Paul Rohrbach and the Origins of German Ukraine Policy in World War I

During World War I, Germany pursued a strategy of supporting a "free Ukraine," according to an article by Wolfgang Michal published in Der Freitag. The Baltic German Paul Rohrbach, described as the most influential German Ukraine expert of his time, wrote that "without Ukraine, Russia is not Russia," lacking iron, coal, grain, and ports, and that all great life in Russia must wither if an enemy seizes Ukraine. Rohrbach's appeal, addressed to Reich Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, argued that if someone with sufficient knowledge and determination could properly ignite the Ukrainian movement, Russia could be shattered: "Whoever holds Kyiv can force Russia." Lobby associations sought to indoctrinate the German public in support of this cause, while experts dreamed of a values-based foreign policy. However, the government and business leaders had different intentions. The article traces this early history of German policy toward Ukraine, showing how the push for Ukrainian independence was instrumentalized within wartime strategy. The full text is available at freitag.de.