Spotlight on Vyacheslav Molotov Although Molotovs name is forever associated with the infamous non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, his political career reflects the unpredictable nature of Soviet politics. Molotov had been Stalins faithful confidant and a valuable adviser throughout the 30s and 40s, when he lost the Soviet premiers favor in 1949. After a brief return to power between 1953-56, he sunk into oblivion. Despite Stalin stripping him of power, Molotov remained an ardent supporter of Stalins legacy and policies until his death in 1986. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was born Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Scriabin in Kukarka, Russia in 1890. He assumed the name Molotov in the 1910s when publishing articles in Pravda, which became the official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1918 and 1991. He became involved in revolutionary activities early on, suffered imprisonment and exile as a result. As Stalin rose to power, Molotovs influence also increased. In 1930, he was appointed chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars, a position roughly the equivalent of prime minister. In this position he ruthlessly implemented Stalins severe directives to carry out the countrys rapid and large scale collectivization and industrialization. He signed off on many of the death warrants during the Great Purge. From 1939 till 1949 Molotov served as the Peoples Commissar for Foreign Affairs, that is, the foreign minister for the USSR. He led Soviet foreign policy negotiating with Hitler, Churchill and Roosevelt on many occasions. Besides shaping Soviet foreign policy, he also put his mark on international relations. In 1949 he was replaced by Andrei Vyshinsky. Another clear sign of Molotov falling out of favor with Stalin was the imprisonment of his Jewish wife, Polina. Her ties with Zionist organizations made her suspicious, and she was accused of treason. Molotov could not do anything to prevent her arrest and subsequent exile, but even the persecution of his wife did not succeed in turning him against Stalin. After Stalins death he regained his position as Foreign Minister in 1953, but after his failed attempt to oust Nikita Khrushchev he was banished to an obscure posting in Outer Mongolia. He died in 1986.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:51:06 +0000
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