DISINFO: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact did not provoke WWII
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: novorosinform.org (archived)*
  • Date of publication: June 15, 2021
  • Article language(s): Russian
  • Reported in: Issue 249
  • Countries / regions discussed: USSR, Russia, Germany, UK, France
Tags:
WWII Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

DISINFO: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact did not provoke WWII

SUMMARY

USSR and Germany renounced allied relations with other powers, "directly or indirectly directed against the other side." They agreed to provide information on issues affecting the interests of the parties. As you can see, there was not the slightest sign of aggression, no manifestation of "imperial ambitions." It was in compliance with international law.

In fact, this secret protocol has never been found either in Soviet or foreign archives. Only a copy was showed, allegedly ratified by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on August 31, 1939. By the way, they found it in the Ribbentrop archives, and Molotov's signature there is in Latin letters!

RESPONSE

The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative distorting the events leading up to the Second World War, in particular denying USSR responsibility for starting WWII after signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939.

The Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact of August 1939 contained a secret supplementary protocol that resulted in a coordinated Nazi-Soviet campaign against Poland and decided the carving up of Eastern Europe between the USSR and the Third Reich. On the other hand, there is no historical evidence that any other pre-war agreements with Nazi Germany contained secret provisions of this kind and none had the devastating effects of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

The secret protocol was revealed after Germany's defeat in 1945, although hints about its provisions had been leaked much earlier.

See here for our debunking of the claim that the Soviet Union was "forced" to conclude an agreement with Hitler. Read more about the Pact here.

See similar disinformation cases on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in our database: West rewriting history by claiming USSR colluded with Nazi Germany; Poland re-writes history claiming the USSR attacked it in September 1939; the West tries to revise history, questioning the decisions of the Nuremberg trial; Europe is to blame for the outbreak of WWII.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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