1939 at the earliest". Litvinov's dismissal and Molotov's appointment Many historians note that the dismissal of Foreign Minister Litvinov, whose Jewish ethnicity was viewed unfavorably by Nazi Germany, removed a major obstacle to negotiations between them and the USSR. Carr, however, has argued that the Soviet Union's replacement of Litvinov with Molotov on May 3, 1939, indicated not an irrevocable shift towards alignment with Germany, but rather was Stalin's way of engaging in hard bargaining with the British and the French by appointing a tough negotiator, namely Molotov, to the Foreign Commissariat. Albert Resis argued that the replacement of Litvinov by Molotov was both a warning to Britain and a signal to Germany. Derek Watson argued that Molotov could get the best deal with Britain and France because he was not encumbered with the baggage of collective security and could more easily negotiate with Germany. Geoffrey Roberts argued that Litvinov's dismissal helped the Soviets with British-French talks, because Litvinov doubted or maybe even opposed such discussions. See also Timeline of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact Notes References 1939 in the Soviet Union 1939 in Germany Treaties of the Soviet Union Eastern European theatre of World War II Romania in World War II Germany–Soviet Union relations Foreign relations of the Soviet Union Military history of Germany during World War II 1939 in international relations Treaties of Nazi Germany Negotiations