What a terrible dilemma thee people faced; defend your country with your oppressors (Russian Communists) who slaughtered millions of your own people just a few years before, or work with the Nazis, your “liberators” (well, for at least until the Russians were defeated and then, being Slavs, the Ukrainians would be “second class” slaves to the Nazis). Talking about choosing between two evils to survive...no wonder to this day there is issues on both sides. Bummer.
A Romanian neighbor said the same thing of their country. Sided with the Nazi’s first - then with the Soviets when it looked like they would be the winner. But the Soviets didn’t let them forget that they had first sided with Hitler. (I THINK that is how it went - or vise-versa).
I had a great uncle that was in the Russian army in WWII. Afterwards he had problems immigrating to this country.
If the Germans had been smart, and not treated the Ukrainians as terribly as the Soviets, they would have had millions of volunteers and workers and not had to waste so many resources on occupation of the Ukraine. Might have actually tipped the balance in their favor.
Yeah, ‘can’t help but feel sorry for the Ukrainians. Rock and a hard place.
“What a terrible dilemma thee people faced; defend your country with your oppressors (Russian Communists) who slaughtered millions of your own people just a few years before, or work with the Nazis, your “liberators” (well, for at least until the Russians were defeated and then, being Slavs, the Ukrainians would be “second class” slaves to the Nazis). Talking about choosing between two evils to survive...no wonder to this day there is issues on both sides.”
Anyone who fought the Bolsheviks under any flag was choosing the lesser of two evils; the numbers bear out their decision.