Chapter 8: Foreign Relations and the attitudes of foreign powers

Keep Russia in WW1, protect allied war supplies, support whites, lack of unity prolonged foreign intervention

Why Did Foreign Powers Intervene?

stop Germany from transferring troops from Eastern to Western Front.

Keeping Russia in WWI – In 1918, Britain, France, and the USA wanted to _______________________

falling into Bolshevik hands

Protecting Allied war supplies – The Allies had shipped vast amounts of military

equipment to Russia and wanted to prevent it from _________________

Nov 1918

Supporting the White Armies – After Germany’s defeat in ____ _____, foreign

intervention continued to fight Bolshevism and support anti-Communist forces.

no clear strategy or agreement

Confusion and lack of coordination – Western powers had _____________________ on whom to support.

North(Murmansk, Archangel), Far East(Vladivostok), Southern Russia(Ukraine, Black Sea, Caucasus), Siberia(Trans-Siberian Railway)

Major Foreign Interventions

British, French, Canadian, and American troops occupied key ports.

Foreign interventionists in North Russia (Murmansk, Archangel)

11k American and 70k Japanese, with Japanese forces conducting serious military actions.

Foreign interventionists in Far East (Vladivostok)

British and French troops, plus Turkish forces in the Caucasus.

Foreign interventionists in Southern Russia (Ukraine, Black Sea, Caucasus)

The Czech Legion, consisting of former POWs, controlled parts of Siberia.

Foreign interventionists in Siberia (Trans-Siberian Railway)

limited direct combat(only minor skirmishes mostly in support of the whites), disunited white leadership, western withdrawals, Bolshevik propaganda victory

impact of foreign interventionists

1919–1920, a lost cause

Western withdrawals – Allied troops gradually withdrew in _____ to ______, seeing the war as _ _____ _______.

paint the reds as defenders of Russia against imperialist invasion

Bolshevik propaganda victory – Lenin used foreign intervention to ______________________________

First Comintern Congress, march 1919

Lenin declared the USSR as the base for global revolution, believing that Germany was on the verge of Communist uprising.

Second Comintern Congress, July–August 1920

Took place during the Russo-Polish War. Lenin introduced his 21 conditions

Lenin’s 21 Conditions

forced Communist parties worldwide to accept Bolshevik control.

Third Comintern Congress, 1921

Reality set in: revolutions in Germany, Hungary, and elsewhere had failed. The Comintern became a tool for Soviet foreign policy, rather than a real international revolutionary movement.

Spartacist Uprising in Germany(1919) and communist uprisings in Hungary and Bavaria failed, by 1921, moderate socialist governments gained power in Europe, Bolsheviks realised they were alone in a capitalist world

Why Did the Global Revolution Fail?

Russo-Polish War, 1919-1921

The USSR’s biggest foreign war in this period was fought against newly independent Poland.

Pilsudski wished to expand east into Ukraine and Belarus, invading Ukraine in April 1920, Lenin wished to take Poland

Causes of the Russo-Polish War

saw it as the "bridge to Europe," hoped to it to spread Communism westward

Why did Lenin wish to take Poland?

Poles take Kiev(April-May 20”), Bolsheviks push Poles back to Warsaw(June-Aug 20”), “Miracle on the Vistula”(Aug 20”), Treaty of Riga(march 21”)

Course of the Russo-Polish War

The "Miracle on the Vistula" , August 1920

The Polish Army defeated the Red Army near Warsaw, forcing Bolsheviks to retreat.

Treaty of Riga, March 1921

Poland gained Western Ukraine and Western Belarus, ending the war.

broke Bolshevik’s hopes of world revolution making them decide to focus on consolidating control, Poles stayed independent and hostile to USSR

Impact of russo-polish war

USSR remained isolated despite consolidation of power by 1921, no trade with countries like Britain, Germany also diplomatically isolated after WW1 and sought new allies

Why did the USSR seek diplomatic recognition?

Treaty of Rapallo, April 22”

• Signed between Soviet Russia and Weimar Germany.

• Germany and the USSR waived all claims for compensation from WWI.

• Trade and diplomatic relations were restored.

• Secret military agreement – Germany trained its army in the USSR, violating the Treaty of Versailles.

first formal diplomatic recognition, a secret military alliance and more trade with Germany, western powers alarmed but did not act,

Impact of the Treaty of Rapallo(April 1922) for the USSR

Zinoviev Letter, Oct 1924

a forged letter was leaked to the British press, claiming Bolsheviks were plotting to spread Communist revolution in Britain.

weakened relations with Britain, used as anti-Communist propaganda in Britain’s elections, bolsheviks more cautious in foreign policy

Impact of the Zinoviev Letter(Oct 1924)

diplomatic survival

Between 1918 to Lenin’s death in 1924, Soviet foreign policy had moved from revolutionary expansion to __________ _________

Survived foreign intervention and Civil War, set up relations with Germany, Treaty of Rapallo ended isolation

achievements of Lenin’s foreign policy by 1924

unable to spread world revolution, Russo-Polish War prevented westward expansion. still diplomatically isolated from major Western nations

failures of Lenin’s foreign policy by 1924

1921

The Comintern initially aimed to spread revolution but by ____, it became a

Soviet-controlled propaganda tool.

major setback

The Russo-Polish War (1919–1921) was a ____ ______, blocking Bolshevik

expansion into Europe.