Disinfo: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is being demonized by the European countries

Summary

The USSR was left alone in front of the Nazi aggression, as London and Paris refused to form a coalition. And, in fact, Poland was also an ally of Germany. Moscow had no other choice than signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Today this pact is being demonized, particularly by the countries who signed the Munich Agreement in 1938.

Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about WWII and Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. World War II began in Europe on 1 September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. A week before Germany attacked Poland, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact, also known as the "Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact" (23 August 1939). The deal was accompanied by a secret supplementary protocol on the delimitation of areas of mutual interest in Eastern Europe. In particular, Hitler and Stalin agreed to divide Poland. The agreement also indicated that the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as Bessarabia and Finland, also belonged to the respective areas of interest of Germany and the USSR. France and the United Kingdom did actually negotiate with Soviet Union an agreement on containing German, but as Moscow demanded UK and France to allow Soviet troops access to Polish territory, the negotiations broke down.

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Baltnews Estonia (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 160
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13/08/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: USSR, Russia
  • Keywords: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, USSR, WWII, Europe
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Aug 12, 2019
Disproof

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Disinfo: WWII: There was no French resistance to the invaders during the first year of occupation

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Disproof

No evidence given. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about WWII. Within weeks of the 1940 occupation of France, groups of men and women had begun to resist. Some collected military intelligence for transmission to London; some organized escape routes for British airmen who had been shot down; some circulated anti-German leaflets; some engaged in the sabotage of railways and German installations. French citizens helped to save Jews during the occupation as well. 220.000 French people were honored by the post war authorities for their role in the French Resistance. Moreover, French units abroad under the command of Charles de Gaulle continued fighting against Axis troops, rejecting Marshal Petain's armistice with Germany. The air force of Free France even set up a Fighter Regiment, engaging in combat on the Eastern Front along with Soviet Air Force units. Read more about the French Resistance here.