Ukraine (An Honorable Retelling)

Ukrainian People’s Republic
*Українська Народня Республіка*
Timeline: An Honorable Retelling
Ukrainian People’s Republic Українська Народня РеспублікаTimeline: An Honorable Retelling
Flag	Emblem
	Anthem: ; Ще не вмерла України; "Ukraine has not yet perished" https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:National_anthem_of_Ukraine,_instrumental.oga;
	Location of Ukraine (An Honorable Retelling) Location of Ukraine (green)
Capital; (and largest city)	Kyiv
Official languages	Ukrainian
Religion	Orthodox Christianity
Demonym	Ukrainian
Government	Unitary directorial republic
Legislature	Central Rada
Establishment
Currency	Ukrainian hryvnia (₴) (UAH)
Drives on the	right

Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна), officially the Ukrainian People’s Republic (Ukrainian: Українська Народня Республіка), is a country in Eastern Europe. It shares borders with the United Commonwealths, Russia, Cossackia, Gothia and Dacia.

The territory of today's Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion, which later became a key center of Eastern Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which was established sometime in 882. Later, the territories of Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1648, an uprising broke out in Ukraine that led to the establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate, but thanks to the Treaty of Hadiach from 1658, the Hetmanate became part of Lublin again, thus creating the Hetmanate of Ukraine.

In 1917, during the Third Great War, the Ukrainian War of Independence broke out, which ended with the victory of the Ukrainians in 1919, thus Ukraine gained its independence. During the Fourth Great War, Ukraine was on the side of the Allies. During the Cold War, Ukraine was on the side of the United States. In 1963, a civil war broke out between the government of Ukraine and the communists, which ended in 1965 with the victory of the government.

Ukraine is a unitary directorial republic and a developed country. Ukraine is a member of the League to Enforce Peace, the Orthodox Christian Economic Community, the Global Treaty Organization and the European Community.

History[]

Pre-Commonwealth Ukraine[]

Radzivill Olga in Konstantinopol — The baptism of Olga of Kiev in Constantinople. A miniature from the Radziwiłł Chronicle.

Ukraine's history goes back to 882 with the Kievan Rus' being founded, centered in the city of Kyiv, after its fragmentation the parts generally considered to be modern day Ukraine was organized into the Galicia-Volhynia, which lasted until the 1300s. The next several hundred years were marked with Ukraine being controlled by different countries. Coming under the control of Lithuania after the 1300s, it would remain so until the founding of Lublin, when it was ceded to Poland. In January 1648, an uprising known as the Khmelnytsky Uprising broke out under the leadership of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. The uprising was problematic for the Commonwealth from the start, but thanks to the Treaty of Hadiach from 1658, the Hetmanate of Ukraine was established as part of the Confederation, which ended the uprising.

The Poles allowed cultural autonomy for Ukraine but did not elevate their government beyond a separate governorate. Ukrainian representatives were often not present for meetings held in Warsaw, and there was no overall representation for Ukraine in the Sejm as said representatives could not introduce or pass laws. Nonetheless, attempts by the Cossack forces to achieve independence were minimal as the underdeveloped nature of the region meant that independence would likely result in a Russian invasion, further dilapidating available resources.

Commonwealth Ukraine (1648-1917)[]

Ukraine lithograph — Lithograph from 1847 depicting 17th century Zaporizhian Cossacks, one of whom is playing a lute/kobza

The Commonwealth allowed Ukraine to maintain its own independent seafaring and maritime policies. This meant that, overall, Ukrainian tradesmen and sailors did not have to abide by European commercial laws. As a result, frequent overseas disputes with Rhomania were common, during that nation's Hungarian rule. Ukrainian militias were also employed by the Commonwealth to fend off Hungarian and Moldavian assaults to the southwest, often proving successful. The Hetmanate was responsible for managing internal economic affairs, but often relied on loans from Polish banks. Various bankruptcies occurred throughout the 18th century, leaving the country unable to finance itself effectively and broadening Russian influence from the east. Nonetheless, the Hetmanate found itself increasingly aligned with Russia (and, much later, Rhomania) due to the threat posed by the French Empire. While varying amounts of cossacks had pledged loyalty to Sweden, the Declaration of Kherson in 1818 stripped citizenship and legal rights to any who held ties to Swedish nobility, on behalf of the Swedish Empire's alignment with France.

The 19th century marked the ascent of Ukrainian nationalism. Amidst increasing urbanization, modernization, and a cultural shift towards romantic nationalism, a Ukrainian intelligentsia dedicated to national revival and social justice came to the fore. The serf-turned-national-poet Taras Shevchenko (1814–1861) and the political theorist Mykhailo Drahomanov (1841–1895) were at the helm of this burgeoning nationalist movement. Ukraine joined the Industrial Revolution fairly quickly, due to the spread of factories directly from Warsaw. Forbearance of legal rights still persisted, even as the Commonwealth federalized to allow its separate duchies commercial and diplomatic independence. The lack of support for legal rights was mostly relegated to the peasants and lower classmen, comprising largely of Jews. The ruling class maintained a policy which sought to remove protections for religious minorities, which the Polish government did not object to as a result of increased autonomy for its administrative divisions. Subsequently, this persecution led many Ukrainian Jews to flee the country, largely to Novanglia, Finland, the United States, and Russia; the lattermost became prevalent upon the signing of the Civil Rights Act, which granted protections to Jews.

War of Independence (1917-1919)[]

Hrushevskyi Mykhailo XX — Mykhailo Hrushevsky, the first President of Ukraine, from 1919 to 1925

During the Third Great War, the Hetmanate assisted the Commonwealth in its efforts against France. Ukrainian forces concentrated themselves largely in Carpathia to fend off Hungarian attacks, which proved successful. However, the overwhelming forces pressed by France and their German allies provoked the Poles into a retreat by 1916. With supplies from Denmark-Norway cut off, the Commonwealth's economic and military power loosened, and the country collapsed into various French puppet states in 1917 per the Treaty of Minsk. Immediate attempts by the French occupiers to align with the often-oppressive Ukrainian upper class led the agricultural middle and lower classes to revolt. Facing mounting pressure at home, and with assistance from Russia to the east, Ukrainian forces were able to reconquer much of the country by 1919. Mykhailo Hrushevsky, with the support of the moderate factions, established the left-leaning Ukrainian People's Republic. Military figure Pavlo Skoropadskyi, an aristocrat, attempted to overthrow the new government with the aid of the Cossacks, but failed to mount an effective resistance due to stalwart support for the new government by the Allied Powers.

Ukraine found itself a target of the Polish resurgent movement guided by Józef Piłsudski. Using both cunning and unorthodox methods, Piłsudski had managed to reconquer most of the former Commonwealth, and upon capitulating a faltering government in Polotsk whose support had been wavered away by Russia, re-established it at the Convention of Bialystok. Piłsudski and his forces attempted an invasion of Ukraine in late 1919, but were strained by resistance and technologically-hampering geography. The rapid mobility of Ukrainian militias affirmed the country's survival, and the Ukrainian War of Independence concluded with the recognition of the Ukrainian People's Republic by most of the western world, including the Commonwealth. Ukraine agreed to establish diplomatic relations with, and adopt loans from the United States in order to rebuild the country's architecture. Many Cossacks who fled the country following Ukrainian independence settled in Cossackia to the east, which declared its independence from Russia not long after the war.

Early years and Fourth Great War (1920-1946)[]

Early years in Ukraine were marked by persistent instability and street fighting. Several factions comprising of aristocrats staged multiple uprisings across the northeastern part of the country, which saw the government employing mercenaries to disperse. While successful, these attempts planted the country in debt and left it more tied to commercial economies in Russia, the United States, and Ireland. The World Monetary Report in 1926 concluded that Ukraine had an inflation rate of 145%, far above any of its neighbors, though slightly below Hungary. The Ukrainian economy was not significantly affected by the 1927 Wall Street crash, though many of the larger banks in Kiev collapsed. This did not affect Ukraine's middle class, whose funds were derived from local enterprises who collected tribute from other proletariats. The right-leaning Yevhen Konovalets, elected in 1933, enacted a policy of high taxes and high military spending to sustain the economy. Constitutional revisions took place throughout the 1930s, which granted universal suffrage and abolished poll taxes and property requirements to vote.

The first official "democratic" election in Ukraine took place in 1937. The Socialist Party under Oleksander Shulhyn, who had previously served as the country's minister to Bulgaria, was elected by a wide margin. Shulhyn eased press restrictions but likewise increased penalties on extremist groups, as nationalist and communist militias sparred with both the government and themselves during the era's turmoil. With these reforms enacted alongside increased emphasis on sustenance farming by the country's agrarian culture, Ukraine's economy and politics stabilized on the eve of the Fourth Great War. With the invasion of Wallonia-Luxembourg by fascist France in May 1938, Ukraine aligned itself with the Allied Powers but maintained neutrality. It declared war on France shortly following the fall of Germany in late 1939. Ukrainian and Russian munitions were sent directly to Poland to assist in the defense of Warsaw. To the south, Ukrainian forces assisted Serbia and Dacia in fighting Hungary and its Croatian allies.

With the tide of the conflict changed by 1943, Ukraine began sending its own diplomats in hopes of securing a major position at the post-war LTEP conferences. Diplomat Serhiy Yefremov was sent to Paris to negotiate favorable terms on behalf of the country, as well as cancel loan repayments that Ukraine had owed since its independence. Despite a lack of initial Columbian support, the decision was agreed upon by late 1946. Ukraine exited the war as a profitable economy, with a steady population of around 36 million. Relations with the United Commonwealths were normalized in the later half of the decade, as the country faced increased competition with the Spartacist bloc. Ukraine began a transition towards a Georgist economy by 1946, having witnessed the disintegration of its conventional market as a result of the war, and the growth of military-industrial suppliers.

Cold War and Civil War (1946-1994)[]

Ukraine was an ally of the United States during the Cold War, as its leadership feared that the rise of communism would result in instability like that seen in the 1920s. Underground communist movements such as the Ukrainian League of Marxists (ULM) faced silent support as a result of funding from Germany. Multiple uprisings were staged by the ULM throughout the 1950s, often including residential bombings, train derailments, and attempted assassinations of political figures. A popular Shulhyn left office in 1948, succeeded by Stanisław Stempowski, a politician of mixed Polish-Ukrainian ancestry, who attempted to make concessions with the communists before his death in office in 1952. His untimely death aggravated partisan tensions and laid the foundations for a civil war. The ULM ramped up attacks in the early 1960s, concluding with the assassination of State Secretary Volodymyr Kubijovyč, a nationalist politician, in late 1963. Various uprisings were staged across the country, having been given weapons by German arms suppliers.

Ukrainian Civil War (An Honorable Retelling) — Ukrainian soldiers during the Battle of Poltava, October 1964.

Mykola Plaviuk, elected in 1962, immediately issued a policy of no-tolerance against the rebellion. Suspected or outright rebels were often executed without being tried in court. With assistance from Russian and Polish forces, the ULM was forced into retreat into the southern halves of the country by 1965, having lost control of the suburban districts. The conflict saw increased use of scorched-earth tactics by both sides, resulting in widespread architectural damage only barely below that seen during the war of independence. It concluded with the surrender of the last ULM forces by November 1965, whilst the remaining contingents either surrendered or fled the country. After the war, centrist politicians such as Viacheslav Chornovil, elected in 1975, focused on decreasing industrial developments and increasing renewable energy sources. Ukraine granted funding to space exploration programs, and its first satellite was sent to the Moon in 1979.

Modern era (1994-present)[]

Ukraine has seen a shift towards the centre-left in recent years. Government corruption led to the December Massacre in 1995, which saw a record number of resignations, impeachments, and imprisonments of various politicians and deputies. It has transitioned entirely to a carbon-neutral yet land value tax-based economy. Ukraine recognized the legitimacy of the government of Gothia to the south in 2000, after having boycotted or vetoed conventions by the LTEP to recognize it. Hennadiy Balashov was elected president in 2004, and loosened restrictions on corporations brought about by the nation's tax reforms. Ukraine established interstellar settlements throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, involving the use of robotic colonies on Minerva and Venus. It contributed 32 scientists to the Alf Landon Research Facility. Yulia Tymoshenko was elected president in 2014, and due to the lack of established term limits, has continued to win elections by wide margins since 2019.

Politics[]

Executive powers, courts, and law enforcement[]

Yulia Tymoshenko, the current President of Ukraine

The president of Ukraine is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and serves as the formal head of state. The legislative branch is comprised of the 450-seat unicameral parliament, known as the Central Rada. This body is primarily responsible for forming the executive branch and the Cabinet of Ministers, which is led by the prime minister. The president has the authority to nominate the ministers of foreign affairs and defense for parliamentary approval and appoints the prosecutor general and the head of the Security Service.

Laws, acts of the parliament and cabinet, presidential decrees, and acts of the autonomous parliaments can be nullified by the Constitutional Court if they are found to be unconstitutional. Other normative acts are subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court is the highest body within the general jurisdiction court system. Local self-government is enshrined in law, with local councils and city mayors being elected by the people to manage local budgets. The heads of regional and district administrations are appointed by the president based on the prime minister's recommendations.

Since 2010, court proceedings in Ukraine may be conducted in Russian with the mutual consent of the parties involved. Citizens who do not speak Ukrainian or Russian are permitted to use their native language or employ a translator's services. Previously, Ukrainian was the mandatory language for all court proceedings. The Ministry of Internal Affairs oversees law enforcement agencies, which mainly include the national police force and specialized units such as the State Border Guard and the Coast Guard services. These agencies, especially the police, have been criticized for their heavy-handed approach to the 2004 Kiev protests. Thousands of police officers were deployed throughout the capital, mainly to deter protesters from challenging state authority and to act as a rapid response force when necessary; most officers were armed.

Military and administrative divisions[]

Ukraine has taken consistent steps toward the reduction of conventional weapons. It ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which mandated the reduction of tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles (with army forces reduced to 300,000). The country has plans to transition from a conscript-based military to a professional volunteer military. Currently, Ukraine's military comprises 196,600 active personnel and approximately 900,000 reservists.

Populated places in Ukraine are categorized as either urban or rural. Urban areas are further divided into cities and urban-type settlements (a remnant of old Polish administrative divisions), while rural areas are composed of villages and settlements (a more commonly used term). Cities enjoy varying degrees of autonomy based on their significance, which may be national (as with Kyiv and Kharkiv), regional (within each oblast or autonomous republic), or district (pertaining to all other cities). The significance of a city is determined by factors such as its population, socio-economic and historical importance, and infrastructure.

Geography[]

Ukraine's landscape is predominantly composed of fertile steppes and plateaus, intersected by rivers like the Dnieper, Seversky Donets, Dniester, and the Southern Bug, which flow southward into the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Danube Delta in the southwest marks the border with Dacia. The geography of Ukraine's regions varies from highlands to lowlands. The country's sole mountains are the Carpathian Mountains in the west, with the highest peak being Hoverla at 2,061 meters, and the Crimean Mountains on the southern coast. Additionally, Ukraine features several highland areas such as the Volyn-Podillia Upland in the west and the Near-Dnipro Upland along the right bank of the Dnieper. The eastern part includes the southwestern spurs of the Central Russian Upland, which borders Russia. Close to the Sea of Azov are the Donets Ridge and the Near Azov Upland. The snowmelt from these mountains sustains the rivers and their waterfalls.