Evening star., 1939-09-22
Ukruiniun Settlement
Held Key to Peace
Present Conflict Compared
To Struggle Woeed by
Hetmon Mozeppo s


To Struggle Woeed by
Hetmun Mozeppo
By Dale Winters.
As the spotlight plays upon the cap
itals of the world, the German-Po Polish
conflict becomes increasingly more rem
iriscent of the War Of the North, which
came to dramatic close exactly 23O
years ago this month, with the flight into
Turkey of Charles XII of Sweden and
his Cossack ally, Hetman Mazeppa of
Ukraine.
At that time Sweden, Schleswig- Hol-
stein, Poland and Russia were at each
others throats. Ukraine then as now,
was divided In the main by Poland and
Russia. Then, even as now, the rich
Ukralnlan lands were paWns in the
European lust for power. In the War
OF the North the Ukrainian people, under
Hetman Mazeppa, revolted against their
1orelgn oppressors-and lost their battle
at Poltava. Out of that war Russia
emerged great power, Poland lost her
independence and Ukraine was plunged
into long obscurity.
Will history repeat itself? The fall of
Poland is already imminent and the re-
ports which have consistently seeped
through Polish and Russian censorship
disclose the steady growth of a strong
Ukrainian national movement, indicat-
that q mi L.
possible. IF the Ukrainians again fall
back into oblivion a potential Russo
German strenth is insured. If they
emerge victorious new balance of
power IN Europe will have been effected.
Certainly an Independent Ukrainian
state must be of the same interest to
the democratic powers today as it was
to Sweden 23O years ago.
A glance into the pages of history sur
rounding Mazeppa's revolt discloses his
was leadership as shrewd and capable
as 1t was secret and powerful. There is
no reason why it cannot repeat itself
In another parsonage.
Ivan Stefanowitch Kolendinsky Ma
zeppa was as colorful a figure as his
name implied. The son of a Ukrainian
nobleman, he possessed all the dash and
wit typical of his Cossack stock. His
aristocratic bearing and diplomatic skill
distinguished him at the leading courts
OF Europe, his winning personality won
him the support of his people and his
money secured for him the approval of
Prince Golitsyn, then commander of
Russian forces operating in Ukraine
against Turkey
When Golitsyn and Mazeppa marched
at the head OF retinue of generals into
Moscow to be honored by the regent
Queen Sophia for battles never won they
found their entry was simultaneous with
the palace revolution which put Sophia
into a convent and her brother Peter
on the throne. The eloquent Mazeppa
talked himself into being named Prince
OF Ukraine, Golitsyn was chained and
banished to Siberia.
Back IN Ukraine, Mazeppa set for him
self the herculian task of planning for
the rebirth of his country. He built roads
and schools, fortresses and churches. Now
and then skirmish with the Crimean
Khan. who held the Ukrainian provinces
OF Bessarabia, Crimea and Kuban, re-
trleved bit of native soil. A strong
campaign against the Turks regained the
north coast Of the sea of Azov, and so a
window to the south"
Car Peter was delighted, believing
Mazeppa's actions were solely in the in
terest OF Russia. Peter now wanted a
window to the north" and entered the
War OF the North Even as Mazeppa put
a few finishing touches to the fleeing
Turks, Charles XII had already admin
1stered severe beating to the Russians
on the Baltic. Poland tottered: partly
due to Swedish superior forces, partly
due to chronic disagreement among her
own nobility and the oppression OF
Ukrainian minority which would not
rally to her support.
Mazeppa was now ordered to take his
troops northWard against Sweden. In
stead, he marched his army into Poland
to reunite Polish Ukraine with Russian
Ukraine and proclaim an independent
state. He combined forces with Charles
XII and met for showdown with the
Russians at Poltava. That battle would
have without doubt spelt finish to
Muscovite imperialism had not Mazeppa
been betrayed by one of his own men
OF Mazeppa, Cresson in his History OF
the Cossacks" wrote:
ITO have held for an instant the ball
ance of power in the momentous struggle
which fixed the supremacy of Russia
among the powers of the north: to lose
by the narrowest chance great place in
history; to be remembered only as a hero
OF romantic poem (Byron's 'Mazeppa)
and as the central figure of popular
opera (Tschaikowsky's 'Mazeppa O-such
has been the strange fate of the Cossack
Hetman Mazeppa"
Indeed, as the waning summer of 1926
marks the 230th anniversary of Mazeppa's
battle of Poltava against foreign domina-
tion of Ukraine, his subsequent flight into
Turkey with Charles XII, and his death
in exile the same year, it brings to mind
how vastly different Europes history
might have been had he won that de-
cisive battle.
Perhaps today there would have beer
only a modest Muscovy where Commun.
ism runs riot; perhaps only gentle
Germany where loud "Lebensraums" re.