The Soviet Union at War Study Notes

The Soviet Union at War

1. Revolution and the Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1920s

  • April 1922: The Soviet-German Treaty of Rapallo is signed. This treaty re-established diplomatic relations between the two countries after World War I.

  • 1924-1925: A number of countries recognize the USSR, including:

    • Great Britain

    • France

    • Italy

    • Austria

    • Sweden

    • Norway

    • Denmark

    • Greece

    • Mexico

    • China

    • Japan

2. The Development of Aggression in the 1930s

  • 1931: Japan begins an aggressive campaign in China, leading to conflicts between Soviet and Japanese troops on the borders of Manchuria and Mongolia in 1938 and 1939.

  • 1933: Adolf Hitler rises to power in Germany.

  • 1936: Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, which is aimed specifically against the USSR.

  • 1937: After conquering Ethiopia, Italy joins the Anti-Comintern Pact.

  • 1936: A civil war starts in Spain, involving the Republican government and Fascists led by Franco. Spain joins the Anti-Comintern Pact after the fall of the Republic in 1939.

  • March 1938: Adolf Hitler annexes Austria.

  • September 1938: The Munich Pact is signed where Great Britain and France consent to Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland, an area with a predominantly ethnic German population in Czechoslovakia.

  • March 1939: Hitler seizes the rest of Czechoslovakia.

  • September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, marking the onset of World War II.

  • September 3, 1939: Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.

3. Soviet Foreign Policy on the Eve of the War

  • 1934: The USSR joins the League of Nations, initiating a quest for collective security.

  • 1935: Formation of Soviet treaties with France and Czechoslovakia.

  • 1936-1939: The USSR provides assistance to the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War.

  • Spring-Summer 1939: Negotiations take place in Moscow between the USSR, Britain, and France.

  • August 1939: Signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the USSR.

  • September-November 1939: The USSR annexes western Ukraine and western Belorussia from Poland.

  • November 1939 - March 1940: The USSR engages in a war against Finland.

  • June 1940: The USSR annexes Bessarabia from Romania.

  • August 1940: The Soviet Union annexes the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

4. The Soviet Union at War

  • June 22, 1941: Germany launches a surprise invasion of the USSR.

  • September 1941 - January 1944: The Siege of Leningrad, a prolonged military blockade by the German Army.

  • September 1941 - Spring 1942: The Battle of Moscow, a critical turning point in the defense of the Soviet capital.

  • July 1942 - February 1943: The Battle of Stalingrad, turning the tide in favor of the Soviet Union against Germany.

  • July-August 1943: The Battle of Kursk, noted as the largest tank battle in history.

  • 1943-1944: The Red Army begins to liberate Soviet territory and advances into Europe.

  • 1944 - Early 1945: The Red Army liberates various countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, East Prussia, and Czechoslovakia.

  • April-May 1945: A final offensive against Berlin is conducted by the Soviet forces.

  • May 8-9, 1945: Germany officially surrenders.

  • September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders, marking the end of World War II.

5. Causes of Defeat and Victory

  • Key Soviet foreign ministers during this period:

    • George Chicherin

    • Maxim Litvinov

    • Viacheslav Molotov

  • Comintern: The Communist International established in 1919 to promote worldwide communist revolution.

Images and Illustrations

  • Workers Digging Anti-Tank Traps: Civilians in Moscow actively engaged in fortification efforts during 1941, digging over 30 kilometers of anti-tank ditches and constructing 46 kilometers of barbed wire.

  • Battle of Kursk (July-August 1943): Featured the largest tank battle in history with more than 6,100 tanks involved, marking a decisive point in the war that gave the Soviet Union the strategic initiative.

  • Impact of War: The war caused extensive destruction across Soviet cities, leading to millions of homeless refugees, exemplified by the devastation of Kreshchatyk Street in Kiev, captured post-liberation by the Red Army in 1943.