DISINFO: West rewriting history by claiming USSR colluded with Nazi Germany
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: RT English ( archived) *
  • Date of publication: May 08, 2021
  • Article language(s): English
  • Countries / regions discussed: USSR, Germany, Poland, France, UK

DISINFO: West rewriting history by claiming USSR colluded with Nazi Germany

SUMMARY

Among the historical distortions commonly believed in the West is the notion that the Soviet Union colluded with Nazi Germany.

It is true that the Germans and Soviets signed a Non-Aggression Pact in 1939, but it was not an alliance. In fact, the Soviets were not the only European country to have such an agreement since the French, British and even Polish had similar treaties with Germany dating from before 1939.

The pact was meant to buy time for the Soviets, who were isolated under Western military pressure and sanctions, to defend themselves against an inevitable invasion.

RESPONSE

The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative distorting the events leading up to the Second World War, and accusing the West of historical revisionism.

It is impossible to compare the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with various agreements signed between Germany and other European countries throughout the 1930s. Crucially, the article does not mention that the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact of August 1939 contained a secret supplementary protocol that stipulated a coordinated Nazi-Soviet attack on Poland and 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.

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 cases about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact here, here, here, here and here.

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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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