Chapter 458 Molotov (3)

In the early 1930s, the Soviet Union and the United States began to trade without establishing diplomatic relations. The Soviet Union registered a foreign trade company called "AM" in the United States. This company was a state-owned enterprise of the Soviet Union. Americans believed that they could do business with the Soviet Union for economic reasons, but when doing business with hostile countries, they must avoid business involving the provision of military technology. For the Soviet Union, the purpose of doing business with the United States was not only to develop the economy, but more importantly to obtain American military technology.

Therefore, with the United States deliberately on guard, the Soviet Union wanted to find a reliable American to act as an agent for the Soviet Union to do business with the United States. So after selection, they finally found Karp, an American immigrant of Russian descent. Arrange him to help the Soviet Union purchase advanced equipment in the United States.

Karp was selected because he had been doing business in the United States for many years and understood the American market. On the other hand, Karp was the younger brother of Molotov's wife, Zhemchuzhina. So the Soviet Union felt that this identity was qualified for this job.

The Soviet Union's desire to obtain American military equipment was confidential, but Karp acted in a high-profile manner in the United States. Not only did he not shy away from his relationship with Molotov, but he also tried to achieve the goal of purchasing American warships by bribing the US president. Unfortunately, the matter was exposed, and the United States set up a special "anti-American thought" investigation agency, and Karp was the focus of the investigation.

Zhemchuzhina had more than one or two troubles.

During World War II, the Soviet Union established a Soviet News Bureau, which was dedicated to promoting the deeds of the Red Army and exposing the ugliness of the Fascists in mainstream newspapers in China and Europe.

Because Jews had a great influence in the West, the Soviet News Bureau accepted many Jews. Among them, the Jew Lozovsky had served as deputy director and director of this agency. Later, Lozovsky also established a Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, and Molotov's wife Zhemchuzhina was also a member.

Of course, all this was allowed during the war, but by the end of the war, this committee began to make Stalin dissatisfied.

In the late 1940s, Zhemchuzhna was believed to have had close contact with Solomon Mikhoels, a famous Jewish actor and leader of the Soviet Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. In addition, it is said that she once called herself "the daughter of the Jewish people" in Yiddish in front of Mrs. Meir, who had recently served as Israel's ambassador to Moscow, and said with tears: "I hope you are healthy. If everything is good there, Jews everywhere will be fine." After the liberation of Ukraine, some people in the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee proposed that they hoped to establish a Jewish autonomous state in Crimea. These words reached Stalin's ears and made him very angry. He believed that this was "Zionism" instigated by the United States with the purpose of splitting the Soviet Union. Then a cleansing campaign against Jews began. Stalin was a ruthless person. He rarely had any warmth towards people. He spent his life on politics. However, he had deeply loved three people in his life, one was his mother, one was his daughter, and one was his wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva, who shot herself in her home when Stalin reached the peak of his political career.

Before her death, Alliluyeva left him a suicide note, which was a terrible letter full of accusations and condemnations. It was not only a private letter, but also a political letter to some extent. For him, this last letter left by the person he regarded as "the closest and most loyal friend" was a devastating betrayal. She punished him in the most severe way with death!

Stalin was so angry that during the farewell ceremony for the body, he approached the coffin and stood for a while, suddenly pushed the coffin open with both hands, turned around and left, and he did not even attend the funeral. He thought she left him as an enemy, so he refused to go to the Novodevichy Cemetery to see his wife's grave. He moved to another suite of rooms in the Kremlin because he could not bear to live in the Zubalovo villa where he had lived with his wife. He built a new house in Kuntsevo, and he never went to Zubalovo again.

Alliluyeva's death was a bleeding wound deep in Stalin's heart that could never heal. As he grew older, he became more and more resentful of the factors that he subjectively believed caused Alliluyeva's death. He often cursed Nadya's friend Zhemchuzhina, accusing her of "bad influence" on Alliluyeva, perhaps indirectly saying that she was guilty of Nodezhda's suicide.

Some people began to criticize Zhemchuzhina openly, even attacking her with vicious language, and also fabricated lies that Zhemchuzhina had committed adultery with others.

In October 1948, Zhemchuzhina lost her job and was transferred to the reserve staff of the Ministry of Light Industry. The Ministry of State Security opened a new case against her, which meant that she would soon be arrested, and Stalin told Molotov: "You must divorce your wife."

In January 1949, she was arrested, and her case materials contained many despicable and detailed descriptions, which were fabricated by the investigators, obviously trying to embarrass Molotov. These materials all emphasized that Zhemchuzhina was unfaithful to her husband, and even mentioned the names of her fictitious lovers.

Soon after, Zhemchuzhina was sent to a concentration camp. Although he was a major leader of the Politburo, Molotov could not control his own fate, so how could he go against Stalin's will and save his wife?

Perhaps Molotov felt a little comforted when he looked at Kalinin, Kaganovich, and Voroshilov. Who would have a few "counter-revolutionaries" in his family if he was involved with Stalin? The only thing Molotov could do was to do his best to make his wife suffer less in the concentration camp.

"It is an honor to die for the country, but to die unjustly and leave behind the eternal infamy of being a traitor and collaborator with the enemy; I wonder if Mr. Molotov is willing to sacrifice his life for justice?"

Looking at the dense sweat on his forehead, Yannick sneered. "Do you think you can die peacefully under Stalin's rule? When your colleagues were liquidated, didn't you worry that it would be your turn one day? Aren't you afraid that one day you will be accused of false charges and become the enemy of the people?"

This is not alarmist. After Remchuzhina was sent to the concentration camp, although Stalin and Molotov were still "loving" on the surface, in his heart, Stalin had already doubted him. So, Stalin planned to find a reason to accuse Molotov.

Once, in an informal occasion, Stalin proposed to Kaganovich, Khrushchev, Mikoyan and others that Molotov might be an American spy. Although Kaganovich and Molotov had always been at odds, this statement was difficult for him to accept and a bit absurd.

Then, Stalin gave a reason. Molotov once took a train to Washington to attend a UN meeting, and Stalin suspected that Molotov was sitting in a special carriage without any evidence, because in the Soviet Union, leaders such as Stalin were like this. Since Molotov had a special carriage in the American imperialism, this was enough to prove his identity as a spy. But the key question is, who can prove that Molotov had a special carriage in the United States?

Stalin contacted the Soviet ambassador in the United States, and after investigation, they told Stalin that Molotov did not have a special carriage in the United States. Stalin still did not give up, and still inferred the possibility of this matter all day long, and ordered the Soviet ambassador in the United States to continue to verify.

However, Stalin had no more time, and his death saved Molotov from being purged, and he was finally able to reunite.