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Ukrainians

posted 9 years ago by raggoyute
7 replies | jump to latest

I've been trying to look into the history about the Ukrainians and if I recall correctly Latvian guards who were part of the Holocaust and have not been able to find much about this at all. Even Hollywood films just seem to have German guards and do not highlight what seems an apparent historical fact. It just seems to be brushed over and the Germans get all the blame. Does anyone know any history sources where I can read more about who these people from Ukraine were and why they agreed to help the Nazi killing machine and other points like this?

[–] rpartrid-2 9 years ago

I can't direct you to any one source but I have read a great deal about the Holocaust and just about every country produced individuals who became part of the machinery - France; the Ukraine; Latvia Lithuania - their reasons seem to have been a profound hatred of Jews and a way to survive; and don't forget some Jews collaborated as well - in order to delay their own deaths - try Lodz ghetto on Wikipedia - anti semitism was pervasive in Europe (and North America in the thirties

[–] raggoyute 9 years ago

Thank you. Of course from watching SHOAH and other historical documentaries I know about other people collaborating even the Jewish police themselves. Hell even British people in occupied Jersey denounced and snitched on their countrymen to the Germans about radios etc.

BUT I think to be so involved with the Holocaust i.e. a Guard of a concentration camp and be Ukrainian or Latvian or Lithuanian I want to know what was going on in those peoples minds to lead them to that decision to be chosen for that special detail and what kind of trial did these people face if any after the war? Surely someone needs to do a documentary on them if they haven't already or a book. I am specifically interested in these people as I think unlike the Vichy France etc it's very downplayed in history.

[–] rpartrid-2 9 years ago

what was going on - "perhaps I can survive for another day; and if can't at least my stomach is fuller than others" The only trial I am familiar with was John Demanjiuk (SP?) and of course he denied everything and offered no insight into the minds of the collaborators

[–] raggoyute 9 years ago

Thank you for the information.

I still am haunted by this wonderful powerful documentary. It really blew me away in terms of the education it gave me and I watched all his follow ups too.

The story in Sobibór is crying out to be made into a film and I don't understand why it hasn't been.

Please if anyone else has anymore information write it here to do with the subject issue heading feel free to continue commenting.

[–] damianswife 8 years ago

The Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Latvians made up the main part of the 4 Einsatzgruppen - these were the 4 groups who performed mass killings in Eastern Europe, e.g. At Babi Yar, Kiev. These men were known as Trawniki and were recruited from labour camps with the promise of full bellies and alcohol. It goes without saying they were massively anti Semitic as well.

[–] raggoyute 8 years ago

Again thank you for letting me know. I really think this is unreported so it is good to have some more information to go on here.

[–] Sponiatowski 8 years ago

Probably the most insightful book on collaboration is "Poland's Holocaust: Ethnic Strife, Collaboration with Occupying Forces and Genocide in the Second Republic, 1918-1947 by Tadeusz Piotrowski.

The price on it has finally gone down but it's still relatively expensive. It's not an easy read, though.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good (wo)men to do nothing.E. Burke