Not in the west, I learned of the agreement in fifth grade social studies in Mexico, for example. It was part of the road to WW2 section of the state issued textbook.

We spent many hours on both Ribbentrop and Chamberlain in college as well.

As to Stalin, we were taught that he was an authoritarian. I am not counting the private conversations with my comparative government instructor. He was a former CIA analyst. His job was Kremlinology, using his tips right now. But he made those comparisons often between Hitler and Stalin. Let’s just say, he started his career at the tail end of the Stalin years and he was not a fan.

My only prof that dared not go there, and tried to rush through the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty was my Russian history prof. He was an emigre from Moscow. At least with my class he got way too many students not letting him, but some of our families were directly affected by that. So nope, we are going to deal with it. It was a graduate level class. At the time it struck me as strange how this guy ignored all the Russian colonies. These days…well, it’s colonialism.

The problem I see in the US at a policy level is more like willful amnesia. Russia will desintegrare. I am more convinced of this every day. Like 1991, my policy makers have no clue what to do with oh fifteen successor states with at least ten with a nuclear arsenal. There is a clear fear of that.

I personally don’t believe a lot of it works, skimming from the top, but one that works will still ruin your day.

But my first intro to Molotov-Ribbentrop and why Russia still thinks the Second World War started in 1941 was in fifth grade. I should mention Mexico was no fan of Uncle Sam to the north, was the leader of the unaligned countries, that’s evolved into the BRICS, and protected Cuba in the organization of American States, but also was a minor combatant in WW2.