foreign policy

purpose of the rapallo treaty, April 1922

To break soviet diplomatic isolation and gain economic/military operation with Germany

Success and failures of the rapallo treaty

• opened trade relations and military collaboration, the USSR gained access to German military and technology

• Alarmed Britain and France, increasing western distrust with the USSR

Purpose of the treaty of Berlin, 1926

To reaffirm rapallo and guarantee neutrally if either Germany or USSR were attacked by a third party

Success and failures of treaty of Berlin

• strengthened ties with Germany and protected soviet western borders temporarily

• Germany later shifts towards Hitler and fascism making the pact short lived

Purpose of joining the League of Nations, September 1934

To end diplomatic isolation and present the USSR as a peace loving nation against fascism

Success and weakness of joining the League of Nations

• gave USSR international legitimacy, allowed Stalin to act against Germany and join japan diplomatically

• Was weak and failed to stop fais te aggression, Stalin still distrusted britttain and France

Joining League of Nations stats

The USSR was expelled in 1939 after their invasion of Finland

Purpose of collective secure policy, 1930

To build alliances against Hitler with Britain, franc and czechoslovakia

Success and failures of the collective security policy

• non aggression pact signed with France in 1935 and Czechoslovakia positioned Stalin as defender against fasicism

• Britain and France pursued appeasement instead, no real military coordination

Purpose of Spanish civil war, 1936-1939

To oppose fascism and defend left wing republicans forces

Success and failures of Spanish civil war

• USSR sent aid, arms and advisors to the republican, limited success in containing fascism

• Soviet involvement was half hearted, Stalin focused on controlling the left (through purging anarchists/trotskyists) republicans lost the war

Spanish civil war stats

USSR sent over 1,000 advisors and large quantities of arms

Purpose of nazi soviet pact, august 1939

To delay war with Germany and secure territorial gains in Eastern Europe

Success and failures of nazi soviet pact

• bought Stalin time to prepare for eventual war, secretly divided Poland and the baltics between Germany and USSR

• Betrayal of communists worldwide, Hitler later broke the pact by invading the USSR

Purpose of winter war with findland, 1939-1940

To secure USSR’s north western borders by taking Finnish territory

Success and weaknesses of winter war with Finland

• USSR eventually won and gained territory

• Embrassons military performance, heavy soviet losses revealed the red army’s weakness

Purpose of soviet invasion in Eastern Europe, 1939-1940

To claim territories under the nazi soviet pact; Baltic states and eastern Poland

Success and failures of soviet invasion of Eastern Europe

• gained huge territorial expansion and buffer zones

• Created deep hostility among occupied nations, making later soviet control difficult

Soviet invasion of Eastern Europe stats

USSR later annexed Estonia, Latvian, lithuanthia, eastern parts of Poland and pats of Romania

Purpose of relations with china and japan, 1930

To counter Japanese expansion in Asia and protected soviet western USSR’s eastern borde

Success and failures of relations with china and japan

• USSR supported chiang Kai sheik against japan early on, signed non aggression pact with japan in 1941

• Stalin had to divide attention between European and Asian threats

purpose of litvinov protocol, 1929

To promote peace and renounce war as a diplomatic tool and improve USSR international image

Success and failures of litvinov protocol

• helped the USSR appear more moderate and peace seaking, improving relations with the west

• Had little effect on preventing international conflicts or ensuring soviet security

Purpose of exclusion on Munich conference, 1938

Britain and France excluded the USSR from negotiations

Success and failures of exclusion from the Munich conference

• demonstrated to Stalin that the west was not a reliable partner, justifying later deals with Germany

• Led to deep distrust of Britain and France, ordered European tensions and encouraged Stalin to seek an agreement with Hitler

Purpose of operation Barbarossa, 1941

Nazi germany’s invasion of the USSR to destroy communism and gain land

Success and failures of operation Barbarossa

• USSR eventually reppelled the invasion, showing soviet resilience and led to massive soviet patriotism

• Initial massive soviet defeats, huge loss of land, people and resources

Operation Barbarossa stats

USSR lost 2.5 million soldiers and 1,200 aircraft’s in the first few weeks

Purpose of the Anglo soviet agreement, June 12 1941

To form a military alliance between Britain and the USSR against nazi germany

Success and failures of the Anglo soviet agreement

• strengthened soviet western cooperation and secured British supplies for USSR

• Limited trust and was purely strategic and not ideological

Purpose of industrial evacuation, 1941-1942

To move soviet factories east beyond Germany reach

Success and failures of industrial evacuation

• saved key industries and allowed soviet aid production to recover quickly

• Chaos and hardship during relocation, initial production dips

Industrial evacuation stats

Over 1,500 factories relocated east of the rural mountains

Purpose of battle of Stalingrad, 1942-1943

To defend a key soviet city and destroy German forces

Success and failures of battle of Stalingrad

• turning point in the war, huge soviet victory and major German defeat

• Massive casualties with the destruction of Stalingrad itself

Battle of Stalingrad stats

Soviet forced suffered over 1 million casualties and 300,000 German troops lost

Purpose of US soviet cooperation and lend lease aids

To provide material support to the USSR from USA

Success and failures of US soviet cooperation and lend lease aid

• crucial supplies helped the USSR survie early war years

• Some soviet resentment over dependency, supplies were limited early on

US soviet cooperation and lend lease aid stats

USSSR received over 11 billion worth of aid

Purpose of popularity with allies

To build strong relationships with Britain and USA during ww2

Success and failures of popularity with allies

• USSR gained a strong international profile as a key playyyr in defeating Hitler

• Deep underlying mistrust remained, especially from Britain and USA

Purpose of the Tehran conference, November 1 1943

First meeting of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill to plan final defeat of Germany

Success and failures of Tehran conference

• agreed on opening a second front in France, strengthened alliance

• Tensions over postwar Europe began to emerge

Purpose of Yalta conference, February 1945

To plan postwar Europe and Germanys fate

Success and failures of Yalta conference

• agreement on dividing Germany, setting up the UN and free elections in Eastern Europe

• Stalin promises of free elections later broken, seeds of Cold War tensions planted

Purpose of Potsdam conference, July-Aug 1945

To finalise postwar arrangements, division of Germany and discuss japans surrender

Success and failures of Potsdam conference

• Germany formally divided into occupation zones, peace terms discussed

• Huge tensions, USA had atomic bomb and disagreements about Eastern Europe and reparations

Purpose of soviet expansion in Eastern Europe, 1945-1948

To create a buffer zone of friendly communist states

Success and failures of soviet expansion

• communist governments installed across Eastern Europe and soviet sphere established

• Increased tensions with the west and a direct cause of Cold War

Soviet expansion stats

By 1948, all Eastern Europe states excepted Yugoslavia were communist

Purpose of cominform, 1947

To coordinate and control communist parties across Europe

Success and failures of cominform

• strengthened soviet influence and enforced ideological unity

• Increased western hostility and split the USSR and Yugoslavia

Purpose of Comecon, 1949

To create an economic organisation for communist states as a counter to the Marshall plan

Success and failures of Comecon

• fostered soviet led economic cooperation

• Limited real economic growth and deepened east and west divide

Purpose of Berlin blockade, 1948-1949

To force western allies out of Berlin by cutting off supplies

Success and failures of Berlin blockade

• western allies responded with successful Berlin airlift, West Berlin remained free

• Soviet blockade failed, first major Cold War confrontation

Purpose of grand alliance

Wartime coalition between USA and USSR

Success and failures of grand alliance

• defeated Germany and temporarily united very different systems

• Collapse after ww2, leading to Cold War

Purpose of Truman doctrine, 1947

US policy to contain communism by supporting free peoples resisting subjugation

Success and failures of Truman doctrine

• marked start of US active containment strategy, first aid to Greece and turkey

• Deepened west and east tensions and confirmed ideological divide