Mutual Duplicity

International mutual duplicity is nothing new.

On August 24, 1939, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov for the Soviet Union and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Nazi Germany signed the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, generally known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement. By it, Russia and Germany not only agreed not to attack one another, but conveniently carved up all of Eastern Europe which lay between them. Each diplomat had, figuratively, his fingers crossed behind his back, knowing they would breach the deal the second it suited them. History suggests each was simply buying time to better postition themselves.

Who would be surprised that even the signatories had fake names? Molotov was born Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Skryabin, but adopted the revolutionary name “Molotov”, meaning “hammer”, and von Ribbentrop was born into ordinary circumstances as Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim Ribbentrop, but had an aunt adopt him so as to become “von Ribbentrop”, an indicator of nobility. Even the date of signing was for political reasons backdated to August 23. So much for getting off to a good start.

In a super-extension of “no honour amongst thieves”, each side immediately began to ready for war with the other, the deal seen only as a means to provide breathing room for preparation. Hitler’s Luftwaffe continued its overflights of the borders, looking for weaknesses, and the Wehrmacht continued its war games in preparation for invading Russia. Stalin, having decimated his military’s officer corps in 1937, frantically began to rebuild his army. Each knew exactly what was coming.

As we all know, in the dying days of 1940, while Russia and Germany were still talking about Russia’s entry into WWII on Germany’s side, Hitler unleashed Operation Barbarossa, cutting through Eastern Europe and almost to Moscow like a hot knife through butter. Had he not also had a Western Front, he would likely have succeeded.

History is full of such duplicitous deals, agreements made by two or more parties who have no intention of honouring the treaty, but with every hope that the other will keep faith until they are no longer needed. The 1807 Treaty of Tilsit between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I was almost parallel.

As we watch modern diplomacy wheel and deal to end this or that war or make alliances, let’s not get our hopes up too much that humanity is any less gullible or duplicitous than has been the case to date.