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historic enemy of Ukraine” and “the war calls
Ukrainian people to rise against the tsarist
empire…Let the sun of free Ukraine rise over
the ruins of the tsarist empire”.
August, 4 V. Doroshenko, D. Dontsov, A. Zhuk, O.
1914 Skoropys-Yoltukhovsky, socialists, emigrants
from Dnieper Ukraine formed non-party
organization “The Union of Ukraine’s
Liberation” (UUL) in Lviv. They published
an appeal to “Ukrainian people in Russia”,
where they appealed for the defeat of Russia
in the war. They hoped that Austrian and
German armies would help them “ruin that
damned prison of peoples called the tsarist
empire”. The appeal was published ‘To the
public opinion of Europe”, where independent
Ukraine could serve as a stronghold of Europe
against expansion of Russia. The organization
transferred their activities to Vienna with
approaching of Russian troops to Lviv.
August The formation of Legion of Ukrainian Sich
1914 Riflemen. UUL formed the Central Fighting
Board, which appealed to Austro-Hungary
with a request to form a Ukrainian military
group. The permission was granted soon.
USR consisted of 28 thousand people, but the
government confined the legion number to 2
thousand, then it was increased up to 2.5
thousand. By resolution of the Fighting Board
M. Halutshchynsky, a head of Rohatyn
private Ukrainian gymnasium, was assigned a
commander, then H. Kossak. In September
fighters of USR took oath in Stryi (Lviv had

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