"I have the feeling that this Moscow Pact will at some time or other exact vengeance upon National Socialism"
About this Quote
Alfred Rosenberg, a prominent Nazi ideologue, expresses hesitation and foreboding in his statement about the Moscow Pact-- formally called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Checked in August 1939, this non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union surprised the world, as the two countries had actually been ideological enemies: one fascist, the other communist.
Rosenberg's apprehension about the treaty's long-term effects reflects a deep ideological dispute within National Socialism itself. As the chief architect of Nazi ideology, Rosenberg emphatically opposed communism, viewing it as a universal Jewish plot and a main existential threat to Aryan supremacy. His quote exposes a fear that such a pact with the ideological arch-enemy could backfire on the Nazi regime.
In spite of the short-lived strategic advantages the treaty provided-- such as Germany preventing a two-front war and protecting Soviet resources-- Rosenberg anticipated a fundamental contradiction. By lining up with the Soviet Union, albeit temporarily, the Nazis compromised their ideological purity and core principles. The "revenge" Rosenberg anticipated might be translated as the eventual unraveling or corruption of National Socialist suitables, resulting in internal dissent or a betrayal by the Soviet Union, which undoubtedly materialized with Operation Barbarossa in 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, shattering the pact.
Moreover, Rosenberg's quote could imply a more supernatural or karmic retribution-- a belief that jeopardizing ideological integrity for short-term gains would, in some cosmic sense, cause the failure of National Socialism. The pact, then, was not just a political maneuver but also a symbolic deviation that might invoke historical or esoteric consequences.
In essence, Rosenberg's remark reflects the anxious marriage of realpolitik and ideology in Nazi Germany, highlighting the fundamental tensions and contradictions within a routine that navigated in between callous pragmatism and dogmatic fanaticism. His prophetic tone highlights a broader concern within the Nazi leadership about the sustainability of alliances based not on shared worths but on short-term, strategic benefit.
More details
About the Author