In the Maelstrom

In the Maelstrom is the first study of the Fourteenth Waffen-SS “Galicia” Division that covers both the military formation’s wartime experience and its postwar fate. It explores the lives of the Division’s veterans, controversial ongoing debates surrounding the motivation of recruits, and accusations of wartime criminality.

Myroslav Shkandrij is professor emeritus of Slavic studies at the University of Manitoba.Myroslav Shkandrij is professor emeritus of Slavic studies at the University of Manitoba.

“The book offers a balanced and nuanced account. There are clear indications that propagandistic Soviet publications had an impact on public discussions of the division in the 1980s. They propagated the Soviet enemy image of Ukrainian nationalists as fascist collaborators and henchmen of the Germans during World War Two in the West. There is a direct line that links these Soviet depictions with Vladimir Putin’s recent claim that Ukraine is ruled by a ‘Nazi’ regime, which he used to justify the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This makes a critical reappraisal of older discussions about Ukrainian nationalist forces and German rule in World War Two urgent and timely, to which Myroslav Shkandrij’s book makes an important contribution.” Slavonic and East European Review

“The history of the 'Galicia' Division has produced a vast body of material; however, much of it is highly politicized. In the Maelstrom looks at the entire history of the division and presents a much-needed critical narrative.” Olesya Khromeychuk, author of ‘Undetermined’ Ukrainians: Post-War Narratives of the Waffen SS ‘Galicia’ Division