The Nazi-Soviet Pact

En was the Nazi-Soviet pact created?

August 1939

Who was the pact between?

The Germans and the USSR

Why did both countries despise Poland?

The new country had formed part of both German and Russian territory before World War One, so the leaders wanted to reclaim the land

Why did they create an agreement?

Hitler couldn’t risk Stalin intervening with Germany’s invasion of Poland, so they made an deal - if Stalin allowed Hitler to invade Poland, he would be given some Polish land, so was essentially a non-aggression pact

Why didn’t the USSR trust Britain or France?

He’d lost faith in the League of Nations’ ability to protect Russia from Hitler’s threats and had seen how the League had failed in Manchuria and Abyssinia, and France had done nothing against Hitler’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland

How did appeasement reveal a lack of trust in Stalin?

It justified Hitler’s rearmament as a barrier against communism

How did Hitler’s actions contrast the Allies’?

Hitler sent important officials to meet with Stalin whereas the Allies treated Stalin as unworthy of an alliance with them, causing Stalin to feel respected and valued in potential alliances with Germany, but unwanted in Britain and France

Why did Stalin agree to the pact?

He gained Polish territory without any action from the USSR, it gave him time to build up the Russian army to protect the USSR from a potential German attack, and it gave Stalin the support of a powerful country

How did Hitler benefit from the alliance?

He didn’t have to fight a war on two fronts like he did in World War One and it enabled the German army to focus on fighting against the Allies rather than the vast Russian army

What was Stalin wary of?

He suspected that Hitler would turn against him

Did Hitler ever turn against him?

Yes, in the 1941 invasion of Russia

His had fighting the Russian empire harmed Germany?

It had weakened the army due to fighting on two fronts and ultimately led to defeat

How did this agreement give Hitler the upper hand?

Britain and France had to face Germany without the support of Russia or America, which gave Hitler confidence that he could invade Poland without threat of war on two fronts

What did the Nazi-Soviet pact affirm?

Britain was persuaded that war was imminent