Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

[Jim O]

I've read about this document many times so I decided to look at the original. Of course it is translated but it is extremely simple and clear, unlike most diplomatic documents. Likely it was hastily preared. This sealed Poland's fate, and that of the Baltic States as well, and set World War II into motion. It explains why Hitler said nothing when the Soviets took Bessarabia from his allies in Romania.

It served both both sides' needs at the time. Both sides feared each other, Stalin had decimated his officer corps, and Hitler wanted to deal with the west before devouring the lands to the east. In the end, it also probably helped to cement the alliance with Romania who wasonly too happy to participate in Operation Barbarossa to regain lost territories.

Below is the full text of the pact:

Text of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
(courtesy of Internet Modern History Sourcebook)

The Government of the German Reich and The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics desirous of strengthening the cause of peace between Germany and the U.S.S.R., and proceeding from the fundamental provisions of the Neutrality Agreement concluded in April, 1926 between Germany and the U.S.S.R., have reached the following Agreement:

Article I. Both High Contracting Parties obligate themselves to desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other Powers.
Article II. Should one of the High Contracting Parties become the object of belligerent action by a third Power, the other High Contracting Party shall in no manner lend its support to this third Power.
Article III. The Governments of the two High Contracting Parties shall in the future maintain continual contact with one another for the purpose of consultation in order to exchange information on problems affecting their common interests.
Article IV. Should disputes or conflicts arise between the High Contracting Parties shall participate in any grouping of Powers whatsoever that is directly or indirectly aimed at the other party.
Article V. Should disputes or conflicts arise between the High Contracting Parties over problems of one kind or another, both parties shall settle these disputes or conflicts exclusively through friendly exchange of opinion or, if necessary, through the establishment of arbitration commissions.
Article VI. The present Treaty is concluded for a period of ten years, with the proviso that, in so far as one of the High Contracting Parties does not advance it one year prior to the expiration of this period, the validity of this Treaty shall automatically be extended for another five years.
Article VII. The present treaty shall be ratified within the shortest possible time. The ratifications shall be exchanged in Berlin. The Agreement shall enter into force as soon as it is signed.

[The section below was not published at the time the above was announced.]

Secret Additional Protocol.
Article I. 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 U.S.S.R. In this connection the interest of Lithuania in the Vilna area is recognized by each party.
Article II. In the event of a territorial and political rearrangement of the areas belonging to the Polish state, the spheres of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. shall be bounded approximately by the line of the rivers Narev, Vistula and San.
The question of whether the interests of both parties make desirable the maintenance of an independent Polish States and how such a state should be bounded can only be definitely determined in the course of further political developments.
In any event both Governments will resolve this question by means of a friendly agreement.
Article III. With regard to Southeastern Europe attention is called by the Soviet side to its interest in Bessarabia. The German side declares its complete political disinteredness in these areas.
Article IV. This protocol shall be treated by both parties as strictly secret.

Moscow, August 23, 1939.

For the Government of the German Reich v. Ribbentrop

Plenipotentiary of the Government of the U.S.S.R. V. Molotov

[Klaus]

I love the aditional scret part. It clearly shows the the future intentions of both states. I am glad someone found this document. I was unable to find it. Interesting stuff.

[Dani]

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: The Documents

Scrolling down you'll see the originals (German and Russian).

[Dani]

Originally Posted by Jim O

It explains why Hitler said nothing when the Soviets took Bessarabia from his allies in Romania.

Correction: At that time (1939) Romania was France and British Empire ally.
Situation changed after the defeat of France.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Dani

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact: The Documents

Scrolling down you'll see the originals (German and Russian).

Excellent link. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Dani

Correction: At that time (1939) Romania was France and British Empire ally.
Situation changed after the defeat of France.

I stand corrected. I think I knew that they joined up with Germany later but my old brain failed me momentarily, though I recall Romainia being neutral, not foramaly allied with either side until the fall of 1940. Perhaps I am wrong? It was a good argument though.

[515]

Romania was Axis till the end of the war wasnt it? Then turned on germany when the allies were closing in. i believe.....could be wrong though.

[Dani]

Originally Posted by 515

Romania was Axis till the end of the war wasnt it? Then turned on germany when the allies were closing in. i believe.....could be wrong though.

22nd of June, 1941 - 23rd of August, 1944 - Axis side (fought in Russia);
23rd of August, 1944 - VE Day - Allies side (fought in Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria);

[gao_yixing]

Originally Posted by Jim O

It served both both sides' needs at the time. Both sides feared each other, Stalin had decimated his officer corps, and Hitler wanted to deal with the west before devouring the lands to the east. In the end, it also probably helped to cement the alliance with Romania who wasonly too happy to participate in Operation Barbarossa to regain lost territories.

Hitler didn't expect to deal with the West at the beginning. He thought Chamberlain would act the same thing as he did to Czechoslovakia. The pact only ensured that Russian wouldn't help Polish to fight German.

[Egorka]

Hello,

This pact is not a real secret (even the secret part, though USSR denied it's existence). I have a history of WW2 book from 1946 printed in Stokholm, Sweden and this pact is printed there.

Secondly, this was the only possible agrement USSR could realisticly get in 1939. Neither UK nor France would sign one with USSR. In essence it was the reaction on the apeacemnt policy of western allies trying to redirect Hitler's agression to the east.
Remember USSR had no allies at that point. So you can blame Chemberlain and Deladier for pushing Stalin to allie with Hitler.

And finaly about Baltic countries and Poland. Again, the part that USSR anexed from poland was anexed by poland from Soviet Russia in 1920. This terriory was ethnicaly not polish.
In fact, to Hitler's surprise, Stalin insisted in smaller Russian zone of influence than was proposed by Germany, because he did not want to split the actual Polish population in two (of course based on pragmatical reasons, not out of love to Polish folk).

The Baltic countries story a bit more complex and I do not have time for it now. Abviously it was an act of expansion, but to the territories historically belonging to the Russian Empier. So Geopoliticaly it was much less wrong than German actions or the colonial actions of the democratioc countries of the west. But about this an otehr time...


Best regards
Igor Korenev

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Egorka

This pact is not a real secret (even the secret part, though USSR denied it's existence). I have a history of WW2 book from 1946 printed in Stokholm, Sweden and this pact is printed there.

Yes, after the documents were recovered from German archives no doubt.

Originally Posted by Egorka

Secondly, this was the only possible agrement USSR could realisticly get in 1939. Neither UK nor France would sign one with USSR. In essence it was the reaction on the apeacemnt policy of western allies trying to redirect Hitler's agression to the east.
Remember USSR had no allies at that point. So you can blame Chemberlain and Deladier for pushing Stalin to allie with Hitler.

You can blame them if you like, but neither was holding a gun to Stalin's head. I'm not certain it was their intent to redirect attention to the east, as when Hitler went east on September 1, 1939, Britain and France went to war with Germany. USSR, on the other hand, used it as an opportunity for expansion.

Originally Posted by Egorka

And finaly about Baltic countries and Poland. Again, the part that USSR anexed from poland was anexed by poland from Soviet Russia in 1920. This terriory was ethnicaly not polish.

Actually the area was ethnically mixed. The Poles who were present in those territories were forced out later. For instance, Lviv had a majority Polish population even in 1910 and certainly in 1939 when only about 10% was Ukrainian. The majority at that time was Roman Catholic (Polish) and there were many more Jews than there were Greek Catholics (Ukrainians). Most of the Jews perished during the Nazi occupation and the Poles who survived fled or were forcibly expelled. Ethnic Ukrainians (and Russians) then moved into the city to fill the void.

As for those territories annexed by Poland in 1920, one must also consider the fact that virtually all of what became Poland in 1918-1920 had been annexed by Russia, Prussia, and Austria 120-130 years prior to that. So when do land claims end? When is a matter settled? I'm not arguing one way or another, but to look at historical "ownership" of lands, one must look at all of the "facts", not just those that are convenient to one's argument.

The problem with using ethnicity to divide nations is that there is a great amount of overlap, as you know. Often there are no neat dividing lines in Europe. There were many Ukrainians in Poland before 1939 and at that time many lived in portions that remained Polish after 1947.