In military history, there's a famous term called "Molotov Cocktail," which originated during the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland in late 1939.
At the beginning of the war, the Soviet army, relying on its formidable military might, launched an overwhelming attack on Finland, sending numerous aircraft to bomb the cities of Helsinki and Turku. This action stirred significant controversy, and as the mouthpiece of the Soviet government, Molotov provided a shocking explanation: "What we dropped on Helsinki were not bombs but relief food for the starving Finnish workers!"
This statement caused an uproar worldwide, and Finnish soldiers and civilians mockingly referred to the Soviet bombs as "Molotov's bread baskets."
Subsequently, in their fight against the Soviet forces, the Finns borrowed a tactic from the Spanish Civil War where they used molotov cocktails to counter enemy tank units. They produced many of these incendiary bottles to attack Soviet tanks. This tactic was simple yet effective, causing significant casualties to the Soviets despite their advanced and numerous weaponry. The Finns took out their frustrations on Molotov, naming these bottles "Molotov's cocktail" as a retort. Due to mistranslation by Western media, this phrase was distorted to "Molotov Cocktail," a name that has endured to this day.
From 1930 to 1953, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was the Soviet Union's "second-in-command," overseeing agriculture, foreign affairs, economics, and transportation at various times.
Despite not possessing exceptional talent, he always played the role of Stalin's chief aide due to his outstanding clerical abilities and extensive experience in office politics. However, when Molotov ignored the existing political and economic contradictions of the Soviet Union in the mid-1950s and tried to continue Stalinist policies, Khrushchev decisively removed him. The "second-in-command" could only spend the rest of his life reminiscing about his past leader and died quietly thirty years later.
Now, this Soviet "second-in-command" was holding a newspaper, with beads of sweat streaming down his face as if they cost nothing.
Wilhelm displayed a devilish smile. "Foreign Minister Molotov claims there's nothing to this, so even if we publish this newspaper, it would have no effect, right? I wonder what Comrade Stalin's reaction would be after reading it? Whether this newspaper gets published or not is up to you."
"!!" Molotov instinctively checked the publication date of the newspaper—it was tomorrow!
Molotov shakily took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and declared with utmost conviction, "I will absolutely not betray my motherland!"
Wilhelm scoffed dismissively. "You can't even protect your own wife, and you talk about loyalty?"
Molotov's wife, Polina Semyonovna Zhemchuzhina, was Jewish, and she was recently sent to a labor camp.
Interestingly, even in the original timeline without the golden heist event, Polina Zhemchuzhina still faced imprisonment.
According to Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan's memoirs, in the early 1930s, Stalin was very receptive to Polina Zhemchuzhina's opinions (she was good friends with Stalin's second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva). She suggested to the leader the need to develop the cosmetics industry, as women needed not only soap but also perfumes and cosmetics.
Zhemchuzhina initially led a soap-cosmetics industrial trust, and by the summer of 1936, she became the head of the Main Administration of Soap and Cosmetics Industry of the People's Commissariat for Food Industry. A year later, she was the Deputy People's Commissar of the Food Industry.
Mikoyan wrote, "She came from the working class, was very capable and energetic, quick-minded, and had organizational skills, fully competent in her duties. Apart from her merits, I have nothing to say about her. Under her leadership, the work in this field was carried out so smoothly that I could set her the task of ensuring Soviet perfumes were not inferior to those from Paris in quality. At that time, she generally succeeded in this task: perfume production reached modern levels, and our best perfumes were recognized."
In January 1939, Stalin appointed her as the People's Commissar for Fisheries, ordering her election as a deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Soviet Union. She was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of the Red Star, and the Medal of Honour.
However, in that year, Stalin's attitude towards Molotov changed dramatically; Molotov suddenly received an appointment to the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, while his wife encountered increasingly severe troubles.
First, the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) opened a case against her, accusing her of connections with "enemies of the people and spies." Although, according to these accusations, Stalin himself should have been interrogated first, as he was the one who appointed these people to high positions and later declared them enemies.
On August 10, 1939, the Politburo passed a top-secret resolution entered into the "Special Files." It stated that Molotov's wife (her name deliberately omitted here) "showed imprudence and confusion in her associations, resulting in numerous hostile spies gathering around Comrade Zhemchuzhina, thus unwittingly facilitating their espionage activities."
The Politburo tasked the NKVD with "a thorough examination of all materials relating to Zhemchuzhina." The clever folks at the NKVD quickly fabricated evidence of her involvement in "harmful espionage activities" and submitted it to the Central Committee.
However, Stalin temporarily spared her; undermining Molotov's prestige was enough for him at that time. On October 24, 1939, the Politburo reviewed Zhemchuzhina's behavior again. Some of the more serious accusations against her were deemed "slanderous," but the charge of her being "imprudent and confused" was included in the resolution.
Khrushchev's memoirs also touched on this incident. "A strong-willed woman left the impression of being a good worker and comrade. Stalin held her in high regard. Zhemchuzhina's chest was adorned with many medals, all rightfully earned without causing any gossip. Suddenly, Stalin's wrath descended on Zhemchuzhina, and even now, I can't find any explanation for it. The specific charges were brought up by Shkiriatov. Zhemchuzhina defended herself. Although at the time I believed Stalin was right and stood by him, deep down, I admired her."
Zhemchuzhina was removed from her position as People's Commissar for Fisheries, demoted to a much lower role, and transferred to the People's Commissariat for Light Industry of the Republic as the head of the Main Administration of Textile Industry.
Molotov dared not speak a word in her defense but cast an abstention vote during the decision-making, which was the only and, at that time, considered a brave action.