Soviet Entry into League of Nations Flashcards
IN what year were diplomatic relations established with the US?
1933
What were “Riga Watchers”?
these were American foreign policy experts, who used Riga, the capital of Latvia as a listening post from which to observe the developments in Russia
Where was there an American Embassy opened, allowing the US diplomats to operate within the USSR instead of depending on “Riga Watchers” who previously reported on the Soviet Union nearby Latvia
Moscow
Why was it important for the USSR to establish diplomatic relations with the US in 1933?
in order to open the way for the USSR to join the League of Nations
Who’s personal diplomacy as Foreign Commissar helped the USSR into the League of Nations?
Litivnov
Who was established as the ‘acceptable face’ of the Soviet regime in 1933?
Litvinov
Why was Litvniov, Foreign Commissar established as the acceptable face of the Soviet regime in 1933?
due to his long experience with the West and polished social background which gave him credibility with the Western diplomats
What was it that finalised the agreement to re-open formal relations between the US and USSR?
Litvinov’s visit to Washington in Novemebr 1933
Apart from the skilful diplomacy of Litivnov, what politically pushed the USSR and US together?
the growing threat of Japan, the country that had invaded Manchuria in 931 and seemed set for further militaristic expansion.
Why was Japan a threat?
as they had invaded Manchuria in 1931 and seemed set for further militaristic expansion
Why did the League of Nations want the USSR ?
in order to strengthen collective security against threats from the Japanese or German aggression
From what decade had Russia been deeply involved in the Far East?
form the 1890’s
How has Russia been deeply involved in the Far East since 1890’s?
with the building of the Trans-Siberian Railway and expansionist Russian ambitions in Manchuria to exploit the weaknesses of the Chinese empire
When was the Russio-Japanese War?
1904
Why was there a Russio-Japanese War in 1904?
after the USSR and Japanese conflict over exploring the weakness of the Chinese weakness.
Who was threatened by the rise of the Japanese military power from the 1931 capture of Manchuria?
USSR and western powers
Which two countries left the League of Nations in 1933?
Japan and Germany
When was the USSR admitted to the League of Nations?
September 1934
What year was Germany allowed into the League of Nations?
1926
Why did the Japanese withdraw themselves from the League of Nations in 1933?
after mounting a war against China in the Far East
Which experienced revolutionary of the USSR made an article in January 1934, which stated that the object of Soviet Government was to protect the proletarian state from the folly of war. This prepared for the entering of the League of Natioins
Karl Radek
What did Karl Radek, experienced revolutionary of the USSR say in an article which justified the joining of the League of Nations?
that the object of Soviet Government was to protect the proletarian state from the folly of war. This prepared for the entering of the League of Nations
In what years did Stalin take further steps towards supporting collective security?
1934 and 1935
What steps had Stalin taken in 1934 and 1935 in supporting collective security?
he scrapped the hard line policy enforced on the Comintern from 1928
Stalin announced a new official policy to support broad based ‘popular fronts’ in other countries which became the new official policy of the Comintern in August 1935. What was this?
popular fronts were firmed formed in France against the rise of fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
Where did Stalin admit that Soviet communism was to cooperate with democratic socialists in the fight against fascism in 1934?
in the Pravda
In what year did Stalin admit in the Pravda that Soviet Communism was to cooperate with democratic socialists in the fight against fascism?
1934
Where and when was the policy that Soviet Communism was to cooperate with democratic socialists in the fight against fascism become official policy?
in the Comintern Congress in Moscow in 1935
What year did theolicy that Soviet Communism was to cooperate with democratic socialists in the fight against fascism become official policy in the Comintern Congress in Moscow?
1935
Stalin did little to protest against the repression of which german party against the Nazi’s?
the German KPD Communist party.
What was unusual about Stalin’s reactions to the Nazi regime in the mid 1930’s? (2)
- He did little to protest against the repression of the German KPD Communist party
- continues to give military cooperation with Germany
When did the USSR negotiate a non-aggression peace pact with Poland?
in December 1932
In Decemeber 1932 who did the USSR negotiate a non-aggression peace pact with?
Poland
What did the USSR’s non-aggression peace pact with Poland in December 1932 agree?
to a 10 year peace pact in 1934
When did the USSR sign a non-aggression pact with France?
November 1932
When was the non-aggression pact with France fully signed as a Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assisstance?
1935
What was the non-aggression pact with France named after it was officially signed in 1935, though first formed in November 1932?
Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance
When did Hitler give a public announcement for German rearmament which worried the French?
March 1935
What was a problem with the Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance signed in 1935?
it was vague on the circumstances in which it might be activated
What followed the Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance signed in 1935?
a pact between the USSR and Czechoslovakia
What did the pact between the USSR and Czechoslovakia do?
the USSR promised to intervene militarily if Czechoslovakia was attacked by a third party, as long as the French did also.
When did Stalin’s new approach to international affairs and collective security receive a serious setback?
in March 1936
Why did Stalin’s new approach to international affairs and collective security receive a serious setback?
because of the passive response of the French to Hitler’s forces occupied and remilitarised the Rhineland which directly contravened the terms of the Versailles treaty. This suggested a weakened value in the Franco-Soviet Pact of 1935
How did the west respond to Hitler’s invasion of the Rhineland in March 1936?
they did not intervene and Hitler’s remilitarisation of the region succeed
What moment did historians Geoge Kennan argue was the moment Stalin had to decide whether to fight against Hitler or to make peace with Hitler?
the moment Hitler invaded the Rhineland without any western intervention to prevent the remilitarisation of the region.
Why did French passivise response to Hitler invading the Rhineland suggest to Stalin to make peace with Hitler?
as this was an indication that if France would not enforce the Treaty of Versailles, then France was hardly likely to be bold in resisting German attempted in the East Central Europe.
Germany’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland set the context for Stalin’s reaction to the Spanish Civil War which was when?
July 1936
How did the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 begin?
when the right wing army officers lead by Francisco Franco launched a nationalist rebellion against the Spanish Republic
Who supported the fascist takeover in the Spanish Civil War? (2)
Both fascist Italy and Nazi Germany
What did the Popular-Front government of France want in regards to the Spanish Civil War?
they wanted to ensure that the Civil War did not become internationalised and so proposed a general acceptance on non-intervention in Spain
When did France propose a general acceptance of non-intervention in Spain to prevent the Civil War from becoming internationalised?
August 1936
What 2 instances created the context for Stalin’s alliance with Germany?
1) Western passivity to Germany’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland
2) Western passivity to the fight against fascism in regards to the Spanish Civil War
When did Stalin decide to intervene in Spain?
August 1936
What was the USSR’s intervention like on the Spanish Civil War?
intervention was political as well as military, on a large scale and rapidly implemented with hundreds of Soviet advisers, backed by troops, tanks and aircraft
What was Soviet propaganda aimed at in 1936?
it was aimed in support of the ‘anti-fascist crusade’
When was there a mass rally in Leningrad in support of the ‘anti-fascist crusade’ of the Spanish Civil War?
1937
When was a probable outcome for the Spanish Republic as a result of Soviet Intervention?
it is probable that their intervention prevented Madrid from falling to Franco, head of the fascist movement
After when was Soviet policy changed in regards to the Spanish Civil War which scaled down direct military intervention?
after the early months on 1937
After the early months of 1937, what happened to Stalin’s policy in regards to the Spanish Civlil War?
he scaled down direct military intervention
What was Stalin’s policy to the Spanish Civil War after the early months of 1937?
it was to prolong the war in order to wear down Italian and German forces.
How did the West influence Stalin’s policy change in 1937 ?
as the Western democracies did little to prevent the victory of the Francoists in Spain, with growing suspicion of Stalin’s intentions.
Though the liberal public opinion admired the USSR’s intervention in Spain, what was the sentiment on a governmental level?
they feared the growing like of Soviet Communism which weakened the prospects for future collaboration
Which 2 left-wing groups fought on the Spanish Republic’s side of the war and were intensely devoted to Stalin?-
- the PCE (Spanish Communist Party)
- the PSUC (Socialist Party of Catalonia)
What was the name of the Spanish Communist Party?
PCE
