SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY

Development of USSR Foreign

Policy
1921~1941
 STARTE
PLACE SOURCES INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES:
SPREADING THE REV EST. WORKING RELATIONS USSR
DEFENCE

R
Source 1 Source 2
We have always and We go to it because
Source 3
The USSR would
Source 4
This time we shall
Source 5

repeatedly pointed trade with capitalist never be swayed by observe the contest
out to the workers countries (so long alliances with this between Germany
that the underlying as they have not all or that foreign and the Western
chief task and basic together collapsed) power, be it France, powers and shall
condition of our is unconditionally Poland or not intervene in the
victory is the necessary for us. Germany, but conflict until we
propagation of would always base ourselves feel it fit
revolution at least to ~Lenin explaining her policy on self- to do so in order to
several of the more the USSR’s interest. bring about the
advanced countries. attendance at the decision.
international ~Stalin at the 17th
~Lenin, Feb.
conference in Party Congress, ~Litvinov, May, ~Newsweek cover after
Genoa, 1922 1934 1938 to the Czech the Nazi-Soviet non-
Foreign Office aggressive treaty
1921 23/08/1939
 Comintern Years
Lenin’s Moves from 1919-1924
• March 1919, Comintern forms with 35 groups meeting in
Moscow
• Revolutions proved unsuccessful & Western countries feared
promotion of Revs
• 2nd Comintern meeting (1920) wanted foreign Communist
under USSR control
• It made USSR security top priority of all Communist, hurting
their appeal
• Financial support of other Communist weakened economic
relations with other European Nations.
‘Workers of the World
• Example ‘Zinoviev Letter’ (1924)was a forged letter published
in British papers calling for propaganda in the armed forces, Unite!’ Title page of
leading the British to suspend USSR relations through 1925 Communist International in
Moscow, May, 1919
FAILED ATTEMPTS TO SPREAD
TASK
COMMUNISM 1. Name 3 area’s non-
Russian Communist tried
to seize power
2. Name 3 Centers the West
believed to be training
Centers for non-Russian
Communist
3. Name 3 Propaganda
centers funded by USSR
4. Name 3 barrier countries
 FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF
THE
Soviet Relations USSR
With Europe From 1921-1933

• When the Revolutions failed it was obvious the

USSR would have to trade with Capitalist
countries to bring in goods to revive Industry
• They also needed to focus on the movement of
people in and out of Russia in stabilizing
diplomatic relations
• These relations were handled by the
Commissariat for Foreign Affairs and they often
came into conflict with supporters of Comintern.
 RELATIONS WITH
1933
BRITAIN
Soviet Relations With Europe From 1921-

1921 Anglo-Soviet trade agreement was the 1st for the

USSR
1920-1930s were turbulent, Conservatives controlled
Britain
1926 Soviet leadership sent £26,000 to support the
trades general strike which led to greater hostilities
 RELATIONS WITH
Soviet Relations With Europe From 1921-
1933 GERMANY
• 1922 Rapallo Treaty reestablished diplomatic relations
& ended any economic claims from WWI
• Though Comintern had involvement in uprisings of
1921 & 1923 they both found mutual economic
benefits from this.
• 1925 Locarno Treaty between UK, France & Germany
led to fears of being isolated.
• 1926 Treaty of Berlin Reaffirmed the Rapallo Treaty
for 5 years, grew economic ties, and gave the assurance
of neutrality if other nations engaged in war against
them.
1922 Rapallo Treaty
STALIN CHANGES
• Stalin moved away
from Comintern for
Socialism in one
country
• ‘One Soviet tractor
is worth ten good
foreign
Communist’
• Brought him in
conflict with
Trotsky’s promotion
of the Permanent
Revolution
• Stalin was more
interested in
protecting USSR
 COMINTERN
CHANGES
STALIN FOREIGN
POLICY CHANGES
1924-1932
• 1928 Stalin made his ‘Left Turn’
to displace Bukharin
• Comintern strengthened &
foreign communist were to
denounce democrats as ‘social
fascist’ for working with
bourgeois
• German KDP was to attack the
SDP dividing the left as the Nazis
rose
AGAINST CENTER FIGHT WITH US!
PARTY, NAZIS & CHOOSE
 STALIN
ACHIEVEMENTS
STALIN FOREIGN POLICY CHANGES
1924-1932
• The USSR was considered a world power again
• No united capitalist front against Communism
• Foreign governments start to think about working with
the SU
• Military & industrial gains come from working with
Germany
• 1933 USA gives SU official recognition
 HOMEWORK
• Complete the worksheet on Stalin’s early foreign Policy Moves
 STARTER
• How do you expect soviet foreign policy to change after 1933?
• What are some major events you can recall?
• How will the world treat the Communist?
 HOW TO RESPOND TO
was argued for HITLER?
• Collective security with other states against fascism
by the Foreign Commissar Litvinov.
• 1934 USSR is admitted to the LON, Litvinov was very
anti-appeasement, pursued a strong policy against GER
aggression
• May 1935, France and USSR assure mutual assistance to
Czechoslovakia more as a scare tactic than anything else.
• 1935 they supported ‘popular fronts’ against fascism,
which backfired in when Spanish Nationalist gained
fascist support
• 1935-37 others, headed by Molotov, were working
behind the scenes to strengthen economic ties with
Germany.
 NO
RESPONSE
• 1938’s Anschluss leads Litvinov
TO aHITLER?
propose check to Nazis,
mentioning Czechoslovakia, but
is shutdown by Britain.
• Sep 1938 the USSR isn’t invited
to the Munich Conference, it was
evident they would have to go
through POL or Romania (both
hostile to USSR)to assist
CZECH
• 1939 Stalin sees British &
French inaction & opens a
dialogue with GER to negotiate
 TASK
• Look at the primary sources on the following slides to see if they
provide any incite as to how Britain was perceiving their Soviet
relations and responsibilities
 SOURCE 1 1. What offensive is
Chamberlin afraid
I must confess to the most profound the Soviets are
distrust of Russia. I have no belief incapable of
whatever in her ability to maintain an pulling off?
effective offensive, even if she
wanted to. And I distrust her motives,
which seem to me to have little 2. How does this
connection with our ideas of liberty, source highlight
and to be concerned only with getting the Western
everyone else by the ears. Moreover, powers distrust of
she is both hated and suspected by
the USSR
many of the smaller States, notably
by Poland, Rumania and Finland. 3. What countries
hate the Soviets
~Neville Chamberlain, letter to
Ida Chamberlain (26th March,
and why might this
1939) be a problem for
Chamberlin?
 SOURCE 2
SOURCE 2 What does
SOURCE 3
There is no means of maintaining an Clearly Russia is not going to enter into
eastern front against Nazi aggression Churchill think agreements unless she is treated as an
without the active aid of Russia. Russian Russia can equal, and not only is treated as an equal,
interests are deeply concerned in provide that but has confidence that the methods
preventing Herr Hitler's designs on eastern would be of great employed by the Allies - by the peace
Europe. It should still be possible to range help & why? front - are such as would be likely to lead
all the States and peoples from the Baltic to to success. No one wants to associate
the Black sea in one solid front against a themselves with indeterminate leadership
new outrage of invasion. Such a front, if
established in good heart, and with resolute
SOURCE 3 and uncertain policies. The Government
must realise that none of these States in
and efficient military arrangements, What practical Eastern Europe can maintain themselves
combined with the strength of the Western reasons does for, say, a year's war unless they have
Powers, may yet confront Hitler, Goering, Churchill behind them the massive, solid backing of
Himmler, Ribbentrop, Goebbels and co. mention for a friendly Russia, joined to the
with forces the German people would be changing combination of the Western Powers.
reluctant to challenge
England's ~Churchill, House of Commons Speech
~4th May, Churchill to the government approach with (19th May, 1939)
 WHO SHOULD THE
BRITISH & FRENCH USSR SIDE WITH?

empires
PERSPECTIVE
• The distrusted Communism as it threatened their

• They wanted to keep the peace est. in the TOV

• They believed the Red Army was diminished after
the Purge
• MAR 1939 they promised POL they would not ask
the USSR to send troops through their nation
• They didn’t think the USSR would get a deal with
the Nazis
• They were already planning to guarantee the
preservation of POL after public outcry
 WHO SHOULD THE
USSR’S VIEW ON USSR SIDE WITH?
• Stalin believed Britain wanted to provoke a war
FRANCE
between &USSR
the Nazis and the THE UK
• Britain & France never worked towards collective
security
• The resented not being invited to the Munich
Conference
• An alliance with France & Britain might not
prevent war & the USSR would most likely see
heavy casualties if war started
• Britain & France did not accept the Soviet desire to
Russian Munich
have a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.
Conference Cartoon
 WHO SHOULD THE
THE GERMAN USSR SIDE WITH?
• Hitler wanted to avoid war on two fronts
PERSPECTIVE
• A pact with Russia would keep France & Britain from
POL
• A pact with the USSR that promised non-aggression &
economic assistance would help GER overcome an
Anglo-French blockade
• Hitler needed an agreement by Aug to invade POL before
the rains came in autumn
• He was ok ceding countries to the USSR… for the
moment
• Though it might seem contradictory to Hitler’s
anticommunist stance he looked at the pact as an
opportunity, attacking the USSR could wait
 WHO SHOULD THE
USSR’S PERSPECTIVE USSR SIDE WITH?
• A pact with Germany would keep them out of war
with the ON THE
West (Stalin NAZIS
supported USSR Security)
• Hostilities were present with Japan, an alliance
would keep the USSR from a 2 front war
• Rearmaments weren’t on schedule & the purge hurt
the army, this could buy time
• POL would provide the USSR with a zone of
influence/ buffer from Finland to Romania
• Germany was still the USSR’s biggest trade partner
• While it reversed collective security it would Little Goldilocks Riding
secure the Soviets while capitalist fought Hood
themselves
 NAZI-SOVIET
PACT
• The Treaty of AUG, 1939
Berlin was directly
mentioned in this non aggression pact
• A secret protocol gave USSR
influence over Eastern POL, Latvia,
Estonia & Bessarabia
• Sep 28th a new Nazi-Soviet treaty
gave a bit more of POL to Germany
for Lithuania going to the Soviets
• Oct’s economic agreements secured
rubber & raw materials for Hitler to
Molotov signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact go around the British Blockade &
with Ribbentrop & Stalin in the background later to invade the USSR!
 TASK II
• Look at the Primary sources on the following slides to see if they
provide any incite as to this treaty impacted both the USSR and
Germany
1. Name a lose
of influence
promised to
the USSR
that the
Nazis gained
2. Name a lose
of the Nazis
that the
USSR gained
3. Name an
area both
countries did
not gain
 USSR SOURCE B
Late Sunday night - not the usual time for such
Exports to
Nazis announcements - the Soviet Government
revealed a pact, not with Great Britain, not with
France, but with Germany. Germany would give
the Soviet Union seven-year 5% credits
amounting to 200,000,000 marks ($80.000,000)
for German machinery and armaments, would
buy from the Soviet Union 180,000.000 marks'
worth ($72,000,000) of wheat, timber, iron ore,
petroleum in the next two years.
~Time Magazine (28th August, 1939)
1. According to Source B what were the two
countries buying from each other?
2. What are the top 3 Nazi imports in source C?
3. Looking at Sources B and C how far do you
believe the trade agreement was followed by
SOURCE C both sides? Explain
 STALIN’S MOVES
• Nov. 1939 to extend his buffer zone Stalin sent the
Red Army was sent to invade & Finland were he lost
many men leading to a armistice.
• June 1940 Stalin sends ½ a million troops to bully
Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania into petitioning for
incorporation into the USSR
• He also forces Romania to give back Bessarabia
• 1939 after the invasion the political economic and
cultural elites were rounded up 400,000 Poles were
arrested to be deported or executed.
 FINAL TASK
• Watch the video to determine the major mistakes
Stalin Made
• Also determine his triumphs as a leader
• Finally try to determine how far Stalin was a strong
and competent leader throughout 1941
 Insert Image

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