Italy as a Model
Paths to Ukrainian Nation-Building
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
For centuries, Ukrainian history was marked by regional differences and antagonisms. The pioneers of the Ukrainian national movement saw Galicia as the core of a future Ukrainian state. They had in mind the role played by Piedmont in Italian unification. Today’s Ukrainian state emerged along different paths, yet the Italian example remained the model for nation-building. Russia’s aggression since 2014 has enabled Ukraine to overcome old East-West divisions. Identification with the Ukrainian state is now high in all of the territories that Russia has not occupied. Competing models for the country’s future development are no longer tied to regions.
(11-12/2025, pp. 7–25)