THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT

• REASONS FOR THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT

  • Britain & France had promised to help defend Poland (but Hitler thought they would fail to stand for their ally again like in Czechoslovakia)
  • Hitler's real fear was USSR, which was to the east of Poland. USSR had a huge army and has always been not on good terms with Germany (Anti-Comintern Pact).
  • There was a risk that USSR would oppose his invasion of Poland and start a war. If this happened, Britain and France might also act, and Germany would have to face war on two fronts
• THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT

  • On 24 August 1939, Germany and USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact

  • They agreed that USSR and Germany would not attack each other for a period of 10 years

  • USSR was to stay neutral in any war between Germany and Poland.

  • Secret clause: Both agreed to divide Poland between them, so Germany would take over the western half of Poland and USSR the eastern half
• THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT - Germany’s reasons

  • Wanted to ensure Soviet Union would not be involved in Germany’s invasion of Poland

  • Wanted to avoid fighting a war on two fronts which would prove disastrous for Germany
• THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT - USSR’s reasons (Distrust of the Allies)


  • Distrust of the Allies : Stalin did not trust Hitler, but he distrusted the Allies as well. They had shown themselves to be weak and unreliable. Stalin tried reaching out to Britain and France to negotiate an alliance against Hitler, but Chamberlain did not seem enthusiastic about an alliance with the USSR. Stalin became suspicious of the intentions of Britain and France and believed they would be happy for Hitler to take over Eastern Europe and the USSR.
• THE NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT - USSR’s reasons (Security for the USSR)

  • Security for the USSR : Signing an agreement with Hitler would allow Stalin to buy time to rearm and get his forces ready for an eventual war with Germany. This would increase his chance of victory. He would also get half of Poland, which would serve as a buffer against Germany. This would be better than having Germany right at his doorstep if they took over the whole of Poland.
• How the Nazi-Soviet Pact lead to WWII

  • The pact allowed Hitler to invade Poland, knowing that he did not have to fight the Russians as well and avoid the possibility of war on two fronts.
  • He was even more confident to carry out his aggressive foreign policy and set to start a war in Europe.