The role of the German factor in the formation of Ukrainian separatism in the second half of the 19th - early 20th century

The article examines the influence of Austria-Hungary and Germany on the formation of the idea of an independent state of Ukraine on the territory of Malorossia. The authors conclude that the phenomenon of Ukrainian separatism is a manmade event. After the partition of Poland at the end of the 18th century part of the native Russian land, which was called Galicia, passes under the protectorate of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is used as a territory for the formation of anti-Russian pro-Ukrainian ideology. In the future, Germany and Austria-Hungary wanted to spread these ideas to the entire territory of Little Russia in order to weaken Greater Russia. The authors believe that the conclusions drawn in the course of the study are relevant at the present stage of the confrontation between Russia and Western countries.