Index | Pre-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Ukrainian Civil War | Post-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Stus' Republic of Ukraine | Dziuba's Republic of Ukraine | Ohloblyn's Republic of Ukraine | Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic | Post-Civil War Ukrainian State | Klyachkivsky's Ukrainian State | Shukhevych's Ukrainian State | Stetsko's Ukrainian State
Oleksandr Ohloblyn does not share his colleague's optimism that Ukraine can preserve its independence. Westward, Germany will no doubt recover from its civil war and reclaim its dominion over Ukraine, once more taking away its independence and rendering the UNRA's efforts for nothing. Thus, Ohloblyn offers the only realistic option out of this inevitable war: collaboration. If Germany is given a submissive Ukraine, they might not need to invade and waste men to do so, preserving Ukraine as an independent country, albeit pressured into the Einheitspakt. However, this route is not popular among the Ukrainians still jubilant from their victory, not to mention Ohloblyn's own dirty past as a Holocaust participant that makes him unattractive compared to Vasyl Stus or Ivan Dziuba. To save Ukraine from his perspective, Ohloblyn must win the election by any means necessary.
Ohloblyn's main power base lies with the upper class, collaborationists, fascists, and German settlers who would benefit from his regime. Their support alone isn't enough to get elected, so Ohloblyn organizes these collaborationists into paramilitary groups who will "persuade" voters to support the Spivavtory. Ohloblyn can go further, either buying votes to fill the ballot boxes or assassinating rival politicians. This culminates into an Anti-Bolshevization Act to undermine the Culturalist and United Struggle candidates. Ohloblyn is also certain to bury his unsavory past, erasing events like the Babi Yar massacre from the public consciousness.
To appease the Germans, Ohloblyn surrounds himself with fascists and pardons members of the UNC, even forming a truce with the Nazi insurgents so they can cease their resistance. Over time, the Republic is slowly morphed into an increasingly Pakt-friendly one, where even the most vile collaborators are set free and people can openly spout anti-Semitic rhetoric without fear of repercussion.
In spite of his corruption, Ohloblyn's rise up the polls cannot be stopped. Soon, the dream of an independent Republic dies and Ohloblyn is elected President. It's not even a year in before Ohloblyn approves a bill giving compensation for the German settlers and targeting those who need to be pressured into supporting it. For many, it's as if the Germans never left. Meanwhile, Tara Bulba-Borovets is outraged, denouncing the Spivavtory as fascists sabotaging the Republican experiment and cowing to the Nazis they once fought against. Forming a truce with Stus and Dziuba, Borovets proposes a campaign to have Ohloblyn removed, down to using anti-democratic means to do so. Dziuba enthusiastically agrees, but Stus is more apprehensive, interpreting this as another sign that true democracy will never come to Ukraine and that Ohloblyn's opposition are descending to his level. Though the country may survive the next decade, it might not have been one worth the thousands of lives sacrificed to liberate Ukraine in the first place.
This route provides examples of:
- And the Adventure Continues: Becoming President and comfortably sitting in his office, Ohloblyn thanks Bahaziy for the aid he provided in his campaign, but pours a drink for both of them and admits that much more work needs to be done, starting with a bill that will compensate German settlers.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: A Ukrainian eagerly gets a new job at the voting center, excited that this is the first time a Ukrainian leader will be voted by Ukrainians. However, his hopes are quickly dashed, as the ballots are filled with illegal Spivavtor votes and he's pressured to stay quiet about the fraud. By the end of his shift, he bitterly thinks about the dreadful future ahead for the Republic and forlornly chuckles that he should've seen this coming.
- The Fashionista: While her parents enjoy eating together near a fire and her brother likes drinking with his friends, a Ukrainian daughter loves indulging in fashion, specifically going to a barber and getting a new haircut.
- For the Evulz: Ohloblyn's collaborationist thugs ransack a pro-United Struggle printing press, laughing about their terrorism and barking anti-Semitic remarks to the employees there.
- Guilt by Association: Many of the mayors, landowners, and upper-class citizens are wary of openly supporting Ohloblyn, knowing how unpopular the Spivatory party is to the peasants and wanting their names to be attached to them.
- Hope Spot: Some Culturalist supporters spread campaign pamphlets and how-to-vote cards in public, enthused by the positive reception they receive from the crowd. Unfortunately, their demonstration is interrupted when Spivavtor supporters arrive and assault them.
- Ironic Episode Title:
- A Spivavtory event is titled "Democracy in Action" when Spivavtor thugs violently assault some Culturalist advocates and illegally suppress their opposition.
- Another Spivavtory event features a history professor writing an article on Ukrainian collaboration which faces suppression by senior government officials, who demand an apology by the next article or a retraction. The event's title is "A Polite Request".
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Stus, Dziuba, and Borovets hang their heads low as Ohloblyn races ahead in the polls, knowing that he's using dirty tactics to suppress his opposition, but only able to solemnly accept the reality of the situation.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Subverted. After some Spivator collaborators destroy his pro-United Struggle printing office and express pro-Nazi rheotoric, the manager runs to a police officer and explains the vandalism, believing that the officer will sympathize and help. Instead, he gets a scoff from the officer, making the manager realize that he's all alone.
- Refuge in Audacity: Ohloblyn's men openly assassinate their opposition in broad daylight and he's still gaining a lead in the polls.
- The Scapegoat: In his election speech, Ohloblyn diverts blame away from Germany to the Bolsheviks, whom he credits for being Ukraine's true oppressors and even hears some accusations from the crowd that Dziuba and Stus are Jewish infiltrators out to destroy their country.
- Scenery Gorn: While going in public to get a haircut, a Ukrainian girl sees the aftermath of a recent political battle started by the Spivavtors. She sees the town's bookstore destroyed, with its windows and doors smashed, which unnerves her and convinces her to go back home.
- Smash the Symbol: A proud United Struggle grocery owner features the flag of a burnt swastika on his store window, communicating his stance against Nazism. However, as the Spivavtor's influence grows, he's pressured into taking down this flag.
- Suppressed History: Ohloblyn and his collaborator allies know that their crimes under the Nazi banner will harm their chances in the election, so they do everything they can to suppress this history. In particular, a Kyiv history professor is confronted with his latest controversial article "Collaboration and its Consequences: An Investigation", where government officials criticize it as "dividing the Ukrainian people" and demand an apology or retraction.
- Took a Level in Cynic: A worker at the Kyiv voting center was hopeful that he would contribute to Ukraine's democratic future, but his forced complicity in Spivavtory's election fraud disillusions him and he walks home, knowing that the country's democracy is eroding before his eyes.
