The Nazi-Soviet Pact

• What was the relationship between Hitler and Stalin in the 1930s?

  They declared their hatred for each other.
• Why did Hitler see an advantage in signing a pact with Stalin?

  He needed raw materials for war efforts.
• What raw materials did Hitler need from the Soviet Union?

  Oil and rubber
• Why did Hitler lack strong allies in Europe by 1939?

  Italy's resources were drained by conflicts.
• What was Hitler's concern regarding a two-front war?

  He couldn't fight France and Britain simultaneously.
• What territorial gain did Hitler aim for through the pact?

  Western part of Poland
• Why did Stalin distrust Britain and France?

  They refused to join an anti-Nazi alliance.
• What did Stalin need time for after signing the pact?

  To strengthen the USSR's army for war.
• How did Stalin view the potential conflict between the USSR and fascists?

  It would weaken both sides.
• What did Stalin need from the pact in terms of trade?

  More machinery for factories and weapons.
• What opportunity did Stalin see in the pact regarding the Russian Empire?

  To regain lost parts of the Russian Empire.
• Which Baltic states did Stalin aim to control through the pact?

  Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia
• What were the terms of the pact?

  . The Nazi-Soviet Pact was a non-aggression agreement. It ruled out war between the two countries for ten years. The USSR and Germany also guaranteed that they would not help another country if they went to war against the USSR or Germany. This protected Germany from fighting a war on two fronts if a conflict started with France or Britain

  . The pact also resulted in trade deals being reached between the two countries whereby Germany would receive grain, raw materials and rubber while the Soviet Union would receive industrial goods

  . There were also secret deals attached to the pact - Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to invade Poland and split it between them. This was despite promises from Britain and France that they would declare war against Germany if Hitler invaded Poland
• What were the consequences of the pact?

  . It meant that if war did break out, Britain and France would have to fight Germany without the support of the USSR. This gave Hitler an important advantage

  . Some historians argue that the pact made war inevitable. The pact gave Hitler the confidence to invade the western half of Poland on 1 September 1939

  . The Soviet Union invaded the eastern half of Poland as well as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania on 17 September