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