EKONOMIC HISTORY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONCEPTION OF WILLWAM EDWARD DAVID ALLEN

Abstract

The article attempts a scientific understanding of the economic basis of the Ukrainian sovereignty in the context of historiographical analysis of the economic studies between two world wars. A starting point of investigation was the concept of the British historian, publicist and political figure W. E. D. Allen, presented and published in 1940 on the pages of thorough investigation «The Ukraine. A History». On the basis of comparison of the ideas of the author with the position of Ukrainian scientists, especially O. Ogloblin, M. Slabchenko, M. Yavorski, opinion of the critical importance of the factors of economic geography in the development of the national life was substantiated. At the same time, the difference in the formulation of the problem in the works of Ukrainian and British scientists was shown. In particular W. E. D. Allen limited the territory of Ukraine five provinces: Kiev, Podolia, Volhynia, Poltava, and Chernigov. He denied the integrity of the Ukrainian economic system, rejecting it from the Southern and South-Eastern regions of the country. Taking into account the place and time of the publication, the article concluded that the findings of the British scientists can serve as an objective proof of the existence of the historical legitimacy of the Ukrainian political subjectivity. However, highlighting Ukraine into an independent geopolitical phenomenon, Allen sought primarily to protect the transit interests of Great Britain.