Vyacheslav Molotov

Vyacheslav Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat who served as premier and foreign minister under Joseph Stalin. He helped shape Soviet policy before and during World War II.

Joseph Stalin: Joseph Stalin was the Soviet Union’s leader from the late 1920s until his death in 1953. Stalin made Molotov a close subordinate and entrusted him with major government and diplomatic roles.
Soviet invasion of Poland: The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland on 17 September 1939, following Germany’s invasion from the west. The pact’s secret protocol provided the basis for the Soviet move into eastern Poland.
Russian Revolution: The Russian Revolution was the upheaval of 1917 that ended imperial rule and brought the Bolsheviks to power. The revolution created the political order in which Molotov made his career.
Great Purge: The Great Purge was Stalin’s campaign of political repression and mass executions in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. Molotov served in the leadership during the purges and signed execution lists alongside Stalin.
Leon Trotsky: Leon Trotsky was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet leader who was exiled after losing a power struggle with Stalin. Trotsky’s opposition to Stalin contrasts with Molotov’s lasting loyalty to Stalin’s leadership.
Vladimir Lenin: Vladimir Lenin led the Bolshevik Revolution and founded the Soviet state. Molotov joined the Bolsheviks as a young revolutionary and built his career in Lenin’s party.
Winter War: The Winter War was the Soviet Union’s 1939–1940 conflict with Finland. Molotov defended Soviet demands on Finland and the invasion that followed.
Bolsheviks: The Bolsheviks were the revolutionary faction led by Lenin that seized power in Russia in 1917. Molotov joined the Bolsheviks in 1906 and remained a party loyalist throughout his career.
Katyn massacre: The Katyn massacre was the 1940 execution by the Soviet secret police of thousands of Polish prisoners and officials. Molotov’s government concealed Soviet responsibility for the killings for decades.
Nikolai Bukharin: Nikolai Bukharin was a Bolshevik theorist and Soviet leader executed during the Great Purge. Bukharin’s defeat and execution contrast with Molotov’s survival inside Stalin’s leadership.

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