Chapter 20 - Stalin and international relations Flashcards
Why was Soviet Russia internationally isolated after the 1917 Revolution?
The West: scared of being ‘infected’ by communism, wary of role of the Comintern
The USSR: feared counter-revolution
What did Stalin’s rapid industrialisation depend on?
Foreign expertise, especially from Germany & the USA
When was the most intensive period of Soviet cooperation with Germany?
1929-32
What proportion of the foreigners working in the USSR were German?
Of the 9000 working in 1930, about 70% were German and most of the rest American
How did Germans working in the USSR help with industrialisation?
They had expertise
What did Germany and the USSR negotiate in 1931?
The continuation of the Berlin Treaty
What was the military aspect of the relationship between the USSR and Germany?
The USSR benefitted from German military training
The Germans benefitted from access to areas in the USSR where they could carry out military developments banned under the Versailles Treaty
What was the trade relationship between the USSR and Germany?
Germany: USSR’s biggest export market
USSR: a major customer for German manufacturing
Why did the USSR need trade with other countries?
To pay for industrialisation
What was the Treaty of Berlin?
A 1926 treaty which built on the foundations of the Treaty of Rapallo, had significant economic benefits for both countries and opened the way for the USSR to join the League of Nations
When was the USSR invited to join the League of Nations?
September 1934
What were the benefits of inviting the USSR to join the League of Nations for the West?
It strengthened collective security against aggression from Germany and Japan
What were the benefits of inviting the USSR to join the League of Nations for the USSR?
Offered the potential of international cooperation against the anti-communist Hitler
Gave the USSR the opportunity to influence the actions of Britain and France
How might Stalin have welcomed Hitler’s rise to power?
As a sign of weakness and division between capitalist countries
When did Stalin move away from cooperation with Germany?
When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933
What did Stalin focus more on after moving away from cooperation with Germany?
Collective security
Why might Stalin have been slow to react despite the obvious threat to the USSR from Hitler’s regime?
He may have hoped for Germany, France and Britain to weaken each other in a war while a neutral USSR grew stronger
When did Stalin sign the non-aggression pact with France?
November 1932
When did Stalin sign the non-aggression pact with Poland?
December 1932
When did Stalin sign the mutual assistance pacts with France and Czechoslovakia?
May 1935
What did the pact with Czechoslovakia say?
That the USSR would intervene militarily if Czechoslovakia was attacked by another country as long as France did the same
What were the pacts not followed by?
Serious military planning
What change in policy was announced at the Comintern Congress in 1935?
Instead of targeting democratic socialists, foreign communist parties were encouraged to form ‘popular fronts’ with the socialists in order to fight fascism
When did the Spanish Civil War break out and why?
July 1936
Fascist-supported nationalists aimed to overthrow the socialist Republic
When did the USSR intervene in the Spanish Civil War?
September 1936
What did Stalin’s support in the Spanish Civil War consist of?
Military equipment and Soviet ‘advisors’
What role did Soviet support play in the first part of the Spanish Civil War?
It was significant in helping the Republic to hold off the nationalists
How did Stalin’s strategy in the Spanish Civil War change in 1937?
He moved to trying to prolong it to try and wear down the German and Italian forces
Why did Stalin believe the Western powers would continue to be weak against the threat from Nazi Germany?
France and Britain disappointed him with their weak response to the Spanish Civil War, an opportunity to fight fascism
What was the impact of Soviet intervention in the Spanish Civil War?
It exacerbated fear and dislike of Soviet communism in the West, weakening the prospects of future collaboration
What action did France and Britain take against the German annexation of Austria?
Protested against it
When did the German annexation of Austria take place?
March 1938
What did Neville Chamberlain believe the best way to achieve peace in Europe was?
The appeasement of Hitler
When did the Munich conference take place?
September 1938
What was discussed at the Munich conference?
Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland
Who attended the Munich conference?
Germany, France, Britain and Italy
What was the Sudetenland?
The German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia that bordered Germany
Who was excluded from the Munich conference?
Czechoslovakia and the USSR
What was Hitler’s reason for invading Czechoslovakia?
He claimed the Sudetenland should be ‘protected’ by becoming part of Germany
When did Germany invade Czechoslovakia?
March 1939
What did the West’s handling of the Czechoslovakia issue tell Stalin?
That the USSR shouldn’t expect any robust opposition from the West to stop further German aggression, or expect the West to join Russia in an anti-Hitler stance
Why was Stalin very concerned about Japanese aggression in the 1930s?
Japan’s military dictatorship had built up a powerful army
Who signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, when and what did it threaten?
Japan and Germany in 1936 (Italy joined 1937)
Joint action against Comintern interference in their countries
When and where did the USSR defeat Japan?
Khalkhin Gol in Soviet Mongolia, August 1939
What led to the development of the war between Japan and the USSR?
Minor border confrontations
When did the war between Japan and the USSR begin?
May 1939
Which Japanese invasions were significant threats to the USSR?
Manchuria, 1931
The rest of China, 1937
What percentage of the Japanese forces was killed at Khalkhin Gol?
75%
What did the war between Japan and the USSR confirm to Stalin?
The need to remain militarily strong in the Far East
When was the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed?
23 August 1939
What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact state?
Germany and the USSR would respect each other’s territories, increase trade and settle disputes peacefully
What did the secret part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact state?
It divided eastern Europe into a German and a Soviet sphere of influence
How did Stalin’s foreign policy change after signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
It didn’t
He still kept up dialogue with Western democracies and continued anti-Nazi propaganda campaigns
How can Stalin’s policy towards Germany be considered consistent?
He was always focused on keeping the USSR safe from war
How can Stalin’s policy towards Germany be considered inconsistent?
He switched between cooperation and conflict
What were the benefits of the Nazi-Soviet Pact for Stalin?
- Breathing space to prepare for war
- The destruction of Poland (strong anti-Soviet)
- Avoidance of a war on two fronts (G and J)
- Territorial gains in the West
- The USSR could stay neutral while the capitalists wore each other out
What were the benefits of the Nazi-Soviet Pact for Hitler?
- A free hand to invade Poland
- Raw materials from the USSR
- Avoidance of a war on two fronts (USSR and F)
When did Germany invade Poland?
1 September 1939
When did the USSR invade Poland?
Two weeks after Germany
What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact mean for Hitler during the war?
He was free to send his armies west without fear of Soviet reprisals in the East
When did Hitler defeat France?
May 1940
What countries did the USSR seize control of in 1940?
The Baltic States (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia)
When did the USSR invade Finland, starting the ‘Winter War’?
November 1939
What did the ‘Winter War’ show?
How weak the Red Army was following the purges
When did the ‘Winter War’ end and on what terms?
March 1940, Finland gave up 10% of its territory to the USSR
Why was Stalin wrong to think he could trust Hitler?
He ignored warnings from his extensive spy network that suggested Hitler had already begun preparation for the invasion of the USSR in October 1940
When did Stalin think Hitler would invade the USSR, at the earliest?
May 1942
How long did it take the German army to defeat most of Western Europe?
6 weeks
When did the Germans invade the USSR?
22 June 1941
