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Ukraine: doormat of Eastern
Europe
By Tom Morrow
Once again history is repeating
itself. The world’s eyes are upon eastern Europe’s Ukraine, one of the most
coveted piece of real estate in the world.
Next to Poland, Ukraine arguably
is the doormat of warring nations because of its strategic location separating
Russia from Western Europe as well as being rich in natural resources and being
one of the world’s great producer of grain. For these reasons, Ukraine is
important – particularly to Russia.
Ukraine is most often associated
as being linked to Russia. During most of the 20th century, Ukraine
was one of the Soviet Republics – one of the more valuable states because of
the oil, natural gas, and food produced there. While a good percentage of that
country’s population is ethnic Russian, that doesn’t mean there is or has been
a lot of love for their giant neighbor to the east.
One of the best examples of
distain Ukrainians have for Russia took place back in 1941, when Germany
invaded the Soviet Union. During the early days of the invasion, German troops
were welcomed and cheered by many Ukrainians. Although the majority of
Ukrainians fought against the Nazis alongside the Red Army and Soviet resistance, in
1942, some elements of the Ukrainian underground created an anti-Soviet nationalist
resistance known as the “Ukrainian Insurgent Army.”
At times the insurgent army
allied itself with the Nazi forces. But there was a very dark side of that movement. It
also carried out the massacres of ethnic
Poles, and, after the war, continued to fight the
USSR. Using guerrilla tactics, the insurgents targeted for assassination
and terror those who they perceived as representing, or cooperating at any
level with the Soviet Ukrainian government.
If you don’t believe history
repeats itself, go back and read about the Crimean War, which took place in 1853
to 1856. The war pitted Russia against an alliance of France, Britain, the
Ottoman Empire (Turkey), Austria, and Sardinia.
First, Russia and the Ottoman Empire
went to war over Russia's rights to protect Orthodox Christians in what today
is the Ukraine. Russia gained the upper hand after destroying the
Ottoman fleet at the Black Sea port
of Sinope. To stop Russia, France and Britain entered the
war in 1854.
Most of the fighting was for
control of the Black Sea, with land battles on the Crimean peninsula in
what was then southern Russia. The Russians held their great fortress at Sevastopol
on what today is the Crimean peninsula for more than a year. The results
when the war ended were that the Black Sea was neutralized and Russia would not
have any warships there.
Today, the port of Sevastopol,
with its key access to the Black Sea, is at the very top of the list of Russia’s
demands. It is vital that Russia has that warm-water port, which gives its navy access to the Mediterranean and the rest of the world's oceans.
The Russians say they’re protecting ethnic brothers living in Ukraine’s
Crimean peninsula and much of eastern Ukraine, but, in reality it is more about
regaining this former Soviet territory, which is rich in food production.
For the average American, the only mention of
that 19th century Crimean War that might strike a chord of memory
would be Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem, “Charge of the Light Brigade.”
Some of us learned those fateful words of
Tennyson’s in English literature:
“Half a league, half a league, half a
league onward,
All in the Valley of Death rode the six hundred.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!’ he said: Into the Valley of Death rode the six hundred.”
All in the Valley of Death rode the six hundred.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!’ he said: Into the Valley of Death rode the six hundred.”
Let us hope that part of
history isn’t repeated.
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