Putin: “For Better or for Worse, It’s History”
Russia’s Handling of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Soviet historiography justified the Soviet-German Treaty of Non-Aggression. The secret protocol was taboo. Only during Perestroika were the agreement and its secret protocol condemned. Since the rise of Vladimir Putin, official history policy in Russia has aimed at a positive presentation of the Soviet past. This includes a positive assessment of Stalinist foreign policy. The Soviet reading of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact is once again riding high. But among the general public and historians, the topic remains controversial.
(Osteuropa 7-8/2009, pp. 257–272)