The Cold War origins of the Russian “Nazi” accusation against Ukraine: Soviet propaganda, Western memory, and historical knowledge
The Cold War origins of the Russian “Nazi” accusation against Ukraine: Soviet propaganda, Western memory, and historical knowledge

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses the origins of a central element of Russia’s justification for its war against Ukraine, i.e., the claim that Ukraine is governed by a “Nazi regime”, by tracing it back to the Soviet-era construction of “Ukrainian nationalism” as an enemy image. It further examines why similar narratives have resonated with Western audiences in recent years. The article argues that the roots of these perceptions also lie in the Cold War era. For this period, it outlines the main contexts in which public debates about Ukrainian nationalism during World War II occurred and compares public perceptions with the state of historical research in the latter half of the twentieth century. Overall, the article argues that Ukrainian memory of the period of World War II can only be properly understood when the threat posed by Soviet and Russian imperial ambitions is also taken into account.

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