The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, the Holocaust and the origins of the Bandera Lobby in the USA
The role of Ukrainian nationalists in the Holocaust is well documented. But in order to expose the powerful campaign to rewrite history and whitewash the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), a deeper reflection is required.
In the 1930s, the OUN evolved from an anti-Polish terrorist organization to a pro-Nazi fascist movement with strong connections to Germany and Italy. During World War II, the OUN split in two factions: Melnykites (OUN-M) and Banderites (OUN-B). Both collaborated with Nazi Germany and participated actively in the Holocaust.
This lecture will trace this history and debunk powerful myths about the Ukrainian Nationalist movement, which were spun by followers of OUN leader Stepan Bandera after it became clear that Germany would lose the war and they needed new allies in the West to back their struggle against the Soviet Union. It will also touch on a little known history of the OUN in the United States during the Nazi era, which began over a decade before the Banderites got organized in North America.