April 16, 2020

TBT: The Treaty of Rapallo


TBT: The Treaty of Rapallo
The Germans and Russians negotiate at Rapallo. From left: Unknown man, German Chancellor Joseph Wirth, Soviet Commissar of Foreign Trade Leonid Krasin, Commissar of Foreign Affairs Georgy Chicherin, Soviet diplomat Adolf Joffe.

On this day in 1922, two international pariahs – Germany and Bolshevik Russia – signed a pact in Rapallo that gave each side something they wanted. What could possibly go wrong? Well, unfortunately, the agreement sped the path to German rearmament and the horrors of the Second World War that would follow.

Read a more detailed account here, from our March 2012 issue. (Normally subscription access only.)

You Might Also Like

The Outcasts Join Forces
  • March 01, 2012

The Outcasts Join Forces

Pariahs Germany and Soviet Russia make a pact in 1922 that sets the stage for decades of suffering.
The White Émigré Epic
  • November 01, 2018

The White Émigré Epic

Thousands of war refugees are flooding Europe from the East. No, this is not a story of today, but of the world a century ago.
Berlinograd
  • January 01, 2010

Berlinograd

No other part of Europe can match Berlin and its immediate hinterland for having such a prolonged engagement with Russia. In fact, locals sometimes refer to the German capital as Berlinograd.
Soviet Foreign Policy
  • September 03, 2001

Soviet Foreign Policy

A series of articles which deal with Soviet foreign policy. In Part One, we make our way through a series of treaties, pacts and secret alliances during the years leading up to WWII and Germany's attack on Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Best of Russian Life

The Best of Russian Life

We culled through 15 years of Russian Life to select readers’ and editors’ favorite stories and biographies for inclusion in a special two-volume collection. Totalling over 1100 pages, these two volumes encompass some of the best writing we have published over the last two decades, and include the most timeless stories and biographies – those that can be read again and again.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955