Stalin and international relations

how had relations with germany been previously established?

1922 treaty of rapollo
1926 treaty of berlin
extensive military collobaration between 1929 and 1932.

how did russia benefit from early cooperation with germany? \

how was this extended under stalin?

-stalin made agreements with german armaments manufactorers to acquire modern weaponry

in 1931, germany and russia negotiated the continuation of the Berlin treaty.

how did stalin eventually sideline germany?

stalin was slow to react to the rise of hitler. in 1933 and 1934 the rapollo period of russo german relations was put to one side as stalin showed interest in colective security with the west.

how were relations initally established with the US?

1933, an american embassy opened in moscow.
this allowed us diplomats to operate in russia rather than depending on the ‘riga watchers’ in latvia.

when did the ussr join the league of nations?

september 18th 1934

what was the signifiance of litvinov?

the efforts of Maksim litvinov, Russias foreign commissar from 1933 gave the USSR much more diplomatic credibility.

what is a joint concern between the us and the ussr?

the rise of imperial japan, who invaded mancuria in 1931 and were set for more expansion.

what was the new policy that the comintern took?

the 1928 revolutionary policy was scrapped.

-the comintern was now to support “popular fronts” in other counries, cooperating with democratic socialists against facists.

-this became official comintern policy from 1935.

what are examples of collective security pacts ?

december 1932 non aggression pact with poland
november 1932 non aggression pact with france
may 1935 mutual assitance pact with france.

when did hitler declare rearmament?

march 1935

what were issues with the franco soviet pact ?

no specific clauses on military cooperation
-vague on the circumstand
-many western countries were sceptical about the pact, and regarded it as hollow.

what was the pact with czechoslovkia

if czechoslovkia were to be attacked by a third party, russia would help, as liong as the french did also. stalin was able to pressure the french communist party into supporting the pact.

what was a major setback for collective security?

march 1936, hitler remilitarised the rhineland.

what was the situation in spain?

in july 1936, Spanish nationlists launched a rebellion against the Spanish republic. both fascist italy and german supported the francoists.

-france and britain remaine neutral, leaving stalin in september 1936 to intervene.

what was the nature of intervention in spain?

-large scale and rapid, backed by troops, tanks and aircraft.

-soviet agents followed orders from moscow, not madrid.

-propoganda in russia supported this “anti fascist crusade”

how did intervention in spain suddenly change?

from 1937 direct military involvement scaled down. stalin aimed to wear down the italian andgerman forces, and prolong the war.

what were the 4 threats by 1938?

-hitler planned to invade poland and czecholosovkia

-japan attacked china in 1937

-league of natinos was ineffective, and france and britain appeased germany.

-in march 1938 germany invaded austria and imposed the Aunschluss. france and britain did nothing.

when and what happened at the munich confrence?

september 1938, attended by germany, france, britain and italy. excluded czechoslovkia and the ussr.

when and what was the anti comintern pact?

vember 1936, anti comintern pact between japan and germany to take action against the comintern.

the inital creation of the axis powers, which italy later joined in november 1937,

what happened in the war with japan?

1938, bordern confrontations and tensions spilled into a major war between may and september 1939. 100,000 troops and 1000 tanks and aircraft.

when and what was the battle of khalkin gol?

battle in soviet mongolia august 1939. the japenese was encircled, and defeated by zhukovs forces. 75% of the japenese troops in battle were killed.

what were the consequences of hte forgotten war?

a success:
-japenese military suffered a heavy defeat
-japan continued to leave teh soviet union alone, focusing on targets in the pacific instead.

when was the nazi soviet pact?

23rd august 1939

what were the cons of the nazi soviact?

ideological mess
gave hitler a free hand to invade poland

what were the pros of the nazi soviet pact?

kept the ussr neutral following the disasterous winter war in november 1939 against finland
-enabled territorial gains in the baltic states
-stalin believed germany and france and britain would be exhausted from war, and prone to revolution.