Belarussian historian Vladimir Beshanov calls Russians / Soviets in clear and unambiguous way occupants of Belarus.
Beshanov is a best-selling author of history books in Belarus. His books also have their Polish-language editions.
Vladimir Beshanov is an author of many books, including "Krasnyj Blickrig" ("Red Blitzkrieg").
This book is not only about the Soviet Invasion of Poland in 1939, but also about the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States (chapter "Baltic people with a pistol at their heads") and parts of Romania (chapter "Bessarabia"). One chapter ("Meeting with general Guderian") is also about the joint Soviet-Nazi victory parade in Brest-Litovsk on 22.09.1939. One chapter is ironically titled "Russian style of
democracy". Another chapter is ironically titled "Within the family of
free nations" (after "liberation" by the Soviet Union). Beshanov's book is clearly not a pro-Polish book (he writes about wrongdoings of Polish authorities to Belarussian people), but it is also by no means a pro-Russian book - it describes actions of the Soviet Union in all "liberated" states as occupation.
Already on page 1 of his book, Beshanov quotes the following statement of Comrade Molotov:
"I saw my task of being a minister of foreign affairs [of the USSR] as a task of extending the boundaries of our Homeland as far as possible. It seems to me that together with Comrade Stalin we have accomplished this task quite well." - W. M. Molotov.
And Beshanov adds his comment to this statement:
"With this one statement already retired Comrade Molotov, recollecting events of the old days, characterized the essence of the Bolshevik internal and foreign politics, their unalterable goal of creating a Worldwide Soviet Republic."
Beshanov on the same page also quotes Stalin who said that Soviet calls for peace, international security, defence of homeland against the Nazi Germany, etc., were all: "Just pulling the wool over their eyes, just pulling the wool... All countries do this." - said Joseph Stalin.
On page 3 of his book, Beshanov quotes another historian - A. Avtorchanov (Абдурахман Гиназович Авторханов
- who wrote:
"According to theories of psychologic probability, criminals give a wide berth to places where they commited crimes. This is also how Soviet / Russian historians do with the subject of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. When writing about circumstances of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, they give a wide berth to this pact in a very painstaking way. Why? Because by signing the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, Stalin directly invited Hitler to invade him. First of all, he created necessary territorial-strategic conditions favourable for the Germans; secondly, he supplied Hitler with strategic military resources, thirdly he set Soviet Russia at variance with Western Democracies which were trying to sign an anti-Hitler alliance with Russia.
The Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact solved Hitler's previously tied hands for war against the West, at the same time supplying Germany with essential for waging wars, strategic resources. While pretending neutrality of the Soviet Union, Molotov received a task of supporting Hitler in political way, and Mikoyan - under the banner of "trade exchange" - a task of supporting Hitler in economic way."
Then Beshanov continues with his own comment:
"That mutually favourable cooperation of the Bolsheviks with "Nazi monsters and cannibals", already busy with their war against Western Europe, ensured 1,5 years of peace for the Soviet Union. When all other limits of "friendship" were already exhausted, one crafty fellow [Hitler] knocked the other one [Stalin] in his head, suspecting him of lack of sincerity*. And no German-Soviet peace agreements prevented Hitler from doing so. Stalin, however, was expecting something different. Nearly until his death retired Comrade Molotov was giving a wide berth to the scene of his crime, denying the existence of secret protocols to the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. Only 8 months before his death, tormented by Felix Chuyev and his own conscience, Molotov reluctantly jerked out: "And maybe they existed?"."
*When writing about this "lack of sincerity" of Stalin, Beshanov is referring to German suspicions about the alleged planned Soviet invasion of Germany - and the preemptive (in their own opinion at least) German invasion that followed.
