Bachynsky Protests Polish Administration of Eastern Galicia
1919-12-08
Yulian Bachynsky wrote to the American secretary of state from Washington on 8 December 1919 to protest reports that Eastern Galicia would be placed under Polish administration for twenty-five years. As representative of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, he had no official copy of the peace settlement’s decision and relied on an Associated Press dispatch. [2]
The collapse of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires had opened competing claims to territory. Bachynsky argued that Ukrainians on both sides of the former imperial frontier belonged in one republic, appealing to the principles of self-determination that Woodrow Wilson had made central to the peace. Friends of Ukraine published the protest for an American audience. [2]
In May 1920, Bachynsky submitted a further memorandum asking Washington to recognize Ukrainian independence. American policy remained opposed to the broad breakup of the former Russian Empire, a position Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby set out in August. Washington did not recognize the republic Bachynsky represented. [3] [4]
Related Diplomats
Sources
- Wilson's Fourteen Points, 1918
- Bachynsky’s protest of 8 December 1919 — primary text transcription
Opening letter; Associated Press dispatch; self-determination argument
- Memorandum seeking recognition — Ukrainian Mission
Opening request for recognition; publisher
- Colby’s note on Russia and Poland — diplomatic correspondence
Territorial integrity of former Russian Empire; exceptions
- Protest of the Ukrainian Republic, 1919 — Library of Congress
Original preview reference; publication identification
Related Reading
Cite This Article
Bachynsky Protests Polish Administration of Eastern Galicia. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record c57f5be589c72b13b532. https://chanceries.org/research/history/petition-45a1ceb7b3/