No, this is not some kind of security officer ("silovik", as they like to say now) or a foreign scarecrow. This is a completely intelligent Bolshevik, who himself rarely spoke a rude word to anyone. He didn't need it. His power was great enough to command without resorting to external affectation.
His official name was Maxim Maksimovich Litvinov. His real name is Meer-Enoch Moiseevich Wallah.
The three Bolsheviks - Chicherin, Krasin and Litvinov - were the main one in three most important things:
1) The connection of the Bolshevik party with the Western customers of the revolution in Russia;
2) Party money;
3) Weapons for the party.
It was not for nothing that this trio was engaged in the "diplomatic recognition" of Soviet power among the capitalists.
After Krasin died in 1926, and Chicherin resigned in 1930, Litvinov single-handedly inherited the order of the party "common fund" and vital connections for the USSR with foreign financiers.
Promotional video:
The Soviet delegation at the Genoa International Conference, April 1922 1 - Georgy Chicherin, 2 - Leonid Krasin, 3 - Maxim Litvinov.
During the revolution of 1905-1907. Litvinov was involved in the illegal purchase and transportation of weapons to Russia for social democratic militants in the Caucasus. It was then that Stalin, who was engaged in "expropriations" in this region, met him. Throughout his life, Stalin learned a respectful manner of conversation with this inconspicuous, modest and at the same time extremely intelligent and ruthless man.
The main merit of Litvinov before the party was the placement in 1921-1922. 375,700 kilograms of the gold reserves of Soviet Russia in the amount of 485.3 million tsarist gold rubles out of the 422,900 kilograms available. If anyone thinks that this money was used to buy grain for the starving in the Volga region, then he will be grossly mistaken. These values were deposited into various accounts in Western banks and became the basis of the overseas gold of the party.
The communists were never mistaken about the true attitude of the Russian people towards themselves and were always ready to fled from Russia. Litvinov prepared a golden parachute for his party comrades in the West in case of an emergency flight.
The entire financial stability of the Soviet government depended on Litvinov's gold transactions.
His role was great in attracting American capital and specialists for the industrialization of the USSR. Without US assistance, Stalin would never have been able to fulfill his ambitious five-year plans. As it became clear a little later, the United States was arming Russia in order to crush Germany with the blood of a Russian soldier.
Litvinov in Washington with the British Ambassador to the United States Lord Halifax, 1942
In 1930-1939. Litvinov served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs. In May 1939 he was replaced by Molotov. But Molotov, never distinguished by intelligence, was a zits-people's commissar. His figure was needed to sign a temporary non-aggression pact with the Nazis, who never wanted to sign it with a Jew. Litvinov remained the real leader of Soviet foreign policy.
In July 1941, Litvinov, not Molotov, took part in Stalin's meeting with the US President's special envoy Hopkins. Soon Litvinov left for Washington as the USSR ambassador.
Litvinov felt so free that at meetings with US Secretary of State Wallace he spoke openly and critically about Soviet socialism. Stalin knew this, but did not dare to touch Litvinov. This was the only person to whom Stalin never raised his voice.
Litvinov died in an honorary retirement in 1951 at the age of 75. Neither he nor any of his relatives were ever threatened with arrest and reprisals, although all other closest associates of Stalin always lived in fear.