Volhynia Massacre

[Hobbes42]

Why do so few people demonstrate a complete ignorance of the Volhynia massacre?

I as an American have talked to no one who knows about this event (Which is just to say that I have not casually encountered any, it is entirely true that there are in fact millions of Americans who do know, I emphasize this point because many other massacres are well known in comparison). It seems that many of the cases where the Germans encouraged acts of evil by the local population, are either whitewashed or ignored by historians after the fact.

Many people (At least in treatises and books covering the war) also forget the local nationalists that assisted in the extermination. (the Banderite movement, Lithuania’s Waffen SS and Estonia’s Waffen SS detachments.)

 

[edwest2]

I study World War II history intensively. Most people do not know where Volhynia is. The other problem is German maps often renamed towns, and villages. Gdańsk in Poland was renamed Danzig by the Germans. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army was named as the perpetrator. Killings also occurred in Galicia, a country that no longer existed after World War II.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Linusthe2nd]

Why do so few people demonstrate a complete ignorance of the Volhynia massacre?

I as an American have talked to no one who knows about this event (Which is just to say that I have not casually encountered any, it is entirely true that there are in fact millions of Americans who do know, I emphasize this point because many other massacres are well known in comparison). It seems that many of the cases where the Germans encouraged acts of evil by the local population, are either whitewashed or ignored by historians after the fact.

Many people (At least in treatises and books covering the war) also forget the local nationalists that assisted in the extermination. (the Banderite movement, Lithuania’s Waffen SS and Estonia’s Waffen SS detachments.)

I think most of this is too complicated to unravel. There were plenty of atrocities in WWII and not all of them committed by the Germans and the Soviets. And of course, all the surviving grandfathers would never admit they did any thing worng. I guess it will be left for God to decide.

Linus2nd

 

[Miserissima]

My father’s family is from the Volhyn Oblast.

My grandparents did not speak of it much because of the pain it caused in tearing the family apart, and to keep peace with neighbors.

To discuss it would also have been counter productive because:

a. all of the Eastern Europeans shared the same ethnic ghetto in New England, Lithuanians, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, etc.

b. immigrants to the US had a different mindset at the turn of the last century: assimilation meant leaving poverty, tragedy, and shame behind

You may get deeper answers in the Eastern Catholic forum.

 

[garyo49]

Why do so few people demonstrate a complete ignorance of the Volhynia massacre?

I as an American have talked to no one who knows about this event (Which is just to say that I have not casually encountered any, it is entirely true that there are in fact millions of Americans who do know, I emphasize this point because many other massacres are well known in comparison). It seems that many of the cases where the Germans encouraged acts of evil by the local population, are either whitewashed or ignored by historians after the fact.

Many people (At least in treatises and books covering the war) also forget the local nationalists that assisted in the extermination. (the Banderite movement, Lithuania’s Waffen SS and Estonia’s Waffen SS detachments.)

I must have missed the memo on this one. I am willing, though, to be informed if anyone would.