Figure 1.--Stalin socialized with the small group of associates that he appointed to rule the Soviet Union. One of his cloest associate and a rare Bolshevik to survive Stalin's purges was Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov. Here Motoltov is pictured at Stalin's Dacha with their children. Their girls were both naned Svetlana. The boy is presumably Vasily, both children of his second wife. Stalin set his sights on Molotov after the War. His first step was to have Molotov's Jewish wife, Polina Zhemchuzhina, arrested and sentenced to the Gulag. She had comforted Stalin's wife after Stalin beat her--leading to her suiside. Stalin's Svetlana of course would defect to the United States and provide details about her father and their family life.

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a leading Soviet politician and diplomat amd staunch supporter of Josef Stalin. He was born in Kukarka (now Sovetsk in Kirov Oblast). His father was a shop clerk--not the best credetials for a Soviet leader. He developed revolutionary ideas at an early age. Molotov like Stalin was a revolutionary nom de guerre. He was also one of the few Old Bolsheviks to die a natural death. He becme a leading figure in the Soviet government as an early protégé of Joseph Stalin (1920s). Molotov served as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (Premier) (1930-41). As such, it was Molotov as Primier who announced Stalin's Collectivization Program leading to the murdereous NKVD campaign against the peasantry and the Ukranian Famine. He then served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1939-49 and again after Stalin's death (1953-56). He also served as First Deputy Premier from (1942-57). Molotov became the foreign face of the Soviet Union. First this was with the NAZIs. As Foreign Minister, he was the principal Soviet signatory of the infamous NAZI–Soviet Non-aggression Pact which essentially launched World war II. It was also referred tom as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The key provisions were a secret protocol that set out the partioning of Poland and essentially Eastern Europe. The Soviets also agreed to supply vast quantities of critical war material to the NAZI war machine. Molotov knew of the attrocities and war crimes committed by the NKVD in the Soviet Union and areas occupied by the Red Army such as the Katyn massacre. Molotov negotiated with the NAZIs, primarily on issues concerning the partioning of Eastern Europe, visting Berlin, meeting with Hitler (November 1940). The Non-aggression Pact made the Soviet Union and NAZI Germany allies held until the German invasion (June 1941). At this pont, Molotov began diplomatic contats with the Western Allies and this continued after the War. He was regognized for his diplomatic skills and his blunt, determined, and forceful opponent of Western policies. This continued until 1948 when he abrutly lost Stalin's favor. We are not entirely sure why, but suspect that Stalin felt Molotov knew too much. The first sign was stalin ordering the arrest of his Jewish wife, Polina Zhemchuzhina for treason (1948). And then Stalin replaced him as Forign Minister with Andrei Vyshinsky (1949). It is not known with any certainty what caused Stalin' state of mind. Stalin also was upset with mentioned Molotov's speech at the 19th Party Congress (1952). here is no way of knowing what was involvd here, but because Beria also had lost Stalin's favor, it was probably Stalin's way of beginning the process of doingway with the two men most of aware of Stalin's involvement in terible attrocitoes. In Molotov's case, he was an uncomfotable reminder of Stalin's alliance with Hitler. Khrushchev reports that Stalin had plans for 'finishing off' Molotov and Mikoyan. Surprisingly, as he was about to be purged, Molotov after Stalin's death was a leading opponnt of Khrushchev's De-Stalinization effort. Nikita Khrushchev after achieving control of the Soviet Union dismissed him from the Presidium of the Central Committee for opposing his Destaninization effort. Molotov staunchly defended the policies and legacy of Stalin until his death in 1986. Even more surprisingly, his wife Polina Zhemchuzhina also defended Stalin after her release from the Gulag. He sharply criticised Stalin's successors, especially Khrushchev. Apprently he did not object to the killing and Gulag, he just did not want to be one of the victims. a factor here is that if he repudiated Stalin, he would have been repudiating his own political carer and achievements.

Early Life

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a leading Soviet politician and diplomat amd staunch supporter of Josef Stalin. He was born in Kukarka (now Sovetsk in Kirov Oblast). His father was a shop clerk--not the best credetials for a Soviet leader.

The Revolution

Molotov developed revolutionary ideas at an early age. Molotov like Stalin was a revolutionary nom de guerre. He was also one of the few Old Bolsheviks to die a natural death.

Stalinist Policies (1930s)

Molotov becme a leading figure in the Soviet government as an early protégé of Joseph Stalin (1920s). We are not sure just what Stalin saw in Molotov. He was unquenstionably lyal and neve challenged Stalin. There were, howwevr, no shortage of such people. Perhaps Molotov supported Stalin from an early point. Probably saw talents in Molotov that could be useful. Molotov served as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (Premier) (1930-41). As such, it was Molotov as Primier who announced Stalin's Collectivization Program leading to the murdereous NKVD campaign against the peasantry and the Ukranian Famine. He then served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1939-49 and again after Stalin's death (1953-56).

World War II (1939-45)

Molotov became the foreign face of the Soviet Union. First this was with the NAZIs. Stlalin chosen Molotov to replace Maxim Litvinov as Foreign Minister (Commissar of Foreign Affairs). Litvinov was Jewish. (Not religiously Jewish, that was not possible among the Soviet leadership, but ethnically Jewish.) He made his name as the Soviet Government's roaming ambassador. He played an importanbr role in convincing Britain to end its economic blockade of the Soviet Union. He helped negotiate several important trade agreements. Stlain appointed Litvinov as Commissar of Foreign Affairs. He was strongly committed to collective security. He was the modst importance voice within Stalin's inner circle for closer relationships with France and Britain and with the rise of Hitler and the NAZIs for the Common Front. Stalin's choice of Molotov camed after British Prime-Minister Chambelain's disaterous perminmance at the Munich Conference (September 1938). Not often mentioned, but part of Chamberlain's willingness to appease Hitler was belief that Germany was needed to contain growing Soviet power. Stalin saw Munich as the British attempt to direct NAZI aggression east toward the Sobiet Union. And replacing Litvinov wih Molotov was the the first step in adjusting Soviet forein policy. It should be noted that before World War II and the German Blitzkreig successes, that there were many in Moscow who saw the British as a greater danger than the Germans. (Like the Germans, the Soviets did not yet take America seriously because of its small military and lack of engagement in Europe.) As Foreign Minister, Molotov was the principal Soviet signatory of the infamous NAZI–Soviet Non-aggression Pact which essentially launched World war II. It was also referred tom as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The key provisions were a secret protocol that set out the partioning of Poland and essentially Eastern Europe. The Soviets also agreed to supply vast quantities of critical war material to the NAZI war machine. Molotov knew of the atrocities and war crimes committed by the NKVD in the Soviet Union and areas occupied by the Red Army such as the Katyn massacre. Molotov negotiated with the NAZIs, primarily on issues concerning the partioning of Eastern Europe, visting Berlin, meeting with Hitler (November 1940). He disturbed the NAZIs because of his bluntness. He was becoming exasperated with the Germans because they were not fufilling their commitment to provide manufactured goods and weapons in exchange for the critical raw materials the Soviets were shipping to Germany. The Germans addured him that they had won the War. Molotov inquired during a British air raid, if that was the case why they had to retire to an air raid shelter. The Non-aggression Pact making the Soviet Union and NAZI Germany allies held until the German invasion (June 1941). At this pont, Molotov began diplomatic contats with the Western Allies and this continued after the War. Molotov negotiated and signing the Anglo–Soviet Treaty (May 26, 1942). He then traveled to Washington, D.C. where he met with President Roosevelt and ratified a Lend-Lease Treaty. The British and the Americans committed to opening a second front against the NAZIs. It was a trip not without drama. Connections with the West were sttill dangerous at this stage of the War. On his flight back to Moscow, his plane was attacked by German fighters and then also by Soviet fighters. [ [Montefiore, pp. 417–18.] Molotov was regognized for his diplomatic skills and his blunt, determined, and forceful opponent of Western policies. He also served as First Deputy Premier from (1942-57). Following the German invasion, Molotov conducted urgent negotiations with Britain and, later, the United States for wartime alliances. He took a secret flight to Glasgow, Scotland, where he was greeted by Eden. This risky flight, in a high altitude Tupolev TB-7 bomber, flew over German occupied Denmark and the North Sea. From there he took a train to London to discuss with the British government the possibility of opening a second front against Germany. It was a topic that Stalin and Molotov always brought up. The fact that their pact with the NAZIs was the principal reason that the Germans were able to destroy the French Army. And this was the reason the Red Army had to face the Wehrmachy alone. Beria told Stalin about the Manhattan Project and its importance (1942). Stalin initially chose Molotov lead the Soviet atom bomb project. When little progress was made, Stalin replaced Molotov with Beria (1944). The mastermind behind the Soviet bomb, Igor Kurchatov, advised Stalin to do so. [Montefiore, p. 508.]

Cold War

Molotov was involved in the early phase of the Cold War which began with while World War II was still in priocess by actions taken against the Polish Government-in-Exile, at the time an ally fighting the NAZIs. Molotov was at Stalin's side at the World War II coferences: Teheran (1943), Yalta (1945), and Potsdam (1945). The last two conferences were shiufting over to Cold War issues, especially as President Truman begn to take a harder line with Stalin, although few in the West were aware that Stalin had even launced the Cold War. Conflict ws inevitable. Stalin expected the United states to withdraw from Europe after the War as it had done after World War I. President Roosevelt had even told him that this would occur. This would have meant the Soviets could dominate Europe. Resistance to Soviet domination meant a four decade struggle. Molotov represented the Soviet Union at the United Nations Conference in San Francisco (April-June 1945). Even during the period of wartime alliance, Molotov as with the NAZIs was a tough negotiator and a determined defender of Soviet interests through the Communist prism. President Truman made it clear when the two met that he would be no push over. Molotov complained that he jad never been talked to like that. The President responded, than keep your coimmitments. Molotov lost his prestgious place as First Deputy Chairman (March 1946) when the Council of People's Commissars was reformed as the Council of Ministers. From 1945 to 1947, Molotov as Foreign Minister led the Soviet Delegation at all four conferences of foreign ministers of the victorious World War II powers. His basic stance was an uncooperative attitude towards the Western powers. Molotov condemned the American Marshall Plan as imperialistic plot and charged it was spliting Europe into antagoinistic capitalist and communist camps. This was not what Stalin and Molotov wanted. They wanted an all Communidt Europe. Actually the Soviet could have participated in the Marshall Plan, but not if they cintinued to insit on installing suplicant Communist police states in Eastern Europe. Stalin ordered all the subject states in his Eastern European empire to reject the Marshall Plan. Instead, the Soviets responded with the Molotov Plan. It was the Soviet program to promote economic recovery and the introduction od socialist, plnned economices. It which would become the forerunner for the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON, 1949-91). [Roberts, pp. 284–85.] What would be a shock to Stalin, Molotov, and the Eastern European Commnunists were shovked to watch capitalism ignitec economic miracles in the West, but their Eastern European empire would recover so slowly and never even approach the prosperity of the West. Molotov was a key figure in those first few years of the Cold War. NBut then something happened and it is not at all clear what it was that truggerd that chage. Stalin for some reason ended his close associarion with Molotov (1948). He did not have Molotoiv arrested, but Stalin began slowly distancing himself from Molotov and begin to remove him from leadership positions. As a result, Molotov did not play a major role in the Cold War as he had played in establishing the Stalinist system and World War II.

Down Fall (1948)

Molotov's place in the Soviet firmanent changed dramatically after World War II. It was not immediately apparent as Molotov played abn important role in the World War II coinferences, including the 1945 conferences that dealt wih post-War issues as well as the four post-War foreign minister conferences (1945-47). He also oversaw The Molotov Plan, Stanin's answe toi ghe American Marshall Plan (1947). But something happended that caused Stalin to chanbge his assessment of Molotov and we are not sure what it was (1948). Molotov's renoval as First Deputy Chairman (March 1946) when the Council of People's Commissars was reformed as the Council of Ministers may have been the beginning of Stalin's reassessment, but it is clear that by 1948 something had changed. Stalin had Polina Zhemchuzhina, Molotov's beloved wife arrested for treason (December 1948). She was Jewish and Stalin had distrusted her for some time. [Brown, pp. 199–201.] Zhemchuzhina was an childhood friend of Golda Meir who was the Israeli ambassador to the Soviet Uniin (Nobember 1948). Stalin had toyed with Zionism because of the socialist component, but by time had decided to back the Arabs. This was surely a factor, but Stalin would not have done this if he still saw Molotov as a valuable associate. Molotov had no doubt that the action was aimed at him. [Johnson, p. 527.] We are not entirely sure why, but suspect that Stalin felt Molotov knew too much. The first sign was Stalin ordering the arrest of his Jewish wife, Polina Zhemchuzhina for treason (1948). And then Stalin replaced him as Forign Minister with Andrei Vyshinsky (1949). It is not known with any certainty what caused Stalin' state of mind. Molotov lost his long-time position as Foreign Minister (1949). Stalin replace him with Andrey Vyshinsky. For a time, he retained his position as First Deputy Premier and membership on the Politburo. [Montefiore, p. 604.] At the 19th Party Congress, Molotov was elected to the replacement for the Politburo and the Presidium, but was not listed among the members of the newly established secret body known as the Bureau of the Presidium. Stalin's was clearly removing him from the leadership. [Brown, p. 231.] Khreshev reports in his memoirs that both Molotov and Anastas Mikoyan were increasinglu nervous and would show up at social events with Stalin even when not invited. [Khrushchev] Stalin was uopset with Molotov and Mikoyan at the 19th Party Congress (1952). He complained that they published a wartime speech by Winston Churchill. [Montefiore, p. 640.] Stalin reportedly told telling Beria, Khrushchev, Malenkov and Nikolai Bulganin that he did not want to see Molotov and Mikoyan around anymore. At his 73rd birthday, Stalin was reportedly rude to both. [Montefiore, p. 645-47.] There is no way of knowing what was involved here, because Beria also had lost Stalin's favor. It was probably Stalin's way of beginning the process of doingway with the two men (Molotov and Beria) most of aware of ythe details Stalin's involvement in terible atrocitoes. In Molotov's case, he was an uncomfotable reminder of Stalin's alliance with Hitler. Khrushchev reports that Stalin had plans for 'finishing off' Molotov and Mikoyan. [Khrushchev]

Destalinization(1956)

Surprisingly, as he was about to be purged, Molotov after Stalin's death was a leading opponnt of Khrushchev's De-Stalinization effort. Nikita Khrushchev after achieving control of the Soviet Union dismissed him from the Presidium of the Central Committee for opposing his Destaninization effort. Molotov staunchly defended the policies and legacy of Stalin until his death in 1986. Even more surprisingly, his wife Polina Zhemchuzhina also defended Stalin after her release from the Gulag. He sharply criticised Stalin's successors, especially Khrushchev. Apprently he did not object to the killing and Gulag, he just did not want to be one of the victims. A factor here is that if he repudiated Stalin, he would have been repudiating his own political carer and achievements.

Sources

Brown, Archie. The Rise & Fall of Communism (Bodley Head: 2009).

Johnson, Paul. A History of the Jews (1987).

Khrushchev, Nikita. Edward Crankshaw, intro, commentary, and notes. Strobe Talbott, trans. and ed. Khrushchev Remembers (Little Brown: Boston, 1970), 639p.

Montefiore, Simon Jonsthn Sebag. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar (Vintage Books: 2005).

Roberts, Geoffrey (1999). The Soviet Union in World Politics: Coexistence, Revolution, and Cold War, 1945–1991 (Routledge:1999).

Created: 3:12 AM 10/25/2015
Last updated: 11:10 AM 7/17/2018