Nazi-Soviet Pact

Stalin’s position in Nazi-Soviet Pact

• Aware of H’s threat

  • H built career on denouncing communism + persecuted GER communists'

  • H wanted Lebensraum in East, demanding Polish corridor - would bring GER dangerously close to USSR border

• Felt threatened by ‘capitalist’ powers of W Europe

  • Launched ‘purges’, targeting anyone suspected of being enemy within

  • Purges weakened Red Army as they targeted higher ranks

Why did Stalin not trust BR + FR?

• 1934: joined LoN

  • BR + FR did nothing to prevent ABYS or H + M in SPN civil war

• 1935: signed mutual defence treaty with FR

  • FR failed against GER rearmament, Rhineland

  • FR abandoned CZE ally at Munich Conference

• Ongoing talks with BR + FR

  • Negotiating with BR + FR about full military alliance vs H

  • S was informed that BR saw strong GER as buffer vs USSR, BR might be pleased with GER taking land in East, thus weakening USSR

  • BR + FR reluctant to deal with S, didn’t invite to Munich Conference

Date of Nazi-Soviet Pact

22 Aug 1939

Agreement of Nazi-Soviet Pact

• Publicly, H and S agreed not to attack each other - USSR wouldn’t interfere when H invaded POL

• Privately agreed how to split E Europe between them - USSR regains land lost after WW1 (inc. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

Why did Stalin sign Nazi-Soviet pact?

• Couldn’t rely on BR + FR for defence against H due to appeasement

  • They showed they weren’t reliable when M invaded ABYS; H and M intervened in SPN Civil war; GER rearmament; GER invasion of Rhineland

• H would let S expand control into Baltic states - BR + FR would never allow

• Allowed USSR to buy time to prepare for war

Results of Nazi-Soviet pact

• West was horrified

• Clear that H would invade POL

• H didn’t expect BR + FR to honour Polish Guarantee but Chamberlain told H that he’d declare war if troops not removed by 3 Sept

• 3 Sept - BR + FR declare war on GER