The Stalinist Interpretation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in the Official Soviet Line and the Russian Political Vision of History: Centuries-old Echoes

The article discusses the evolution of the official Soviet line on the problem of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Soviet foreign policy in the late 1930s. It argues that throughout the post-war period the official interpretation of the causes of World War II and the reasons for the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact were largely based on a set of guidelines contained in a pamphlet entitled Forgers of History. Historical Information written with Joseph Stalin's direct involvement. Currently, the neo-Stalinist historical narrative concerning the causes of World War II, as adapted to the present situation, continues to function as one of the lines promoted in the Russian political vision of history.