Officers and soldiers! The whole world cannot but admire our heroic
deeds in the struggle for freedom. Do not stain those deeds - not even
accidentally - by disgraceful actions and do not bring down burning shame
upon our state in the face of the whole world. Our many enemies,
external as well as internal, are already profiting by the pogroms; they
are pointing their fingers at us and inciting against us saying that we
are not worthy of an independent national existence and that we deserve
to be again forcefully harnessed to the yoke of slavery.
I, your Commander-in-Chief, tell you that this very moment the question
of to be or not to be for our independent existence is being decided
before the International Tribunal.
Officers and soldiers! The judgement on this question rests in your
hands, so decide it by showing an armed fist against our enemies
remembering always that a clean cause demands clean hands. Be sure that
a severe and lawful punishment by a people's court will overtake all
enemies of our country; but remember also that vengeance - often the
result of want of careful consideration - is not the way of the Ukrainian
Cossacks. I most positively order that all those who are instigating you
to pogroms be thrust out of the army, and as traitors to the fatherland
be handed over to the court. Let the court punish them according to
their crimes by giving them the severest lawful penalty.
The Government of the Ukrainian Democratic Republic recognizing the harm
done to the state by the pogroms has issued an appeal to the whole
population of the Ukraine to withstand all attempts of the enemies who
might arouse it to anti-Jewish pogroms.
I command the whole army to obey this appeal and to provide for its
widest dissemination among comrades-in-arms and among the population.
This Army Order is to be read to all division, brigades, regiments,
garrisons and squadrons of the Dnieper and Dniester armies, as well as
the partisan detachments.
The Commander-in-Chief:
Petliura.
The Chief of Staff of the Supreme
Commander:
Junakiv.
F. Pigido (ed.), Material Concerning Ukrainian-Jewish Relations during
the Years of the Revolution (1917-1921): Collection of Documents and
Testimonies by Prominent Jewish Political Workers, The Ukrainian
Information Bureau, Munich, 1956.
HOME DISINFORMATION PETLIURA 504 hits since 25Mar99
Symon Petliura Appeal to Ukrainian Army 27Aug1919 To sow discord among us
Let the death sentence overtake the perpetrators of pogroms and
provocateurs. I demand the strictest discipline from you so that not even
a hair of an innocent's head be touched.
Appeal of the Commander-in-Chief,
Petlura,
to the Ukrainian Army.
Soldiers of the Ukrainian Army!
The Ukrainian Republican People's Army of the Dnieper and Dniester