ABSTRACT
German blitzkrieg tactics and the uninspired performance of the Red Army in the initial stages of the war soon resulted in the loss of huge Soviet territories to the invaders and provided an opportunity for the German leadership to put into practice its plans regarding the East. The Ukraine was without question the greatest potential prize for Germany in the East. Its size, strategic location, and economic potential made it the primary target of Nazi Ostpolitik from the beginning of the war. The reception given the Germans in the Eastern parts of the Ukraine was far more subdued and did not take on the jubilant character it did in Galicia. The German political administration of the Ukraine was characterized by a steadfast refusal to allow any indigenous participation in the administrative system except at the lowest level, despite widespread Ukrainian willingness to cooperate with the Germans.
