The Hitler–Stalin Pact appears as political context in the book’s account of Walter Benjamin’s death and the disillusionment of former Soviet loyalists. The passage does not explain the pact’s terms or recount its negotiation; instead, it marks a moment when loyalty to Moscow was weakening.

Political Context

The account places Benjamin’s death amid the fallout from the pact, noting that many former Soviet loyalists were becoming disillusioned with Moscow because of it. The pact thus serves as the stated reason for a wider loss of confidence, rather than as a fully narrated event in its own right.

Role in the Account

The pact provides historical context for the passage’s claim that Stalinist agents killed Benjamin. The text links the political climate of disillusionment to that account, but does not establish that the pact itself caused Benjamin’s death or supply further details about the agreement. Its significance in this episode is therefore contextual: it signals a fracture in former loyalists’ relationship with Moscow.