Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

Quick Facts: Who was Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact?

Subject:

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

Known for:

A 1939 non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, detailing spheres of influence.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, with a secret protocol establishing Soviet and German spheres of influence across Eastern Europe. The pact was signed in Moscow on 24 August 1939 (backdated 23 August 1939) by Soviet Premier and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. Tripartite discussions between the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France had broken down after the Soviet Union was excluded from the Munich Agreement in September 1938. Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, had indicated that the USSR was willing to support Czechoslovakia militarily if France did so as well. Subsequently, rapprochement between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany began in early 1939.

Career & Major Achievements

Later that year, the Soviet–German pact was agreed, committing both sides to neither aid nor ally itself with an enemy of the other for the following 10 years. Under the Secret Additional Protocol of 23 August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to partition Poland; Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Bessarabia were allotted to the Soviet sphere, while Lithuania—apart from the Vilnius region, whose "interests" were recognized—lay in the German sphere (Lithuania—including the Vilnius region, but excluding a strip of land—was only transferred to the Soviet sphere by the 28 September 1939 Boundary and Friendship Treaty). In the west, rumored existence of the Secret Protocol was proven only when it was made public during the Nuremberg trials. A week after signing the pact, on 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On 17 September, one day after a Soviet–Japanese ceasefire came into effect after the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, and one day after the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union approved the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Stalin, stating concern for ethnic Ukrainians and Belarusians in Poland, ordered the Soviet invasion of Poland.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After a short war ending in military defeat for Poland, Germany and the Soviet Union drew up a new border between them on formerly Polish territory in the supplementary protocol of the German–Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty. In March 1940, the Soviet Union annexed parts of Karelia, Salla and Kuusamo following the Winter War against Finland. The Soviet annexation of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and parts of Romania (Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and the Hertsa region) followed. Stalin's invasion of Bukovina in 1940 violated the pact, since it went beyond the Soviet sphere of influence that had been agreed with the Axis. The territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union following the 1939 Soviet invasion east of the Curzon line remained in the Soviet Union after the war and are now in Ukraine and Belarus.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1938: 1938 Milestone — Tripartite discussions between the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France had broken down after the Soviet Union was excluded from the Munich Agreement in September 1938.
2. 1939: 1939 Milestone — The pact was signed in Moscow on 24 August 1939 (backdated 23 August 1939) by Soviet Premier and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
3. 1940: 1940 Milestone — In March 1940, the Soviet Union annexed parts of Karelia, Salla and Kuusamo following the Winter War against Finland.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

True or False: “The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was solely a mutual defense treaty guaranteeing non-aggression between the two powers.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): It was primarily a non-aggression pact that included a secret protocol detailing the partition of Eastern European spheres of influence.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.
• Abu Taher — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Bangladeshi military officer, insurgent, and political activist known for his role in the 1975 coups.
• Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Somaliland politician, served as President from 2010 to 2017.
• Abbas Kiarostami — Historical peer (Born in 1940) (1940): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Abdurrahman Wahid — Historical peer (Born in 1940) (1940): Influential Indonesian politician, Islamic leader, and fourth President known for pluralism.

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