FP4: How important was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Context:

  • Hitler and Stalin were enemies

    • Fascism vs Communism

    • different aims for Europe- conquer vs Communism

    • opposite sides in Spanish Civil War

What did the Pact say?

  • USSR and Germany would not go to war- non-aggression pact

  • secret agreement to partition Poland between themselves

Why did they sign the Ribbentrop-Molotov/Nazi-Soviet Pact?

USSR- Stalin

Germany- Hitler

Mistrust of West

  • USSR had been excluded from Munich Conference

  • he did not believe they would protect the USSR

  • viewed them as weak after Appeasement and their lack of action

One-Front War

  • If USSR fought, he would have to fight on two fronts

    • a weakness from WW1 that he didn’t want to have

Delay war

  • Anti-Comintern Pact meant Stalin knew this was only a delay

  • hoped war between Germany and the West

  • gave Russia time to arm

Delay war

  • he wanted to:

    • deal with the Western threat

    • secure Poland

    • before turning to the East

Territory

  • hoped to gain Polish territory

    • lots taken from Russia after WW1 in Brest-Litovsk

Territory

  • wants Polish Corridor

    • which splits Germany in 2

Other Alliances

  • allying with Germany would hopefully halt Fascism powers

    • Japan-controlled Manchuria bordered USSR

    • Italy was an old enemy

Avoid USSR opposition

  • USSR involvement would hinder invasion of Poland

  • ensure the West doesn’t ally with Stalin- which they had attempted in 1939 Summer

Significance?

  • Shock in Britain and France

    • the alliance of two enemies was worrying

    • blow to the West:

      • had hoped the Soviet threat would prevent Germany invading Poland

      • this pact erased the hope of a war on two fronts

    • 84% of Brits had been hoping for an alliance with the USSR- according to opinion polls

  • Invasion of Poland

    • it removed a key deterrent in Hitler’s plans to invade Poland

    • this sparked the Second World War, acting as an immediate cause