Nazi Soviet Pact (1939) Flashcards
What was the Nazi Soviet Pact?
A pact between Hitler and Stalin which was one of mutual convenience. They would promise to invade Poland and split it between themselves as well and agree to not attack eachother.
How did the Nazi Soviet Pact lead to WW2?
The Nazi Soviet Pact led to the Second World War because Russia agreed to not attack Germany and Germany agreed not to attack Russia. This meant that Russia would not be an ally of Britain and France, which made the situation tense between Germany and the allies.
What was the Nazi Soviet Pact?
A pact between Hitler and Stalin which was one of mutual convenience. They would promise to invade Poland and split it between themselves as well and agree to not attack eachother.
Why did Russia sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
Stalin had witnessed how weak the League of Nations was in the Manchuria, Abyssinia and Rhineland crises. He lost faith in the League’s ability to protect Russia from Hitler’s threats.
1934: USSR and France had signed an agreement stating that France would protect Russia from German invasion. But, when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936, France did nothing. This showed that France couldn’t stop an act of aggression on their own doorstep, and made USSR unsure whether they’d do anything to protect anyone else.
Britain and France allowed appeasement so Hitler could help fight communism, this showed that they did not trust Russia.
1938: Munich Agreement is signed without consulting Russia.
Chamberlain refused to make an Anglo-Soviet alliance as Russia is communist.
Russia had purged most of their army leadership and so they were not ready for war yet, so he wanted to use the pact as time to rebuild his army.
Russia wanted access to Poland’s resources.
Why did Hitler sign the Nazi Soviet Pact?
It left Poland isolated.
It destroyed attempts by the West to bring the Soviet Union into an alliance against Germany
Germany avoided being dragged into a war on two fronts.
Germany gained vital raw materials from the Soviet Union that helped rearmament.
What was the difference between Hitler and Stalin?
They were enemies.
Hitler was a capitalist.
Stalin was a communist.
What happened in the invasion of Poland?
- Hitler invaded Poland with force after blowing up the port of Danzig and sending his army and air force into the country.
- 2 days later, Britain issued an ultimatum to Germany to withdraw their troops or face a declaration of war.
- The Germans were given a deadline to do this which was ignored.
- Britain then declared war on Germany, followed by the same declaration from France. The delay reflected British hopes that Hitler would respond to demands and end the invasion.
- Within 4 weeks, Hitler took all of Poland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi-Soviet Pact and ignoring the ultimatum from France and Great Britain.
