Ribbentrop shot down by Soviet AA fire

According Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 by Stephen Kotkin

DTdYlfbUMAAMq-K.jpg:large
DTdYlfbUMAAMq-K.jpg:large
uniformed Soviet AA gunners near the German-Soviet border fired after the plane carrying Ribbentrop near.

What if it was shot down and everyone in it was killed?
 

Geon

Donor
Stalin was desperate for a pact with Hitler in order to ensure the Russian army had sufficient time to modernize. If von Ribbentrop was shot down he would do everything short of flying to Berlin and prostrating himself before Hitler to ensure he got the pact.

Stalin would profusely apologize, offer to pay an indemnity to von Ribbentrop's family, have the soldiers responsible for the shoot-down publicly tried and executed (probably with the German ambassador to Moscow as an observer to the proceedings), and then ty to reopen negotiations.

From Hitler's perspective the death of von Ribbentrop would only further demonstrate how little the Bolsheviks could be trusted. He would still press for a pact, but would insist on more concessions from the Russians.
 

Deleted member 1487

Rather not. Germans would accept Soviet apologise and would just send another delegation.
Doubt it would be anywhere near that easy. Ribbentrop was liked by Hitler, who was already still pretty skeptical of the Soviets. Plus with Ribbentrop being one of the prime movers of the deal, his death is going to put the deal on ice at a minimum.
 
Doubtful as Hitler already intended to turn on the USSR. If he had been genuinely committed to a lasting detent yes this would have messed things up. As it is Germany would, as already said above, only have benefitted from a competent Foreign Minister replacing von Ribbentrop. Or von Brickendrop as the Daily Express used to describe him.
 
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