russian march february november soviet politician diplomat leading figure soviet government 1920s rose power protégé served chairman premier minister foreign affairs served deputy premier dismissed central committee retired years obscurity principal soviet nazi soviet non aggression pact known pact important provisions added form secret protocol stipulated invasion poland partition territory germany soviet_union effectively marked beginning world war soviet_union unofficial ally nazi_germany period german invasion period knew massacre committed soviet authorities following end world war great patriotic war involved negotiations western allies noted diplomatic skills kept place leading soviet diplomat politician march year losing favour lost foreign affairs ministry leadership relationship deteriorated complaining mistakes speech 19th party congress death opposed policy defended policies legacy death harshly criticised successors especially biography early life career born russian village son shop clerk contrary commonly repeated error related composer teen years described shy quiet assisting father business educated secondary school joined soon organisation radical faction headed took pseudonym derived russian word hammer political work owing industrial ring arrested spent years exile enrolled joined editorial staff new underground newspaper called meeting time association project association future soviet leaders proved brief result immediate close political association worked called professional revolutionary years writing party press attempting better organize underground party moved moscow time outbreak world war moscow following year arrested party activity time deported eastern siberia escaped exile returned capital city called regime thought sounded excessively german member committee february revolution occurred standing capital direction took left oppose formed revolution returned capital reversed line party leader arrived overruled despite protégé close alliance owed later prominence member planned october revolution effectively brought power sent ukraine civil war breaking military man took fighting secretary recalled moscow membership putting charge party voted non voting member held office responsible secretary married soviet politician responsible criticised noting stupid behaviour advice central committee decided reduce work hours general secretary facto second secretary young follower admired open criticism patronage member power struggles followed death remained loyal supporter rivals later finally leading figure centre party included supporters called whilst corrected comrades referring stone saying actually dubbed iron outward concealed sharp mind great administrative talent operated mainly scenes cultivated image example leader wore suit tie replaced secretary held position august lengthy address told members soviet government initiate compulsory campaign solve soviet agriculture december chairman equivalent western head government succeeded post oversaw regime agriculture followed line combination force propaganda crush peasant resistance including millions peasants property labour camps enormous number died exposure signed law personally led grain delivery ukraine seized reported million tonnes grain peasants widespread famine known ukraine contemporary historians estimate seven million people died starvation labour camps process farm oversaw implementation year plan rapid head party organisation killed believed death ordered death triggered second crisis great purge people government executed orders carried successive police chiefs chief involved processes frequently required members sign death prominent purge victims question record attempting moderate course save individuals soviet officials great purge personally approved documented execution lists soviet official including known openly discussed signed public decree ongoing great purge private death supported great purge executions carried government despite great human cost soviet_union nominal great adoption widespread implementation industrial technology document written noted starvation problems soviet_union general told personally incidents involving mothers eating newly born children rise adolf_hitler nazi_germany precipitated development modern armaments industry orders soviet government ultimately arms industry american aid helped soviet_union prevail world war great patriotic war set leadership participated weakened soviet_union defence capacity contributed military disasters caused war led agriculture replacement agriculture left legacy chronic agricultural production soviet regime fully reported vegetarian american journalist claimed drank note despite attending minister foreign affairs following munich agreement hitler subsequent invasion czechoslovakia believed britain france reliable allies german expansion instead sought nazi_germany dismissed appointed succeed succeeded post premier hitler rebuffed soviet diplomatic hints desired treaty early august hitler authorised foreign minister begin negotiations trade agreement concluded august august flew moscow conclude formal non aggression treaty treaty known pact hitler decided content treaty important agreement secret protocol provided partition poland finland nazi germany soviet_union soviet annexation romania protocol gave hitler green light invasion poland began september march gave note ordering execution polish officers anti soviets known massacre terms pact hitler effect given occupy thirds lithuania given free hand relation finland soviet finnish war ensued combination fierce finnish resistance soviet resulted finland losing parts territory independence pact later amended lithuania soviet sphere exchange favourable border poland led horrific suffering loss life countries occupied november sent berlin meet adolf_hitler january british foreign secretary visited turkey attempt turks enter war allies purpose visit anti german anti soviet assumed series conversations italian ambassador claimed soviet_union soon faced anglo turkish invasion british historian argued basis statements appear early viewed britain germany principal threat pact governed soviet german relations june hitler having occupied france britain turned east attacked soviet_union responsible telling soviet people attack instead announced war speech broadcast radio june characterised soviet_union role similar articulated britain winston_churchill early wartime speeches established soon speech elected chairman elected deputy chairman following german invasion conducted urgent negotiations britain later united_states wartime alliances took secret flight glasgow scotland greeted risky flight high altitude bomber flew german occupied denmark north_sea took train london discuss british government possibility opening second germany signing left washington united_states met president united_states ratified lend lease treaty ussr british united_states government albeit promised open second germany flight ussr plane attacked german fighters later soviet fighters told manhattan_project importance man charge soviet atomic bomb project leadership bomb project developed slowly replaced advice american president told americans created bomb seen relayed conversation told speed development orders soviet government substantially increased investment project collaboration contributed musically lyrically version soviet national anthem asked writers include line peace role making new soviet anthem words historian acting music judges accompanied conference following defeat germany represented soviet_union created united_nations period wartime alliance known tough determined defender soviet interests lost position deputy chairman march reformed took conferences foreign ministers victorious states world war general distinguished attitude western powers direction soviet government condemned marshall plan claimed dividing europe camps capitalist communist response soviet_union nations initiated known plan plan created relations states eastern_europe soviet_union later evolved postwar period power began decline clear sign position inability prevent arrest december treason jewish wife long stopped loving wife said ordered dinner evening remind words suffered according close collaborator beginning israel minister visited soviet_union met privately immediately afterward arrested accused ties organisations kept year exiled years obscure russian city communication save news told freed immediately death according said beautiful intelligent woman minister soviet_union real real soviet person replaced foreign minister retaining position deputy premier membership post war career 19th party congress elected replacement listed members newly established secret body known indicating fallen favour 19th congress said committed grave mistakes including publication wartime speech winston_churchill favourable soviet_union wartime efforts falling favour rapidly telling want anymore birthday treated disgust speech 20th party told delegates plans finishing aftermath 19th congress following death realignment leadership strengthened position successor post premier minister foreign affairs march seen likely successor immediate aftermath death sought leader soviet_union established immediately death consisting ended supported removal later execution orders new party secretary soon emerged new leader soviet_union presided gradual domestic foreign policy shown reconciliation government yugoslavia expelled communist movement old guard increasingly place new environment represented soviet_union geneva conference events led downfall began february launched unexpected 20th attacked 1930s defeats early years world war blamed overly attitude hitler senior collaborators alive played leading role obvious examination past probably result fall power consequently leader old guard tried overthrow june removed foreign minister june expelled following failed attempt remove secretary faction initially won vote remove refused resign decided lasted june faction defeated eventually banished ambassador associates denounced anti party group notably subject physical marked years appointed soviet representative seen partial rehabilitation 22nd party congress carried campaign including removal body removed positions expelled communist_party party documents files erased authorities retirement remained totally role rule suffered heart attack january sino soviet split reported agreed criticisms supposed policies according daughter recalled wife telling father genius revolutionary spirit china hope kept alive revolutionary spirit rehabilitation death beliefs legacy signs rehabilitation seen rule information allowed included soviet connection support work mentioned published eventually disappeared altogether mid soviet leader allowed seek membership communist_party collection interviews published remembers inside politics died rule november years old time death buried cemetery moscow like crucial information disappeared said listen necessary check intelligence officer lead dangerous position continued claim series published interviews secret territorial deal hitler nazi soviet pact like recognised cold war international event saw cold war everyday conflict communism capitalism divided capitalist countries groups smart dangerous retirement proposed establishing socialist confederation believed socialist states bigger entity retirement criticised right wing cocktail term coined winter war generic variety improvised weapons winter war soviet air force extensive use cluster bombs finnish troops fortifications claimed radio broadcasts bombing delivering food started air bombs bread soon responded attacking advancing tanks drink food according cocktail cult personality vain premier surely appreciate winston_churchill wartime memoirs lists meetings acknowledging man outstanding ability cold churchill concluded conduct foreign affairs welcome company world allow end years final collapse soviet_union government formally denounced pact acknowledging bloody annexation partition poland illegal january appeal accused soviet officials organizing man famine ukraine known court criminal proceedings deaths decorations awards hero socialist labour orders including order october revolution order labour order badge honour medal defence moscow medal victory germany great patriotic war medal great patriotic war medal commemoration anniversary moscow
Vyacheslav Molotov