Revisiting Molotov Ribbentrop Pact is, timely

Historians never understood the geoeconomics coup by the Fuhrer when he consented for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact to be signed on 23/8/1939 in Moscow. On the face of it, it was just a non-aggression treaty between Germany and Russia but beneath it lays an intricate web of geopolitical and geoeconomics and geostrategy play.

When Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop authenticated the Pact it was a moment when East met West with open arms. Intended to last for ten years the covenant was short-lived mainly due to the stand Anglo-American coalition took against this strategic agreement.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in nutshell

1. A dual zone of influence came into being in Baltics. Both countries agreed to divide Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as far as administratively and militarily feasible

2. Stalin greenlighted the German invasion of Poland that took place on 1/9/1939 after nine days from the execution of the Pact. Hitler Okayed Soviet forces taking over the Eastern part of Poland and a portion in Baltic States as agreed. Seemingly, Poland was divided between these two nations

3. Both parties agreed that neither of them would aid nor ally with countries who are deemed enemies, either or for both Germany and Russia

4. What was not mentioned in the covenant was that Soviet Union would liberally supply oil & gas to Germany below the market price. Admittedly. The quantum was neither specified nor disclosed.

Aftermath of the Pact

Anglo-British leaders was aghast at this Pact because Germany got the energy to fight a long war even during the approaching winter of 1939 and thereafter. So they conspired and fed wrong facts about Soviet intention to German secretariat using moles and spies embedded in political and military circles therein. Consequently, the Fuhrer ordered “Operation Barbarossa” to save Soviet Union from the clutches of communism which not only destroyed Romanovs but was bent upon creating chaos across the vast stretch of Russian land. Hence, the Molotov- Ribbentrop Pact got axed on 22/6/1941.

Revisiting Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

Then and now Germany has the perennial problem of lack of energy sources within. Hence, these have to be acquired without. Present Russia has plenty of it. Moreover, she has the willingness to supply it to Germany. Anticipating this eventuality Anglo-Saxons conspiracy blasted both lines of Nord Stream I and one line of Nord Stream 2.  Not everything is lost; there is still one of the pipelines of Nord Stream 2 in good repair.

Russia has already suggested Gerhard Schroeder as suitable negotiator for Germany to initiate discussion. Putin also has the services of skilled Russian trouble shooter Kirill Dimitriev from his side.

Molotov- Ribbentrop lasted only 22 months. Dimiriev-Shroeder Pact could last forever, if both Germany and Russia agree to bury the hatchet for the well-being of German & Russian populace. History has examples for the emergence of this type of unity. French and English people in Canada formed a Federation in July 1867 after a century of bitter hostility.

Navigating strategy amid geoeconomics compels both Germany and Russia to join hands as the Canadians did in the last century!

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff

Strategy Adviser

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Strategy Adviser

 

 

 

Stufenplan, winning foreign policy by Hitler

One of the great achievement by the Fuhrer is the winning Foreign Policy implemented during the formative period of 1933 to 36 that laid the foundation for Germany to become a united, strong country with great geoeconomics potential. The secret is stufenplan meaning step-by step plan. Details below:

Preamble

German historian Andreas Hillgruber introduced a graduated foreign policy framework called ‘stufenplan’ which once implemented would enhance geoeconomics, geopolitics and geostrategy strength of the Aryan nation. The step-by step move when augmented resulted in making the Third Reich the most powerful sate on earth. 

Here are the steps

1. Mitigating the effects of Treaty of Versailles. This treaty manacled Germany such that she could not function as an independent military nation. The Wehrmacht must be subservient to the allies including Britain and France. Secondly Germany was forced to join the League of Nations eschewing any military strengthening on her part. Therefore, the Fuhrer has to make two studied decisions:

a) Leave the League of Nations in 1934 which implemented all those restrictions mandated by the Treaty of Versailles upon Germany including capping of army personnel along with naval and land based military assets

b) Hitler ordered militarizing Rhineland which had a 50 KM non-militarized zone especially bordering France to ensure Germany is capped within. By the way, Rhineland was bordered by Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland north to south with of course the largest border being with France. As regards to geoeconomics Rhineland was Germany’s industrial belt with coal mines supporting iron & steel industry. Freeing Rhineland from these neighbours required steady & strong militarization that Hitler did in his inimical style

2. Promoting Grossdeutschland a concept that seeks to unite all German people spread across several countries viz: Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland to become one nation. In 1938, Anschluss saw Austria conquered in a matter of days. Besides under terms of the Munich Agreement Britain and France allowed Germany to take Sudetenland in the western part of the then Czechoslovakia which was home to majority German speakers  

3. Lebensraum was the ‘dream come true’ for the Fuhrer. He needed space and resources to make Germany a great geoeconomics powerhouse. For this to be realized the Wehrmacht must bulldoze its way to vast Eastern lands in the Eastern Europe to acquire resources including raw materials, labour to man German Factories in the mainland and equally important in order to  open markets for German finished products. The 1939 invasion of Poland was expedited under the cover of Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement of 1939 which also demonstrated Russian readiness for supplying unlimited crude for German energy needs.

The proof is in the pudding came true in 1935. A plebiscite held in January of that year in the SAAR region bordering France decided to re-join Germany with a 90% votes cast for Aye. The Fuhrer was delighted so was the German nation as a whole. SAAR is not an idle part; she has coal along with heavy iron & steel production factories spread across the region, a plum France hitherto exploited at her will.

The success of stufenplan, in fact, laid the ground for the Fuhrer led Germany to become a strong geoeconomics power, not to forget politically and militarily an unchallenged nation at the same time.

Sadly, today Germany is in the throes of economic and political crisis. More than anything else, a vassal of the Anglo-Saxons!

The only solution available for present Germany is to craft her strategy amid geoeconomics once again.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff

Strategy Adviser

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Strategy Adviser

How Fuhrer managed energy crisis?

Germany suffers from perennial energy crisis since becoming a great power in the Nineteenth Century. Hitler Era of 1933–1945 was marked by the severity of this drawback. Yet the Fuhrer was able to manage it reasonably well, a lesson to the present ruling coalition.

Introduction

Acquiring and using energy resources augment a country’s geoeconomics status. By 1934, Germany was in the throes of an unprecedented energy crisis. Domestic requirements apart, there was a hiked-up demand due to rapid industrialization. Hitler understood the situation well. Given the position that Germany had only coal as resource, maximising returns from coal and minimizing risk of acquiring oil from outside had to be balanced. This is the first frame.

Second frame requires using both domestic resources and foreign inputs in a manner German military industrial complex functions seamlessly. So a wise geoeconomics strategy must be chalked out. Here is the solution framework by Hitler in two prongs: Acquiring resources & managing resources.

Acquiring resources

1. Coal liquefaction using Fischer-Tropsch Process was popularised and a network of factories were established especially by mandating I G Farben to convert coal to synthetic fuel. At one point this source alone supplied more than 90% of energy needs of the nation. Surprisingly, the end-product was also used as air-fuel in addition to powering vehicles and firing domestic furnaces.

2. Acquiring energy resources on a long term contract was chosen as the second prompt in the energy security matrix. The Fuhrer, in fact, travelled to Bucharest, the Imperial Capital of Romania where he met with King Carol II to sign up the deal. Although the monarch wished to be neutral rather than be allied with Germany, the fact that there is not much of the demand for crude from Ploiesti Field by others prompted him to sign up with Fuhrer.

3. Diversifying energy acquisition was attempted in two specific ways:

a) By friendly persuasion: - under the Molotov- Ribbentrop Pact crude was obtained from Russia

b) Using hostile action: - Hitler despatched the Wehrmacht to Caucasus region centred in and around Baku to get the requisite crude. 

Managing resources

The Fuhrer ingenuously arranged a system where quantum of fuel be apportioned for military use and the remaining part for domestic and personal uses. Expectedly, military use was prioritised and a system of rationing was implemented in a graduated manner for personal use where supply of oil for domestic furnaces was preferred over the allowance granted for vehicular needs.

This strategy worked very well until the break-out of the Second World War. The rest is history. What marvels me, is the ingenuity of the Fuhrer in designing this successful acquiring & managing resources framework.

Navigating strategy amid geoeconomics, the Fuhrer was able to solve the energy crisis. Simply put, the present government must follow it.

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff

Strategy Adviser

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Strategy Adviser