How far was the Nazi – Soviet pact responsible for causing war in Europe?

• Key date: 23rd August 1939 – The non-

aggression pact was signed (Nazi-Soviet
Pact)
Learning Objectives:
• All of you will be able to explain the key aims, process and Impact
(successes/failures) of the pact
Most of you will be able to explain why this
• was a trigger for war

• Starter activity – choose you Bingo numbers! (x10)

What is the message of this cartoon?
 Why was this pact signed?
(AIMS)
• Hitler was worried than an invasion of Poland might
trigger war with the Soviet union

• Stalin feared a German invasion (he had been seeking

an anti Nazi collective alliance from western powers for
years); and Poland had rejected an alliance

• The pact would also restore both their pre 1919

borders

• As well as dividing Poland, the pact contained secret

plans to divide up the rest of Eastern Europe
 Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact
agreed?   [THUG]  
• Time to prepare for war
• Stalin said: ‘We got peace for our country for 18 months, which let us make
military preparations’.
•  
• Hope to gain
• ‘Stalin was sure that Russia could only gain from a long war in which Britain,
France and Germany exhausted themselves.’  
•    
• Unhappy with Britain
• Stalin was insulted by Britain’s slowness to negotiate, and did not trust
Britain. When the Anglo-Soviet alliance failed [SCAB], he turned to
Germany.  
•    
• Germany
• Hitler wanted the alliance because only Russia could keep Britain’s promise
to defend Poland. He believed that, if he got a promise of peace with
Russia, Britain would be forced to back down over Poland and Danzig.
   
Why did Anglo-Soviet Talks Fail?  [SCAB]
Suspicion
• a.  Chamberlain did not trust Stalin, who was a Communist and a dictator.   In particular, he would not
ever have allowed Russia to control Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• b.  The Russians thought Britain wanted to trick them into war against Germany.
• c.  Poland did not trust that the Russians (who wanted to send troops into Poland), once in, would
ever leave.  
•   
• Choice
• a.   Britain could not send troops to fight in Poland, so if Stalin supported Britain, he would end up
fighting a war in Poland on Britain’s behalf.
• b.   On the other hand, Hitler was promising him peace, half of Poland and a 'sphere of influence' over
eastern Europe.  
•   
• Appeasement
• After Munich, Stalin was convinced that Britain would break its promise to Poland. He was convinced
that Britain would leave Russia fighting Hitler alone.  
•   
• Britain delayed
• a.   At first, Lord Halifax refused Stalin’s offer of a meeting.
• b.   When the British sent an official, he could not make any decisions. Stalin got fed up with the
British delay.
•    
 What exactly did the Pact do?
• On August 23, 1939 Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact, called the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty.

• Secret protocols of the treaty defined the territorial spheres of influence Germany and
Russia would have after a successful invasion of Poland.

• Hitler had been creating justifications and laying plans for such an invasion since
April.

• According to the agreement, Russia would have control over Latvia, Estonia, and
Finland, while Germany would gain control over Lithuania and Danzig.

• Poland would be partitioned into three major areas. The Warthland area, bordering
Germany would be annexed outright to the German Reich, and all non-German
inhabitants expelled to the east.

• Over 77,000 square miles of eastern Polish lands, with a population of over thirteen
million would become Russian territory. The central area would become a German
protectorate, named the General Government, governed by a German civil authority.
 The impact
• Britain reacted by signing the Anglo – Polish alliance on
August 25th

• On September 1,1939 Hitler's forces invaded Poland

from the west. According to plan, Soviet troops invaded
Polish territory from the east on September 17. Poland
surrendered on September 27. The next day Poland was
partitioned according to the treaty's scheme, ending a
brief twenty year period as an independent nation.

• Britain and France issued an ultimatum – and declared

war on Sept 3rd
 What was the impact?
• The mutual non-aggression treaty lasted until
Operation Barbarossa of June 22, 1941, when
Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

• Europe prepared for another war

• The Nazi – Soviet pact was the single most

important short term cause of war in 1939
 Activity
• Complete your final fact- file include
• Aims THUG
• Process – what they agree
• Impact - how this leads to World war
• Page 272