The Classicist

The Classicist: Germany, The Soviet Union, And The Pact That Shaped World War II

Reflections on the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, 80 years later.

The Classicist•August 27, 2019
The Classicist: Germany, The Soviet Union, And The Pact That Shaped World War II

On the 80th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Victor Davis Hanson reflects on how the short-lived German-Soviet treaty shaped the course of World War II — and what it revealed about the leadership styles of both Hitler and Stalin.

Cast

Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson

Related

Podcasts

Trump And The Autocrats: Our New Global Disorder| Michael McFaul (Stanford, Former US Ambassador To Russia)

Hoover Institution fellow Michael McFaul talks about his book, Autocrats vs. Democrats, and the future of American democracy. 

October 14, 2026

Videos

H.R. McMaster Says Witkoff Is "Astonishingly Ignorant" Of Putin's History Of Aggression

Hoover Institution fellow H.R. McMaster discusses negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

October 21, 2026

Articles

Who Needs The Bomb?

The Purpose of Nuclear Deterrence.

October 20, 2026