The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

Manchukuo and broke relations with Soviet Union. Through this period of time in
Hungary there was a gradual rise of power of the fascist Arrow Cross Party. 16
In the late August 1939, when the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact was negotiated
and eventually signed the situation in Central Europe was not only complicated
as through the whole interwar period, but also uncertain about the future.
Czechoslovakia was in the worst situation as it was divided and both parts were
dominated by Reich, although Czech part was formally an autonomy
administrative division and was not annexed to the Reich and theoretically
sovereign state - Slovakia, which authorities agreed in a secret pact to make its
economy and foreign policy dependent on Reich. Romania and Hungary had
their economies strongly connected with Reich, but Hungary also directed its
policy in the same way as Reich did, while Romanian authorities tried to have
good political relations with Great Britain and France. Finally Poland which was
theoretically and practically independent, but felt the threat of German military
action. Concerning relations with Soviet Union, Hungary had no relations with it
since March 1939, Romania was unsure because of the territorial problem of
Bessarabia, and Poland having a non-aggression pact with Soviet Union.
Since the beginning of 1939 there were some rumours about the negotiations
between Reich and Soviet Union. Hardly anybody took them serious, because the
opposition between both political systems could not be bigger. The Ribbentrop-
Molotov Pact, which was formally a non-aggression pact, was a kind of surprise,
but the military action against Poland, so the effect of the secret pact making an
alliance, was a like a bewilderment for Europe and for Poland.
This whole part presenting what happened in the interwar period was
necessary to explain the situation on the eve of the outbreak of World War II.
Central Europe after World War I appeared as an undefined region, with so called
national countries, many border and minority problems, without international
recognition and international relations. Activity at the European area let those
countries to come out of the 'dead ground' in politics and economy. Through the
several years after WWI they developed a system of international connections
and alliances, which stabilised their situation. Multipolar Europe, with the
balance of powers and middle class countries, connected with multilateral and
bilateral agreements, treaties and non-aggression pact let people hope that the
experience of the Great War would never come back. Unfortunately Europe in
the 30s started to polarise and divide into blocks and the national interests
predominated over general ideas and values so commonly shared just a few years
earlier, after the WWI.
In my opinion recollecting past times is useful with the comparision to the
current situation, following the sentence Historia est magistra vitae. Taking a look
at the situation in Europe at the turn of the second decade in 21st century, conduct
me to the conclusion that we are definitely in a better situation. A huge number of
16 KOCHANOWSKI, Jerzy: Węgry. Od ugody do ugody 1867-1990. Trio, Warsaw, 1997. 86-98.
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