The Germans learned not to tip Russian taxi drivers, and the souvenir photo was almost spoiled by empty glasses. After all, Stalin could not miss the opportunity to get Ribbentrop drunk. How was the criminal agreement sealed soon with Polish blood? Did drunken diplomats sign them?
In the afternoon of August 23, 1939, two Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor planes landed at Moscow's Chodynka airport. These machines brought members of the German delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Joachim von Ribbentrop. His entourage was about 40 people:diplomats, advisers, translators and photographers.
Zdrawstwujtie, druzja!
The Germans were surprised by the warm welcome that was prepared for them at Chodynka. The airport building and its surroundings were solemnly decorated with Soviet and German flags. Especially the latter was hard to come by in Moscow. Eventually, after a frenetic search, one was found in the Mosfilm's prop room.
As soon as Ribbentrop showed up at the door of the plane, a military band played the anthems of both countries, and a moment later the Germans and the Soviets embraced each other. For some of the people gathered at the airport this moment looked quite peculiar and unnatural, especially after years of insulting each other and pouring buckets of washes .
The gate to the airport in Khodynka near Moscow. The greeting of the German delegation that took place there would have been a flop had it not been for the help of Mosfilm's prop shop (source:public domain).
Roger Moorhouse quotes in his book Devil's Pact. The alliance of Hitler and Stalin ”memoirs of the pilot Hans Baur, who:
Watching Ribbentrop's review of an honor company made up of aviators of elite squadrons of the Soviet Air Force, he was amazed at the surreal sight of a German Foreign Minister pacing along the line , with his arm outstretched in a Nazi salute. The author of the report then stated that Miracles still happen.
A few scenes from life in the Soviet capital
Some of the Germans took a stroll through the Soviet capital right after their arrival. It struck them that compared to the inhabitants of western cities, Muscovites were extremely unhappy .
The walk was assisted by Soviet undercover policemen who informed their superiors about every step of the Nazi diplomats. During the tour, there was also a small incident, when the aforementioned Hans Baur tried to give the Soviet chauffeur a tip. His account is quoted by Roger Moorhouse in "Devils' Pact":
The man got mad (...). He asked if we thank him so much for trying for us - do we want him to go to jail . We knew perfectly well that they were not allowed to take tips .
Spoiled negotiations
Talks on a German-Soviet agreement began in the Kremlin in the afternoon of August 23. The Germans were represented by Joachim von Ribbentrop and Friedrich-Werner von der Schulenburg, the German ambassador to the USSR. On the Soviet side, the first violin was of course played by Józef Stalin and his protégé, Wiaczesław Molotov, known as "Stone Butt" in the Chief's immediate vicinity.
Joachim von Ribbentrop visiting Moscow. I wonder how many undercover policemen were captured in this photo (source:public domain).
The negotiations dragged on, and during them Ribbentrop even called Hitler to agree on the division of spheres of influence in Europe proposed by the Soviets. Around midnight, when all the points in dispute had been agreed and the text of the agreement had been finalized, a small reception was prepared.
As reported by Roger Moorhouse, first:
samovars with black tea appeared on the tables, followed by caviar, sandwiches, vodka and finally "champagne" - sparkling wine from Crimea (...). Glasses were filled, cigarettes lit, and the atmosphere became (...) "friendly and pleasant". In keeping with the Russian tradition, the toasts continued to be raised .
Stalin was the first to raise the goblet and say the memorable words: I know how much the German people adore their Fuhrer. So I drink for his health . Then, after a round of toasts, everyone agreed to the non-aggression pact, calling it a symbol of a new era in relations between the two countries.
Stalin in a bubbly mood. It's hard to say if the German guests also played on the nose, but he certainly shocked them with his behavior (source:public domain).
The Germans and the Soviets simply competed in offering each other compliments, which was probably caused by alcohol circulating in the blood. For example, Ribbentrop confessed that: feels similar to the party comrades of the Parteigenossen in Berlin .
Comrade Stalin's strong head
During this late supper, Stalin was simply bursting with humor. We wrote about the events in the Kremlin on the occasion of another article, but the way of the Chief's behavior at similar ceremonies is worth describing. The Soviet gensek definitely did not know moderation in eating and drinking, and his table manners shocked Western officials.
General de Gaulle, for example, noticed with disgust during the official reception that Stalin behaved like a peasant - he poured himself large portions of food, washed it down with Crimean wine, emptying his glass in one gulp . The dictator first toast the French and then drank to everyone present at the table. The culprit thus evoked had to get up, approach Stalin and clap his glass with him. More than 30 toasts were raised like this!
The article is largely based on Roger Moorhouse's book, The Devil's Pact. The alliance of Hitler and Stalin ”(Horizon Mark 2015).
Pig's head the Chief's greatest delicacy
In turn, Winston Churchill, who visited Moscow in August 1942, recalled an unofficial dinner with Stalin and Molotov. In the words of the British Prime Minister:
Dinner started in a simple way with a few radishes and then turned into a banquet:a pig, two chickens, beef, mutton, all kinds of fish. It would be enough for 30 people.
Stalin (...) offered me a pig's head, and when I refused, he attacked it with pleasure. He peeled the meat with a knife, putting it in his mouth with a knife. Then he cut pieces of meat from the pig's cheeks and ate them with his fingers.
Stalin's wit was as simple and simple as his manners . And this pulled Comrade Kalinin by the chin, then he put a tomato on the chair of Voroshilov, who was just sitting down.
This is how British cartoonist David Low imagined a meeting on the ashes of Poland a month after the pact was signed. The drawing is from the Evening Standard.
The whole company, of course, was obligatory giggling, and when the Leader had already drunk himself, he was eager to show off vocally. Apparently, he liked the thieving chant the most:"Two guys got scratched once in Odessa".
Blood covenant
Although it has been accepted that the official date of the conclusion of the agreement is August 23, in fact, the prolonged negotiations and the banquet meant that the pact was not signed until the next morning . This moment was captured by German and Soviet photographers.
The photos show no empty glasses on the tables. German photographer Heinrich Hoffmann recalled that Stalin pressed for them to be cleared: apparently he did not want anyone to think that he was signing the pact while drunk .
Mr. Ribbentrop, you have my word (Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H27337 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 de).
Of course, the document is not signed by the Soviet dictator. It was signed by Vyacheslav Molotov on behalf of the USSR government. Joachim von Ribbentrop signed on behalf of Germany. When around 3:00 the tired crowd began to diverge, Stalin again approached Ribbentrop and said: I can promise you that the Soviet Union will not betray its ally.
The treaty between the Third Reich and the USSR decided the fate of many millions of people in Europe. Perversely called the non-aggression pact (despite its possessive nature), it finally put an end to the Versailles order and contributed to the outbreak of World War II. A few weeks later, its signatories sealed their covenant with blood. But it was the blood of Polish women, men and children.
Bibliography:
- Gregor Dallas, Poisoned room. 1945 - the war that did not end , Bukowy Las Publishing House, Wrocław 2012.
- Lord Moran, Churchill's War 1940-1945 , Amber Publishing House, Warsaw 2005.
- Roger Moorhouse, Devils' Pact. The alliance of Hitler and Stalin , Znak Horyzont, Krakow 2015.
- Alexander Nikonov, Hit first! Hitler and Stalin:who outsmarted whom? , Bellona, Warsaw 2011.