Ukrainian government and to the Western allies. The Council of Ministers of the West Ukrainian National Republic bought Yiddish-language textbooks and visual aids for Jewish schools and provided assistance to Jewish victims of

6510-436: The hands of large Polish landowners prior to World War I. The Western Ukrainian People's Republic passed laws that confiscated vast manorial estates from private landlords and distributed this land to landless peasants. Other than in those limited cases, the right to private property was made fundamental and expropriation of lands was forbidden. This differentiated the policies of the West Ukrainian People's Republic from those of

6603-433: The insubordination of its officers shocked the Galician delegates sent to Kyiv. The national movement in western Ukraine was as strong as in other eastern European countries, and the Ukrainian government was able to mobilize over 100,000 men, 40,000 of whom were battle-ready. Despite the strength of the Ukrainian nationalist forces, they received little support and enthusiasm from the local Ukrainian population; in general,

6696-756: The interwar Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance ) dominated the legislative assembly , guided by varying degrees of Greek Catholic , liberal and socialist ideology. Other parties represented included the Ukrainian Radical Party and the Christian Social Party . The ZUNR emerged as a breakaway state amid the dissolution of Austria-Hungary , and in January 1919 nominally united with the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) as its autonomous Western Oblast . Poland had also claimed this territory, and by July occupied most of it and forced

6789-716: The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The friendly attitude towards Jews that the Galician Ukrainians had was in stark contrast to the Directorate of Ukraine , which enjoyed no sympathy amongst the Jewish population. The republic did not have its own currency, but rather used the Austro-Hungarian crown . After the act of unification with the Ukrainian People's Republic, the banknotes in circulation were overprinted with nominals in

6882-461: The population and the amount of taxes collected was minimal. Most of the government's revenue came from the export of oil and salt. Of the 100 types of postage stamps issued by the republic , all but two were overprints of existing stamps produced by Austria , Austria-Hungary or Bosnia . Although ethnic Poles represented only a small minority in the rural areas, they dominated the urban areas and almost 39% of eastern Galician lands had been in

6975-411: The provisional administration of the Second Polish Republic on the territory of Eastern Galicia on 25 June 1919. The Entente states and the bodies appointed by them ( Council of Ambassadors , Council of the League of Nations ) recognised Eastern Galicia as disputed territory not belonging to the Polish state until 14 March 1923, over which sovereignty was to be exercised by the Entente states under

7068-483: The public safety in the city. In Zolochiv 17 Poles were executed by the Ukrainian authorities. In Briukhovychi Polish railwaymen who refused to comply with Ukrainian orders to work were executed. On 29 May 1919 the archbishop Józef Bilczewski sent a message to Ignacy Paderewski attending the Peace Conference in Paris, asking for help and alleging the brutal murders of Polish priests and civilians by

7161-514: The rest included Rusyns, Germans, Hungarians, Romanians, Czechs, Slovaks, Romani, Armenians and others. The cities and towns of this largely rural region were mostly populated by Poles and Jews, while the Ukrainians dominated the countryside. Out of this region's 44 territorial divisions, Poles were a majority in only one — Lviv county. This would prove problematic for the Ukrainians, because largest city and proclaimed capital Lviv had 49.4% Polish population compared to 19.9% Ukrainian population; and

7254-629: The rest of Ukraine was made as early as 1 December 1918. The government of the West Ukrainian People's Republic officially united with the Ukrainian People's Republic on 22 January 1919 , after which the former was known as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic. This was mostly a symbolic act , however. During the Polish–Ukrainian War , the West Ukrainian army was able to hold off Poland for approximately nine months, but by July 1919, Polish forces had taken over most of

7347-613: The ruler of the Polans , accepted Christianity through the auspices of the Roman Church in the Baptism of Poland . According to Gallus Anonymus , it was Mieszko's first wife, Dobrawa , the daughter of Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia , who convinced her husband to convert to Christianity. Also, the chronicler, Thietmar of Merseburg , attributed Mieszko's conversion to Dobrawa's influence. The Baptism also had political significance and

7440-496: The same as they had been during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The county, regional, and local courts continued to function as they had while the country had been a part of Austria, as did schools, the postal service, telegraphs and railroads. Austrian laws remained temporarily in force. Likewise, the government generally retained the Austrian system of tax collection, although war losses had impoverished

7533-519: The state was under the protection of the Popes. Following the death of Mieszko I, his eldest son, Bolesław I the Brave , became the next Duke of Poland in 992. Bolesław I quickly consolidated his rule, expelling his stepmother, Oda, and half-brothers from Poland. He also expanded the borders of the early Polish state by taking Lusatia , Moravia , Upper Hungary , and Red Ruthenia . In 1000, he organized

7626-610: The struggle for Ukrainian independence there. The same month, the Western Oblast established a government-in-exile in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi . Relations between the exiled West Ukrainian government and the Kyiv-based government continued to deteriorate, in part because the Western Ukrainians saw the Poles as the main enemy (with the Russians a potential ally) while Symon Petliura in Kyiv considered

7719-499: The territory claimed by the Western Oblast. Since western Ukraine had a different tradition in its legal, social and political norms, it was to be autonomous within a united Ukraine. Furthermore, western Ukrainians retained their own Ukrainian Galician Army and government structure. Despite the formal union, the Western Ukrainian Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic fought in separate wars. The former

7812-575: Was a short-lived polity that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv , Ternopil , Kolomyia , Drohobych , Boryslav , Stanyslaviv and right-bank Peremyshl . Apart from lands of Eastern Galicia, it also claimed the northern part of Bukovyna and the Carpathian Ruthenia . Politically, the Ukrainian National Democratic Party (the precursor of

7905-518: Was considered by Poland to be one of its most important cities. The oil reserves near Lviv at Drohobych and Boryslav in the upper Dniester River were among the largest in Europe. Rail connections to Russian-ruled Ukraine or Romania were few; these included Brody on a line from Lviv to the upper Styr River , Pidvolochysk on a line from Ternopil to Proskuriv in Podolia , and a line along

7998-434: Was decided that eastern Galicia would be incorporated into Poland "taking into consideration that Poland has recognized that in regard to the eastern part of Galicia ethnographic conditions fully deserve its autonomous status." The following day, the government of the West Ukrainian People's Republic disbanded. The Polish government reneged on its promise of autonomy for eastern Galicia. The Paris Peace Conference approved

8091-575: Was established circa 14th century. In 1665, the Jews in Belz received equal rights and duties. The town became home to a Hasidic dynasty in the early 19th century. The Rabbi of Belz, Shalom Rokeach (1779–1855), also known as the Sar Shalom , joined the Hasidic movement by studying with the Maggid of Lutzk, and established the community and become the first Belzer Rebbe , thereby establishing

8184-658: Was most likely intended to bring Mieszko's state closer to the Duchy of Bohemia and to prevent future attacks by the Holy Roman Empire in an attempt to Christianize Mieszko's lands by force. Subsequently, Mieszko's realm was recognized by the papacy and accepted as part of Christendom . In 968, a missionary bishopric was established in Poznań . The regesta titled Dagome iudex first defined Poland's geographical boundaries with its capital in Gniezno and affirmed that

8277-509: Was one of the main gord strongholds of the West Slavic tribe of Polans . According to philological analysis, the letters "Sc" were substituted for the letter "K" (which was phonetically interchangable with the letter "G"), thus the original record would therefore read "Khinesghe" or "Kninesne." Another theory posits the name as an imperfect Latinization of hrady knezske or grody książęce , "ducal gords." In 966, Mieszko I ,

8370-548: Was orderly and well-organized. This contrasted with the chaotic state of the Ukrainian governments that arose on the territory of the former Russian Empire. Historian Yaroslav Hrytsak stated that the Ukrainian nationalism that developed before the First World War in Austria was anti-Polish, but neither "very xenophobic" nor antisemitic. In November 1918 a decision was made to include cabinet-level state secretaries of Polish, Jewish and German affairs. According to Hrytsak during

8463-508: Was preoccupied with a conflict with Poland , while the latter struggled with Soviet and Russian forces. Relations between the western Ukrainian polity and the Kyiv-based Ukrainian People's Republic were at times strained. The leadership of the former tended to be more conservative in orientation. Well-versed in the culture of the Austrian parliamentary system and an orderly approach to government, they looked upon

8556-445: Was reciprocated by many members of the Jewish community. Although Jewish political organizations officially declared their neutrality in the Polish-Ukrainian struggle, many individual Jews offered their support or sympathized with the West Ukrainian government in its conflict with Poland. Jewish officers of the defunct Austro-Hungarian army joined the West Ukrainian military, and Jewish judges, lawyers, doctors and railroad employees joined

8649-635: Was to serve as the legislative body. Yevhen Petrushevych , the chairman of the Council and a former member of the Austro-Hungarian parliament, automatically became the Republic's president. Subordinated to him was the State Secretariat , whose members included Kost Levytsky (president of the secretariat and the Republic's minister of finance), Dmytro Vitovsky (head of the armed forces), Lonhyn Tsehelsky (secretary of internal affairs), and Oleksander Barvinsky (secretary of education and religious affairs), among others. The country essentially had

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