Seventy years ago today, the Foreign Minsters of Russia and Germany singed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which neutralised Russia at the start of World War II. According to Radio Free Europe the pact “gave Germany a free hand to attack Western Europe without having to fear a war on two fronts. In return, its secret protocol consigned Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Romanian territory of Bessarabia, and a little later Lithuania, to the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence. Poland was partitioned between Germany and the USSR.” For these people, as Historian Orlando Figges says, “the pact began the reign of terror, mass deportations, slavery and murder”. Though the Pact was broken with the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941, it is notable that except for Poland and Finland, these territories remained part of the USSR until 1989. Until this year the USSR even denied the existence of the shameful secret protocol which divided these independent democratic countries between the 2 powers.
The Pact is still painfully relevant. As Figges says the Pact remains “a constant thorn in Russia’s relations with neighbouring European states”, as Russia has shown repeatedly, and most recently in Georgia & Ukraine, that the Soviet notion of sphere of influence is very much alive in Russia’s foreign policy.
Last April the European Parliament called for “the proclamation of 23 August as a Europe-wide Remembrance Day for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, to be commemorated with dignity and impartiality”. For those European countries who still deal with the effects of totalitarianism on their country and their families, the 23 of August is a day that will remain in their hearts for all the wrong reasons.
Leonhard Lapin: Molotov-Ribbentrop - The uneasy alliance of hammer & sickle and swastika
4 Comments So Far»
This shame is for EU, not for Germany or USSR.
This shame will “hunt” the Europe until a respected EU politician tells the truth:
Countries of Europe wanted WWII, but wanted others (Germany and Russia), fight it for them, and destroy each other in that war. They did not care how many people will be killed and lives destroyed. This is the true shame that EU counties are scared to face till now.
To make that happened they, in 1938, approved Germany to expand East (approved WWII to run East). The same Poland, shamelessly screaming now about the 1939 pact, signed a secret military pact 1934 with the same Germany. Many in governments of the same Poland and Baltic countries with clear conciseness took part in actions against Jews and “communists”, armed or not, adults or children. Today’s words: racial genocide and political cleansing (kill for believes). Plus, the Germany got destroyed.
That’s exactly what European countries wanted. Except, USSR survived, - that is why till now they see “still striving” Russia as the defeat and want Russia to bend knees and apologies for surviving.
That, apologizing for surviving, could not happen with USSR. Today’s Europe got hope to wash hands off with a help of today’s corrupted Russia, and gain political bonus from that. It could happen with today’s Russia if bribed or split (impossible under Medvedev or Putin) into areas of interests, of modern NATO interests. By the way, the same “areas of interest” shamed on in the pact, are declared all-over-the-wold by Europe, NATO and USA. Who’s the shame, was and is? – Europeans, they did not learn much.
Sergey Gavryushenko, NY,USA
I couldn’t disagree more, Sergey. Records released by the Russian authorities show that Stalin Had the opportunity to enter into a pact with either France and Britain, or with Germany. None of these was a compatible partner of Communism (if one may call Stalinism such). However, through a pact with Germany, Stalin saw two opportunities.
First, to so weaken the France-British alliance (bound to act if Poland were attacked) that their Imperialist powers would be severely weakened, if not destroyed. Second, Germany would be so weakened in the war that they would be unable to threaten the USSR for at least ten years afterwards. (He saw both war and an attack on the USSR as inevitable).
On one thing I agree with you. Russia is not into apologies.
Well,
What we did is the real responsibility and shame (“cashed out”).
What we could, is just a personal soup opera.
Europe, the counties of present EU did nothing to prevet war!
They just wanted to manage war like mone invested!
You are right that many things could be different. But to materialize “could” you need to consider and blame all participants. One country out of all Europe can not be responsible for “they could”. (I do not even include US, because we turned away the ship with Jews running from Germany – that’s pure US “business”)
We also do not blame “they could” without them being around to answering.
We could and we did not prevent Georgia / Russia conflict, Afghan and Iraq, Serbia (!) - does our “could” matter to people in those counties – no.
Our “could” does not matter to others; it does matter what we did.
What we did: the stage was set for a second redesign of “old world”, fighters picked, and pushed into fight by 1934-1938 agreements for Germany expansion to west. They also split/tiered apart Chechs as a final cleaning of the stage – everybody knew the stage is not a joke. But the fighters were smart and postponed the fight to a time better for them (with 1939 pact), That’s all! “areas of interest” is used even now. One fighter (Germany) got ready earlier and decided to warm-up on neighbors and on those who set the fight The same England and France had pact with Poland and did not help Poland as promised. The same England and France we attacked by the fighter prior to going west. What was after that is WAR, and that’s a different thing. Even now we set “rules” for wars and ignore them. When war starts thee is no rules. What we did to prevent war matters, not what we could. And the counties of present EU did nothing!
French Derek, Churchill wanted a pact with Russia but this was overiuled by Chamberlain, it was a British desicion.
I agree with Sergey and think european treatment of Russia is shameful. Media and their masters is to blame, who in the west knows the precise reasons for Russias protest against missile defenses? Almost nobody, if they did, the flexing of russian military muscles would be perfectly understandable, albeit unfortunate.
Leave Comments Below»