Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact

The Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov, saying farewell to his German counterpart, Joachim von Ribbentrop (right), after a visit to Berlin during the Nazi-Soviet alliance that lasted from 1939 to 1941.

This pact between Hitler and Stalin paved the way for WWII

Conflict

Seventy-five years ago this week, the world was turned upside down when Hitler and Stalin signed a pact of alliance. Within days Hitler invaded Poland, starting World War II. Roger Moorhouse, a historian, has a new book out on the momentous but often-forgotten “Devils’ Alliance.”

A US cartoon from 1877, showing Russia as an octopus spreading its tentacles over Europe and south-west Asia. In that year, Russia went to war to ‘save’ Orthodox Christian rebels in the Ottoman Empire.

Moscow has a long history of making interesting excuses for its military interventions

Conflict