ABSTRACT
In recent decades German-Soviet relations have followed, on the whole, the Aristotelian prescripts for Greek tragedies, with each new stage arising out of what preceded it as its necessary consequence. The main landmarks in Soviet-German relations in recent decades, the non-aggression pact of 1939, Adolf Hitler’s decision to invade Russia in 1941, the division of Germany and Russia’s postwar policy in Central Europe remain almost as hotly contested as they were at the time. At the Soviet Communist party congress in March 1939, Stalin called for the restoration of good neighbourly relations with Germany; this call did not pass unnoticed in Germany where the anti-Soviet propaganda was almost at once toned down. German-Soviet relations in autumn 1939 provided a perfect illustration of how even the most abrupt switches can be engineered without undue difficulty. The impact of the war on the Russian attitude towards Germany and things German was not less far reaching.
