Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov (Russian: Вячесла́в Миха́йлович Мо́лотов; March 9 [O.S. February 25] 1890 in Kukarka – November 8, 1986 in Moscow) was a Soviet politician and diplomat who served as the Premier of the Soviet Union from 1930 to 1941. He was a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he came to power. He worked for Joseph Stalin from 1924 to 1953 when Stalin died, and for Georgy Malenkov from March-September 1953. He worked for Nikita Khrushchev until Khrushchev dismissed him from office in 1956.
Vyacheslav Molotov | |
|---|---|
 Official Portrait, c. 1939-46 | |
| 3rd Premier of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 19 December 1930 – 6 May 1941 | |
| Preceded by | Alexei Rykov |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Stalin |
| First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 16 August 1942 – 29 June 1957 | |
| Premier | Joseph Stalin Georgy Malenkov Nikolai Bulganin |
| Preceded by | Nikolai Voznesensky |
| Succeeded by | Nikolai Bulganin |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 3 May 1939 – 4 March 1949 | |
| Premier | Joseph Stalin |
| Preceded by | Maxim Litvinov |
| Succeeded by | Andrey Vyshinsky |
| In office 5 March 1953 – 1 June 1956 | |
| Premier | Georgy Malenkov Nikolai Bulganin |
| Preceded by | Andrey Vyshinsky |
| Succeeded by | Dmitri Shepilov |
| Second Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Acting | |
| In office April 1922 – December 1930 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Lazar Kaganovich |
| Responsible Secretary of the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik) | |
| In office March 1921 – April 1922 | |
| Preceded by | Nikolay Krestinsky |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Stalin (as general secretary) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Skryabin 9 March 1890 Kukarka, Russian Empire |
| Died | 8 November 1986 (aged 96) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Citizenship | Soviet |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union |
| Spouse(s) | Polina Zhemchuzhina |
| Awards | Template:Order of the Badge of Honour |
| Signature |  |
Molotov was the main Soviet signatory of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. The pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union, and both countries promised not to attack each other. The pact lasted about two years until Germany started the invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.
The Molotov Cocktail, which was invented by Finns fighting in the Winter War against the Soviet invasion of Finland, is named after him.
| Preceded by Alexey Rykov |
Prime Minister of the Soviet Union 1930–1941 |
Succeeded by Joseph Stalin |