DISINFO: USSR is not to blame for the beginning of World War II

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

  • Outlet: Pravda.ru ( archive, original )
  • Date of publication: July 04, 2019
  • Countries / regions discussed: USSR, Germany, Russia

DISINFO: USSR is not to blame for the beginning of World War II

SUMMARY

The accusations against the Soviet Union and Josef Stalin about the beginning of World War II are nonsense and pursue a purely pragmatic goal. The Molotov-Ribbentrop (Hitler-Stalin) Pact cannot be considered a military conspiracy between two dictators.

RESPONSE

The non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, also known as the "Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact" (Hitler-Stalin Pact), was signed on 23 August 1939. Following the agreement, Nazi Germany and the USSR became allies for 22 months. 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. Just a week after the signing of the “Hitler-Stalin Pact,” the German attack on Poland started World War II. Two weeks later, Soviet troops entered Polish territory. Read more about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact here.

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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