The attitude of the local population to the extermination of Jews by the Nazis in Ukraine was ambiguous. In general, reactions can be boiled down to several leading ones.
First. Participation in anti-Jewish actions. Thus, in the first weeks of the war, anti-Jewish pogroms took place in Western Ukraine. The Nazi occupation regime organized them. Some locals took part in the pogroms as they were subordinate to the Nazis.
Second. Passive observers, or so-called bystanders. Under strict conditions and at risk to their own lives, the majority of locals did not participate in the crimes of the Nazis. Still, they did not try to help those persecuted for various reasons.
Third. Rescuers.
Collaboration or cooperation between the people of the occupied territories and the enemy is an integral part of any war. Not a single country in Nazi-occupied Europe escaped this phenomenon.
When identifying a specific example of cooperation with the occupier, it is crucial to assess the person’s motives. For example, the desire to save lives, ensure the safety of relatives and friends, and forced performance of official duties during the occupation (as a teacher in a school or a doctor in a hospital) can be interpreted as survival strategies. On the other hand, deliberate involvement in the occupation authorities, paramilitary units (including the enemy’s armed forces), participation in crimes against civilians and prisoners of war is a classic collaborationism.
The first collaborationist government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain was formed in the south of France in 1940. On the wall on the left, there is a photo of him with Adolf Hitler. Later, similar governments were formed in other European countries. In particular, in Norway, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, etc. In addition to these state structures, military units (regiments, battalions) were formed in these countries. Materials from the Federal Archives of Germany confirm it. You can see photos dedicated to this process on the same wall.
Behind you, there is statistical information about the collaborationism of the USSR citizens.
On the USSR territory, collaboration was provoked by several factors. The first is opposition to the Stalinist totalitarian regime. The second is the lack of confidence in the USSR victory. According to experts, 400,000 Russians, 250,000 Ukrainians, and about 20,000 Belarusians, Georgians, and Crimean Tatars served in the German armed forces during World War II. We also know about the creation of the Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian legions of the Wehrmacht, the Russian Liberation Army, the Cossack state (volunteer detachments of Don Cossacks). You can see photos of those in the exhibition. Here you can also see a collection of original Nazi leaflets distributed in the USSR, urging the Red Army soldiers to join the Wehrmacht.
In the winter of 1941, before the German-Soviet war started, Abwehr (German intelligence) allowed forming the Ukrainian Legion. Roman Shukhevych became its commander. The legion was reorganized within a few months, and two battalions were created: Nachtigall and Roland. With the start of the German-Soviet war, the Nachtigall Battalion took part in hostilities against the Red Army. Its fighters guarded strategic sites, particularly Lviv, where on June 30, 1941, restoration of the Ukrainian state was announced. Photos on the left show the battalion soldiers entering the city. At the same time, at the initiative of the OUN (b), the Ukrainian People’s Militia was established to ensure law and order, particularly in Lviv, during the announcement of the act.
From August 1941, Ukrainian police units (“polizei”) operated on the territory of the Reichskommissariat Ukraine, as well as in the occupation district “Galychyna.” In fact, it was “Ukrainian” mainly because of its administrative status. The leadership was German, and ethnically it consisted not only of the local Ukrainian population. Photos in front of you show the police during “service” in different Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Rivne, and others. There is a uniform in the showcase behind you. It belonged to a volunteer of auxiliary police. You can also see the text of his oath and weapon - a carbine Mosin model 1938.