stalin & international relation

• Stalin's FP concerns later 1920s/aims


  • Aimed to keep USSR safe while prioritising 'Socialism in One Country'
  • Concerned with: China's instability, Opportunities in Germany – rapid industrialisation depended on German expertise, Doing business with foreign powers – important to keep relationships with capitalist powers 'safe'
  • Less concerned with Comintern
• Changes in Comintern 1929


  • Pre-1929, it was a low priority and was committed to developing Socialism in One Country. Became more aggressive post-1929 to attack Bukharin, signify his confidence in removing Trotsky, revolutionise his foreign policy and was fearful of challenges from foreign power bases.
  • Social fascism – attack European anti-communist social democratic parties.
  • Purge weak elements of all foreign communist parties.
  • Impose strict Party discipline.
  • Tighter control in Comintern.
• Stalin was cautious


  • Wanted stability and security first and foremost.
  • Rapallo and Berlin treaties demonstrated USSR being moderate and reasonable rather than seeking to promote communist revolution across the world.
• Stalin was bold and put the USSR at risk


  • Comintern 1929 changes risked rejection from foreign communist parties – rejecting control by Moscow which could've destabilised USSR and undermined Stalin's leadership.
  • 1927 Stalin not supporting Chinese Communist Party in China – criticized by Party Congress as his power was weak/far from secure.
• Cooperation with Germany 1922-34


  • Established by 1922 Treaty of Rapallo; consolidated by 1926 Treaty of Berlin
  • USSR benefitted from German technical expertise of industry and armaments production – EV: agreements with German armaments to acquire modern weapons
  • Most intensive cooperation from 1929-32 – characterised by mutual support and assistance industrially and militarily.
  • German expertise helped Soviet industrialisation – EV: 70% German of 9000 foreign workers in USSR 1930
  • USSR benefitted from German military training; Germans benefitted from access to Soviet areas – EV: could carry out military developments that were banned under Versailles treaty
  • Relations became tense 1933-34 due to USSR prioritising collective security and improving relations with Western democracies, therefore, slow to react to Hitler's rise – Stalin assumed it would accelerate the collapse of communism.
• Pacts with France and Czechoslovakia 1932-5


  Stalin hoped Hitler's rise meant USSR would become stronger as a neutral nation whilst Germany, BR and FR fought and weakened each other. Stalin sought 1932 non-aggression alliances with France, Poland and 1935 mutual assistance pact with France and Czechoslovakia – USSR intervene militarily if Germany attacked.
• Comintern's Policy Switch 1929

  • Prominence of fascist states and Japanese/German threats – Stalin
• FOREIGN POLICIES CONTRADICTORY/INCONSISTENT


  • 1928 Comintern aim to purge foreign communist parties of democratic socialist yet 1934 Comintern encouraged communist parties to cooperate with them – complete reversal of 1928 policy.
  • 1926 Berlin Treaty promised neutrality on both sides yet USSR joined 1935 Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance pact – Pact promised military intervention against another country, in solidarity with France, therefore undermining Berlin Treaty.
  • 1934 USSR joined League of Nations yet intervened in Spanish Civil War 1936-39 – LoN aimed to solve disputes through negotiations instead of conflicts, therefore, intervention was a sign of unpeaceful resolution.
  • 1932 non-aggression pact with Poland yet 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact – N/S Pact enabled Germany to invade Poland without any threat of Soviet intervention, therefore, USSR didn't live up to their promise with Poland.
• Soviet entry into League of Nations 1934 - the West


  strengthened collective security against German and Japanese aggression - both withdrew from LoN a year prior so their hostility would've been higher and USSR's membership avoided them acting on it
• Soviet entry into League of Nations 1934 - USSR


  potential international cooperation against anti-communist Hitler - USSR could influence Britain and France
• Soviet entry into League of Nations 1934 - impacts

  • meant Western powers could be used for trade for industrialisation
  • meant Western powers and USSR could work together to undermine Japanese threats - CA: limited cooperation due to paranoia and suspicion
• FOREIGN POLICIES - CONSISTENT

  • 1934 Comintern policy switch to overthrow fascism & the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War intervention fought against fascists - maintenance and protection of socialism and USSR
  • 1934 Franco-Soviet Pact & 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact to keep USSR out of war - allowed USSR to remain neutral and stagnant to prepare for invasion
• Treaties

  • 1922 Rapallo
  • 1926 Berlin
• Pacts

  • 1932 Non-aggression Pacts with France and Poland
  • 1934-5 Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance
  • 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact
• Key Events

  • 1936-9 Spanish Civil War
  • 1929 Comintern policy switch
  • 1934 USSR in League of Nations
  • 1938 Munich Conference
  • 1939 September Germany invade Poland
  • 1940 June USSR occupy Baltic States
  • 1941 Nazi-Soviet Pact broken by invasion
• Western appeasement

  France and Britain protest but took no other actions against Germany's 1938 annexation of Austria - Neville Chamberlain believed appeasement was best solution for peace
• Who was Neville Chamberlain

  British Prime Minister
• Munich Conference


  • Germany, France, Britain and Italy discuss Germany claiming Sudetenland
  • Czechoslovakia and USSR excluded - signified that West won't prevent further German aggression nor join USSR in anti-Hitler alliance
• Japanese aggression

  • military dictatorship - 1931 invaded Manchuria and 1937 invaded China
  • 1936 Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Italy in 1937 - action against Comintern interference
  • 1939 defeated by USSR at Khalkhin Gol in Soviet Mongolia - signified that Stalin need to remain militarily strong in Far East even though Japan left them alone
• 75% Japanese troops killed at Khalkhin Gol, Soviet Mongolia
• Reasons for Nazi-Soviet Pact - Hitler

  • raw materials from USSR
  • avoidance of war own 2 fronts (France and USSR)
  • free hand to invade Poland
• Reasons for Nazi-Soviet Pact - Stalin

  • space to prepare for war therefore become strongest force
  • destruction of anti-Soviet Poland therefore eradicate chances of communism overthrow
  • Western territorial gains therefore communism spread
  • stay neutral - capitalist enemies fighting each other therefore remain stronger
  • avoidance of war on 2 fronts (Germany and Japan) therefore safe from powerful foreign militaries
• Outcome of Nazi-Soviet Pact

  • Poland destroyed - invaded by Germany and USSR 1939
  • France defeated by Hitler 1940 - able to send armies westward without Soviet retaliation
  • 1940 USSR control Baltic States; 1939 USSR invade Finland
  • 1939-40 Winter War exposed USSR's weakness in military due to purges therefore March 1940 peace agreed with Finland
• Winter War 1939-40

  • Treaty of Moscow - 10% Finnish land territory given to USSR
  • war continued in 1941 German invasion of USSR
• Stalin's mistakes

  • N-S pact bought them time but was only temporary safety
  • incorrect calculation of Germany's invasion - May 1942 instead of June 1941 and Germany wasn't exhausted
  • mistrust - ignored warnings from extensive spy network
• Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939


  Germany and Soviet Union; non-aggression pact; secretly divided countries that lay between them

  • Germany was able to capture and invade Poland without Russia interfering