KARPATIAN UKRAINE AS A FACTOR IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMATION THE POLITICAL CONFIGURATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR II

Abstract

The article studies the Carpathian Ukraine’s factor in the policy of European countries according to the political configuration in the Central Europe in late 1930s after the Munich Conference, 30 September — 2 October, 1938. The author has used both historical research methods and methodological techniques of jurisprudence. It is analysed international legal documents, in particular, the Treaties of Saint-Germain and Trianon determining the Central Europe’s policy after the end of World War I. The provisions of the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920 are also analysed. The process of revising the Treaty of Saint-Germain and initiating the revision of the Treaty of Trianon determining the Carpathian Ukraine’s status iss analysed. It is underlined the German and Italian positions on the Carpathian Ruthenia’s situation. Diplomatic correspondence of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, covering the position of not only Germany but also Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Romania appealing to the Central Europe’s policy after launching the procedure of revising the peace treaties summing up the results of World War I, is used to address that problem. It is analysed the political and legal conditions of the Ukrainian state-established forces triying to realize the right to self-determination of the Ukrainian people in the Carpathian Ruthenia. The study of the problem of the Carpathian Ukraine’s factor in the policies of big European states with respect to structuring the Central Europe’s policy reveals that the strengthening of the policies of Poland and Italy towards the regional bloc foundation became possible after the Munich Conference of 1938. Such bloc provided for strategic consolidation of such Central European countries as Poland (which was expected to play a leading role in that bloc), Hungary, and Romania, while Italy assigned itself the role of a strategic partner of the bloc. However, the fact of existence of the Carpathian Ukraine (initially, as an autonomous territory within Czechoslovakia) obstructed such geopolitical formation. The bloc in the Central Europe with Polish domination and Italian strategic partnership was wholly at odds with geopolitical interests of Germany. Actually, that was the reason behind German support to the Carpathian Ukraine. However, the change in the German strategic plans regarding the future of Poland caused the revision of the policy to support the Carpathian Ukraine.

Keywords

• carpathian ruthenia
• munich conference
• czechoslovakia
• germany
• saint-germain
• treaty
• ukrainian state-building