Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was a formal agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to stay out of each other’s way. It was signed on August 24, 1939, in Moscow by the foreign ministers of both countries, Vyacheslav Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop. The pact included a secret part that divided parts of Eastern Europe into areas each country could control.

Before this pact, the Soviet Union had tried to work with the United Kingdom and France, but those talks failed. So, the Soviet Union and Germany decided to work together instead. They promised not to attack each other for ten years and secretly agreed on how to split Poland and the nearby countries between them.

A week after the pact was signed, Germany invaded Poland. Soon after, the Soviet Union also moved into parts of Poland. This led to the division of Poland between the two powers. Over the next year, the Soviet Union took control of several other areas, including parts of Finland, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and parts of Romania.

The pact ended suddenly when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. This marked the beginning of a large and tough fight between the two countries during World War II. After the war, Ribbentrop was found guilty of serious crimes against peace and was executed, while Molotov lived until 1986.

Background

The end of World War I was very hard for both Germany and Russia. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Russia became the Soviet Union under Vladimir Lenin. Lenin had to make many lands leave Russia, like Finland and Poland. Germany also took some lands from Russia after winning a battle.

In 1922, Germany and the Soviet Union made a friend agreement called the Treaty of Rapallo. They promised not to fight each other and to trade.

Later, Germany’s leader, Adolf Hitler, started acting aggressively. He didn’t like the Soviet Union and wanted land in the east. This made trade between the two countries drop.

In 1938, Britain and France let Germany take part of Czechoslovakia. This made Hitler think he could take more land without fighting. But in 1939, Britain promised to help Poland if Germany attacked. Hitler got angry and started thinking about working with the Soviet Union instead.

Negotiations

In 1939, leaders from Germany and the Soviet Union began talking about working together. They first talked about trading goods and services before they started discussing bigger political plans. In August 1939, German leaders flew to Moscow to meet with Soviet leaders, including Stalin. This meeting was important because it showed how serious both countries were about making a deal.

During these talks, Germany and the Soviet Union finished plans for trading and then started discussing a big political agreement. They both shared some similar ideas about not liking capitalist countries. However, talks between Britain, France, and the Soviet Union about working together fell apart because Poland did not want Soviet troops to enter its country if Germany attacked. On August 19, Germany and the Soviet Union signed an agreement to trade, and soon after, they agreed to keep parts of Eastern Europe secret between them.

Secret protocol

After talks with France and Britain failed, the Soviet Union made a secret agreement with Germany. On 23 August 1939, they signed a ten-year non-aggression pact. This pact included promises to talk things out if they disagreed, to stay neutral if either country went to war with someone else, and not to join groups aimed at hurting each other.

The pact also had a secret part that was not found until after Germany lost World War II. This secret part divided several countries into areas where Germany or the Soviet Union would have influence. Some areas of Poland would go to the Soviet Union, while Germany would take other parts. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland were split between the two countries. Later, another secret agreement changed where Lithuania would go. The Soviet Union also planned to take control of parts of Romania without Germany's interference.

Revelation

The agreement shocked the world. Many people, including leaders and journalists, were surprised by the news. They had hoped for peace but did not expect a non-aggression pact between these two countries. Leaders from Britain and the United States felt alarmed and worried about what this meant for the world.

In Germany, some saw the pact as a big achievement. The agreement changed the strategic situation, as it prevented Germany from facing enemies on two fronts. This surprised many, including British leaders, who had to change their plans quickly. The pact had a big impact on the world and set the stage for future events.

Consequences in Finland, Poland, the Baltic States and Romania

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west. Soon after, the Soviet Union also invaded Poland from the east on September 17, moving into the part of Poland that had been agreed upon in a secret agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union. This led to joint military actions between the two countries in Poland.

Later, the secret agreement was changed to give Germany more land in Poland and move Lithuania into the Soviet sphere. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were also required to allow Soviet troops to be stationed in their countries.

The Soviet Union then turned its attention to Finland. After demanding territories that Finland refused to give up, the Soviets invaded Finland in November 1939, starting what is known as the Winter War. Finland managed to resist for several months, but eventually had to give up some land to the Soviets.

In mid-June 1940, Soviet troops moved into the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. They took control of these countries and made them part of the Soviet Union. Shortly after, the Soviet Union also demanded and took parts of Romania, including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.

These actions significantly changed the borders and control of several countries in Eastern Europe, leading to many people being moved or displaced.

Soviet–German relations

Early political issues

Before the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was announced, some Western communists said the idea was just made up. Others thought the Soviet Union and Germany were closer than people realized. After the pact was announced, communist groups changed their message. They stopped talking about fighting Germany and instead said the war in Europe was just countries fighting each other for power.

Expansion of raw materials and military trading

Main articles: German–Soviet Credit Agreement (1939) and German–Soviet Commercial Agreement (1940)

Germany and the Soviet Union made a big trade deal in February 1940. Germany got important supplies like food, oil, and cotton from the Soviet Union. In return, the Soviet Union got warships, airplane plans, and other military equipment. The Soviet Union also helped Germany by letting them use a base near Murmansk for their ships and planes.

Summer deterioration of relations

When the Soviet Union invaded places like Finland and the Baltic states, it worried Germany. The two countries had some disagreements over policies in Romania and other areas, which caused tension. But they managed to fix things and continue their agreement.

German–Soviet Axis talks

Main article: German–Soviet Axis talks

After Germany joined a group of countries called the Tripartite Pact, Germany invited the Soviet Union to join too. The Soviet Union sent a representative to talk about it, but Germany later decided to plan for an invasion instead.

Late relations

In April 1941, the Soviet Union signed a neutrality agreement with Japan. Stalin hoped this would show friendly feelings toward Germany. However, Hitler had already been planning to invade the Soviet Union.

Termination

Germany ended the agreement suddenly on June 22, 1941, by starting a large attack on the Soviet Union called Operation Barbarossa. The leader of the Soviet Union did not fully prepare his army, even though others had warned him. After the attack began, the areas the Soviet Union had gained from the agreement were quickly lost. Some areas became part of Germany, while others were controlled by German leaders in different regions. In just a few months, many Soviet soldiers were hurt or captured. Even during the fighting, the Soviet Union kept sending important supplies to Germany until the very start of the battle.

Aftermath

Discovery of the secret protocol

In the end of World War II, a German official hid secret records in microfilm. These were later found by British and American forces. They included important documents about the agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union.

News about these secret records first came out during trials of Nazi leaders. Over time, more details became public. The Soviet Union denied these records existed for many years. It was only much later that the truth was finally acknowledged.

Stalin's "Falsifiers of History" and Axis negotiations

After the secret records became public, a Soviet leader wrote a book claiming that Stalin had refused to work with Hitler. This story was told in the Soviet Union for many years.

Denial of the secret protocol

For a long time, the Soviet Union said the secret records did not exist. But in 1989, after studying the hidden records, Soviet leaders finally admitted they were real and said they were wrong. Leaders in Russia have had different views on the agreement since then.

Postwar commentary on motives of Stalin and Hitler

Historians have different ideas about why the leaders made this agreement. Some think the Soviet Union wanted to protect its neighbours. Others believe it was a way to buy time before a possible war. The agreement changed relations between many countries in Europe.

Remembrance and response

After World War II, the pact was not talked about much in the Soviet Union. In 1989, a group of representatives from the Soviet Union said the pact and its secret part were not valid. In Russia today, some leaders describe the pact as a way to protect the country, not to take land from others.

In 2009, leaders in Europe chose August 23rd to remember all the people hurt by harsh leaders and unfair treatments. This day is linked to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Some leaders in Russia did not agree with this and said they would respond strongly.