Finogenov O. West Ukrainian society of the League of Nations: organizational principles and activities (1922–1924)

The Western Ukrainian League of Nations Society (ZUTLN) is one of the leading emigrant organizational structures of Western Ukrainian political figures created to expand the influence of the ZUNR exile government internationally to address the problem of Eastern Galicia's state status. The peculiarities of creation of the society are considered, its ideological platform and program principles of activity are analyzed in detail. It is shown by concrete examples that in 1922 – 1924 the society acted on the international arena as a defender of national-state interests of Ukrainians of Galicia, promoting the idea of restoring Ukrainian statehood after the end of World War. It is noted that geopolitical changes in international relations after the First World War, new accents in the foreign policy of the leading European states, increasing the relevance of the "Ukrainian issue" were the main factors that stimulated the interest of Galicia's public-political figures and Ukrainian emigration to the issues of international politics. It has been stated that ZUTLN, in the idea of reviving the Ukrainian statehood, tried to influence in the format of the Union of Societies of the League of Nations (STLN) the solution of the «Ukrainian issue». In this context, the efficiency of the work of the ZUTLN governing bodies is characterized, the activities of its representatives at the STLN congresses are emphasized in cooperation with political parties of Western Ukraine, which provided fresh material for music protests, appeals to the governments and parliaments of the countries of the world. ZUTLN's relations with the ZUNR exile government are shown, the society's attitude to the policy of the Polish authorities in the Ukrainian issue is illustrated, and it is proved that the Polish authorities prevented the establishment of the Ukrainian League of Nations in Galicia in 1923, which contradicted the resolutions of Poland. -Ukrainian relations in the region. It is noted that the actions of the Polish authorities are related to the fact that the ideological platform of ZUTLN was based on the idea of non-recognition of the Versailles system of treaties (on the distribution of Ukrainian lands between the USSR, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia), the Riga peace treaty of 1921 and the Russian Federation between Poland The USSR, as well as the decision of the Council of Ambassadors of the Entente States of March 15, 1923.