"Stunned, Bewildered, and Groggy with Disbelief": The German and Soviet Reactions to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Date
2025
Authors
Behie, Patrick
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University Of Victoria
Abstract
In the early morning of 24 August 1939, the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed a treaty of nonaggression and political cooperation with the Soviet Commissar of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov, today known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The treaty gave Adolf Hitler the security to invade Poland, thus beginning the bloodiest conflict in human history, and it allowed Stalin to annex significant territory before falling victim to the Germans himself in June 1941. The international community was stunned. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were the two European nations with the most mutual animosity throughout the 1930s. Now, without warning, they were politically and economically linked. Needless to say, the German and Soviet citizenry were utterly bewildered by the diplomatic volte-face. And yet, the subject is curiously understudied. Recognizing this, my project seeks to unveil and compare the many reactions of the German and Soviet citizens to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Description
Keywords
history, USSR, Germany, Molotov-Ribbentrop