Signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

A clip from the BBC documentary series "Behind Closed Doors".

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and signed in Moscow in the early hours of 24 August 1939 (but dated 23 August).

In addition to stipulations of non-aggression, the treaty included a secret protocol dividing Northern and Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence, anticipating potential "territorial and political rearrangements" of these countries. Thereafter, Germany and the Soviet Union invaded their respective sides of Poland, dividing the country between them. Part of eastern Finland was annexed by the Soviet Union after an attempted invasion. This was followed by Soviet annexations of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and eastern and northern Romania.

- Wikipedia

Category:

Education

Tags:

• molotov
• ribbentrop
• pact
• hitler
• stalin
• world
• war

[Diablotion]

This Stalin actor was in the "Into the storm" a film about Churchill. Btw in the treaty was all of Finland promised to the Soviet Union by Germans or just some small eastern part.

[Zappiss]

@Diablotion All of Finland was included to the Soviet sphere in the secret protocol: "In the event of a territorial and political rearrangement in the areas belonging to the Baltic States (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the northern boundary of Lithuania shall represent the boundary of the spheres of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R."

[mccarrpo]

That guy who plays Stalin, looks a lot like Stalin.

[vermut12]

The Eastern part of Poland was not really originally polish. These were territories populated by Belarus and Ukrainians (and Lwow is a Ukrainian city not Polish). These territories at various times had been a part of Russia, Poland or Austria. And in fact Poland captured them technically after the 1918 break up of the Russian empire. From the movie you get the feeling as if those territories were historically polish or something which is not absolutely correct.

[richiemadd]

Holy shit, that guy is a perfect Ribbentrop

[summer20105707]

Bottom line is they BOTH knew war had to come eventually.

[summer20105707]

@gomez2905 Furthermore the Soviets must have thought that France might have given the Germans a tougher fight then they did because of the first world wars result. In other words they probably thought it was a forgone conclusion that Germany would get bogged down in France like WW1. Imagine the surprise they got when Germany occupied all of western Europe in less then one month. After all this why they still trusted the pact is a mystery beyond my reasoning.

[summer20105707]

@gomez2905

Debatable... The pact was desired by both the Germans and the Soviets. Germany wanted to concentrate all its strength towards crushing France and Britain. The Germans hoped to delay an invasion of Russia until they could NEUTRALIZE France and Britain. This video speculates that the Soviets trusted the Germans. I highly doubt that because the Soviets fortified their positions by attempting to invade Finland. Notice the insistance on Latvia. Both sides knew war was coming.

[MultiStessi]

@gomez2905 I don't think that's a logical thing to say, i'm writing a dissertation on the Nazi-Soviet pact and there are many factors for why the Triple-Entente won the war. Unless, you have an argument to prove otherwise? Russia(really) only signed the pact to buy time to mobilise it's own military. They knew Germany were going to invade and even though Germany took Russia by surprise when Germany initiated Operation Barbarossa on June 22nd 1941 they still managed to beat Germany.

[XactFilms]

10 years not 100 ._.

[gomez2905]

If Stalin and Molotov hadn't signed this pact, Soviet Union would have lost the war... 

[ElenaXVI]

@TheManabu02 Haha, did you decide to get mean just like me? Have fun with yourself :)

[ElenaXVI]

@TheManabu02 Wanna have some hot hot sex in my cozy basement?