Life and Death in Revolutionary Ukraine - Living Conditions, Violence, and Demographic Catastrophe, 1917-1923 (2021)

Between 1917 and 1923, Ukraine experienced an anti-colonial war for national liberation, foreign invasion, socialist revolution, and civil war simultaneously, resulting in almost unimaginable civilian casualties. In Life and Death in Revolutionary Ukraine Stephen Velychenko surveys the plight of civilians, details the socio-economic background to the political events that unfolded during this time, and documents the country's demographic losses. Focusing specifically on two causes of civilian death, deliberate killing and appalling living conditions, Velychenko outlines prewar improvements in living conditions and describes their decline after 1917. He examines governmental culpability in civilian death and notes that while ideologies and the inability of leaders to control subordinates were undeniably causes of violence, there were other factors at play. Velychenko mines previously unused archival sources to create a picture of the social conditions leading up to and during this catastrophic period, combining this data with stories and reports from memoirs of the period. Readers familiar with the explosion of violence against Jews at this time will find here a compelling framework for understanding the context of that violence. "Between 1917 and 1923, Ukraine experienced an anti-colonial war for national liberation, foreign invasion, socialist revolution, and civil war simultaneously, resulting in almost unimaginable civilian casualties. In The Life and Death of Revolutionary Ukraine Stephen Velychenko surveys the plight of civilians, details the socio-economic background to the political events that unfolded during this time, and documents the country's demographic losses. Focusing specifically on two causes of civilian death, deliberate killing and appalling living conditions, Velychenko outlines prewar improvements in living conditions and describes their decline after 1917. He examines governmental culpability in civilian death and notes that while ideologies and the inability of leaders to control subordinates were undeniably a cause of violence, there were other factors at play. Velychenko exploits previously unused archival sources to create a picture of the social conditions leading up to and during this catastrophic period, combining this data with stories and reports from memoirs of the period. Readers familiar with the explosion of violence against Jews at this time will find here a compelling framework for understanding the context of that violence."-- Provided by publisher

Between 1917 and 1923, Ukraine experienced an anti-colonial warfor national liberation, foreign invasion, socialist revolution,and civil war simultaneously, resulting in almost unimaginablecivilian casualties. In Life and Death in RevolutionaryUkraine Stephen Velychenko surveys the plight of civilians,details the socio-economic background to the political events thatunfolded during this time, and documents the country's demographiclosses. Focusing specifically on two causes of civilian death,deliberate killing and appalling living conditions, Velychenkooutlines prewar improvements in living conditions and describestheir decline after 1917. He examines governmental culpability incivilian death and notes that while ideologies and the inability ofleaders to control subordinates were undeniably causes of violence,there were other factors at play. Velychenko mines previouslyunused archival sources to create a picture of the socialconditions leading up to and during this catastrophic period,combining this data with stories and reports from memoirs of theperiod. Readers familiar with the explosion of violence againstJews at this time will find here a compelling framework forunderstanding the context of that violence.

Cover 1 LIFE AND DEATH IN REVOLUTIONARY UKRAINE 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Figures 79 Introduction 10 1 Under the Tsars 29 2 Living Conditions Under Ukrainian Governments 57 3 Living Conditions Under the Bolsheviks 97 4 Violence Against Civilians: The Russian Bolshevik Government 124 5 Violence Against Civilians: Ukrainian and Polish 151 Conclusion 199 Appendix 1: Orphans 220 Appendix 2: Tables 224 Notes 230 Bibliography 290 Index 316 How revolutionary upheaval produced Ukraine’s first great demographic catastrophe of the twentieth century. Between 1917 and 1923, invasion, revolution, war, and grim living conditions claimed unimaginable numbers of Ukrainian lives. Velychenko examines the social background to the political history of revolutionary Ukraine, documenting the country's demographic losses during the Ukrainian and Russian revolutions. Under The Tsars -- Living Conditions Under Ukrainian Governments -- Living Conditions Under The Bolsheviks -- Violence Against Civilians: The Russian Bolshevik Government -- Violence Against Civilians: Ukrainian And Polish Governments. Stephen Velychenko. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Electronic Reproduction. Ann Arbor, Mi Available Via World Wide Web.