August 23 marks the 80th anniversary of the non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. With the filing of the Anglo-American imperialist circles, beginning in the late 80's. and to this day, the frantic slanderous campaign around this treaty does not stop.
In December 1989, at the II Congress of People's Deputies, the herald of "perestroika", ideologist and adviser to Gorbachev, A.N. Yakovlev presented "evidence" of the existence of a "secret protocol" to the "Nonaggression Treaty" between Germany and the USSR of August 23, 1939, which stipulated the delineation of the areas of mutual interests in Eastern Europe. Recognition of the "fact of existence" of this "protocol" and its recognition as "immoral and illegal" made it possible to use it as a battering ram to destroy the USSR. The nationalists of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other post-Soviet republics, as well as pseudo-democratic politicians in Russia, singing along to the reactionaries of Western countries, are still trying to prove that the treaty prompted Hitler to start a war. This is necessary for the Western imperialists to whitewash their own role in the preparation of World War II. They seek to blame the leadership of the Soviet Union for all mortal sins, including an alleged "conspiracy" with Nazi Germany. They are trying to use this theme to denigrate the Soviet past. However, it should be noted: there is strong evidence of serious analysts that the specified "secret protocol" is a fake.
In order to appreciate the significance of the Soviet-German non-aggression treaty, one should imagine the situation preceding its signing.
The Munich agreement on September 29-30, 1938 allowed the governments of England and France and the ruling circles of the United States behind them to give Czechoslovakia to Germany as a price for the obligation to start a war against the USSR. The governments of England and France were not limited to concluding an agreement with Hitler only on the Czechoslovak issue. On September 30, 1938 in Munich, Chamberlain and Hitler signed the Anglo-German Declaration, in which both sides expressed their desire to never again wage war against each other. The declaration was tantamount to an Anglo-German non-aggression pact. On December 6, 1938 in Paris, Bonnet and Ribbentrop signed a declaration in which the existing Franco-German border was recognized as final. The declaration was tantamount to a Franco-German non-aggression pact.
The Munich Accords of 1938 constituted an anti-Soviet conspiracy. They were aimed at completely isolating the USSR in the international arena.
The policy of continuous concessions to the German aggressor, pursued by the Western powers, has borne fruit. Hitler believed in his impunity and began to openly foment war in Europe. The Munich agreement, which included a guarantee of the inviolability of the remnants of the Czechoslovak state, did not last even six months. On March 15, 1939, Hitler sent troops to Czechoslovakia. There was no resistance to him. Hitler dismembered Czechoslovakia. Czech lands were transformed into a German "protectorate", and Transcarpathian Ukraine was transferred to Khortist Hungary. Slovakia declared itself an "independent" republic, but in reality it became completely dependent on Germany.
The Soviet government qualified the actions of Germany against Czechoslovakia as an act of violence, aggression, arbitrariness and refused to recognize the inclusion of Czech lands in the German Reich. The Soviet Union demanded discussion of the Czechoslovak issue in the League of Nations, but did not meet support from the Western powers.
Taking advantage of the connivance of Western countries, Hitler continued to prepare for a future large-scale war. On April 28, 1939, he announced the termination of the Polish-German treaty of 1934 and the Anglo-German naval agreement of 1935, as allegedly incompatible with the Anglo-Polish declaration of mutual assistance.
On May 22, 1939, Italy and Germany signed an alliance treaty with an obligation to help each other in the event of a war with a state or group of countries. Earlier, on October 25, 1936, the Berlin-Rome Axis military-political union was created, followed by the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact by Germany and Japan on November 25, 1936, to which Italy joined on November 6, 1937, and then signed in 1940 agreement on the creation of the Three Powers Pact.
The Italo-German bloc broke all agreements by which Western countries hoped to guarantee their own security, and openly fomented a war in Europe.
Under these conditions, in March 1939, the Anglo-Franco-Soviet negotiations began on the conclusion of the Triple Pact of mutual assistance. This was the last chance to maintain peace in Europe.
The Soviet government made every effort to reach an agreement with the governments of England and France on a mutually sti and equal rights of the parties.
However, the governments of England and France behaved two-faced, they did not want to conclude an agreement with the Soviet Union based on the principles of reciprocity and equality of obligations of the parties. Anglo-French representatives demanded assistance from the Soviet Union in the event that England and France themselves would be involved in the war because of the guarantees they had given to Poland, Romania and other countries. But they left open the question of whether the Soviet Union, in turn, could count on their help in the event of a direct attack by aggressors. They demanded that the Soviet Union help Greece and Belgium, but did not want to assume any obligations to provide assistance to the Baltic countries.
The reluctance of the Anglo-French side to cooperate with the Soviet Union in repelling Hitler aggression was especially pronounced during the negotiations on the conclusion of a military convention, which were held in Moscow in August 1939.
The Soviet Union expressed its readiness to set 136 divisions, up to 10 thousand tanks and wedges, and over 5 thousand aircraft against the aggressor. England stated that it could only exhibit 5 infantry and one mechanized division. It became clear that the British figures were going to fight with the wrong hands.
The ruling circles of England and France, encouraged by American reactionaries, foiled negotiations with the Soviet Union that began in the spring of 1939 and continued to push Hitler to attack the USSR.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that during the negotiations the Red Army waged fierce battles against the troops of imperialist Japan invading the territory of Mongolia on May 11, 1939. There was a real danger for the Soviet Union on two fronts. This forced the Soviet government to seek other ways to ensure the security of its country.
In August 1939, the Hitler government turned to the Soviet government with a proposal to conclude a non-aggression pact. The Soviet Union faced a choice: either to accept Germany’s offer for self-defense and thus preserve peace for a certain period of time, or to reject and thereby allow the provocateurs of war to immediately drag our country into armed conflict with Hitler in a situation completely unfavorable to it, subject to complete isolation. As you know, according to the third five-year plan (1938 - 1942), the rearmament of the Red Army was planned to be carried out by 1942.
The hostility of the Western powers to the USSR, their unwillingness to cooperate with him to repel Nazi aggression forced the Soviet government to accept the German proposal.
On August 23, 1939, a Soviet-German non-aggression treaty was signed in Moscow. Under this agreement, concluded for a period of 10 years, both parties pledged to refrain from aggression and from attacking each other. In the event of an attack on one of the parties of a third power, the other side undertook not to provide support to the attacker.
The conclusion of a non-aggression pact with Germany was a necessary and justified step on the part of the Soviet government. In the complex and contradictory international environment of the summer and autumn of 1939, the pact with Germany was in the vital interests of the Soviet people. It was fully consistent with international law, the practice of the world community and the Western powers themselves at that time.
Speaking at an expanded meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B.) Shortly before the start of World War II (at the end of May 1941), I.V. Stalin said:
“Thus, the conclusion of a non-aggression pact with Germany was the right political step on our part. He gave the necessary respite to better prepare the country for defense, and allowed to split the Munich front of the imperialists directed against us in the person of Germany, Italy, England and France and the United States behind them. As a result of the general campaign of the imperialist powers against the USSR, it did not work out. This is the main result. ”
The result of the visionary policy of the head of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, I.V. Stalin became the fact that the Soviet Union emerged from World War II as a winner. He saved his people and the peoples of Europe from fascist slavery and physical destruction.
Prepared by V. Zelikov
