THE SOVIET PROPAGANDA AND AGITATION ACTIVITIES IN EASTERN GALYCHINA IN THE 1920 S.

Abstract

The scientific article highlights the propaganda and agitation activities of the Bolshevik leadership of the USSR and RSFSR in Eastern Galicia in the 1920 s. The position of the Soviet government depended on the current political situation. However, the desire to export the “world socialist revolution” to Western Europe remained unchanged. The organizational centre for the implementation of this task was the Communist International, which became an instrument of influence on communist parties and organizations in other countries. The Communist Party of Eastern Galicia (since 1923 – the Communist Party of Western Ukraine).

remained the main adept of Bolshevik influence in Western Ukrainian lands, which stood on the idea of organizing an armed uprising and thus joining these territories to Soviet Ukraine. Under the control of CPWU was “Selrob”, the Communist Union of Youth of Western Ukraine.

It has been proven that propaganda and information measures are non-contact, they are not directly related to bloodshed, but they have a significant impact on the destruction of public psychology. The Soviet leadership used active forms of informational and psychological influence on the population of Eastern Galicia. The main directions and methods of propaganda and information technologies of the Bolshevik leadership in the 1920s were: manipulation of the Eastern Galician issue in the international arena with the aim of weakening the geopolitical importance of Poland and gaining the support of political figures of Eastern Galicia; the spread of Soviet propaganda literature, which provided distorted information about the Bolsheviksʼ socio-economic and national-cultural policy in Ukraine; the introduction of a wide agent network financed by Moscow not only for propaganda purposes, but also to create “controlled chaos” through strikes and peasant demonstrations. Soviet agents distributed propaganda materials, involved local residents in propaganda activities, and provoked anti- Polish sentiments. Thus, Soviet propaganda and information measures were aimed at disorganization and disorientation of the population of Eastern Galicia, at influencing their emotional and psychological state; changing public opinion in the interests of the Bolshevik leadership.

Keywords: Eastern Galicia, propaganda, disinformation.