Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Today in History: Nazi Germany and USSR seal secret non-aggression pact

8/23/2026

50 10

Summary

Story summary

On 24 August 1939, Soviet Premier Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in Moscow. The ten-year non-aggression treaty pledged that neither side would attack the other, while a secret protocol divided northern and eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.

1 of 1

Story summary

On 24 August 1939, Soviet Premier Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact in Moscow. The ten-year non-aggression treaty pledged that neither side would attack the other, while a secret protocol divided northern and eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.