The historical profession is nowhere famous for its tolerance, but there are not many countries where historians can expect to pay for their opinions with penal servitude or the firing squad.
Norman DaviesRead
Nowadays, it is no longer possible to maintain that the Nazi-Soviet pact of 23 August 1939 was a fiction invented by bourgeois-imperialist enemies. Everyone has seen the film clips of Herr Ribbentrop landing in Moscow, and of Stalin smiling broadly as Ribbentrop and Molotov signed up side by side.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the historical reality of the Nazi-Soviet pact and dispels myths surrounding it.
Norman Davies highlights the undeniable evidence of the Nazi-Soviet pact, which was established in 1939 and reveals a critical moment in history where two ideologically opposed regimes came together. By referencing the film clips of key figures involved in the signing, he underscores the importance of recognizing this pact as a real event rather than a fictitious narrative created by those who oppose both regimes.
Themes
Nazi-Soviet PactHistoryTruthAlliancePolitics
In practice
Example use cases
In a history class discussing World War II, this quote can highlight the significance of the Nazi-Soviet pact.
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