Nikolai Sharonov

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Nikolai Ivanovich Sharonov (Russian: Николай Иванович Шаронов, Polish: Nikołaj Szaronow) (1901-?) was a Soviet diplomat.

Plenipotentiary (полпред) on a shared basis, sometimes via third countries, in Greece (1937-1939), Albania (1937-1939), Poland (1939) and Hungary (1939-1941).[1]

He was the last Soviet ambassador in the Second Polish Republic (replacing Yakov Davydov, executed in the Great Purge). He took this post in May 1939; he left Poland on 11 or 12[2] September 1939, less than a week before Soviet Union invaded Poland. Officially he supported the Polish government, offering to discuss Soviet economic and military aid;[3] In fact the Soviets were pressured by the Nazi Germany to act upon their alliance (Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact);[4] Soviet propaganda was already accusing Poland of border violation and mistreatment of Ruthenian minorities, and mobilization was ordered on September 7. It is not certain whether Sharonov was aware of larger Soviet policy and was acting in good faith, without consulting with Soviet government, or whether he was trying to divert Polish government attention from Soviet preparations. [5] Sharonov's official reason for leaving Polish capital of Warsaw was "the troubles in establishing communications with Moscow" due to the ongoing German invasion of Poland that begun on September 1.[6] Soviet military attache, Pavel Rybalko, left together with Sharonov.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Послы Ссср В Странах Европы
  2. ^ Sources vary
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ German diplomats had urged the Soviet Union to intervene against Poland from the east since the beginning of the war. Roberts, Geoffrey (1992). The Soviet Decision for a Pact with Nazi Germany. Soviet Studies 44 (1), 57–78; The Reich Foreign Minister to the German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) @ Avalon Project and some following documents. The Soviet Union was reluctant to intervene as Warsaw hadn't yet fallen. The Soviet decision to invade the eastern portions of Poland earlier agreed as the Soviet zone of influence was communicated to the German ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg on September 9, but the actual invasion was delayed for more than a week. Roberts, Geoffrey (1992). The Soviet Decision for a Pact with Nazi Germany. Soviet Studies 44 (1), 57–78; The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German Foreign Office @ Avalon Project.
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
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