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Nazi Germany ended the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact June 1941 by launching a massive invasion of Soviet territory. Stalin, when he heard that the Germans, had invaded and that the pact was no more and irrelevant went into a state of shock. He apparently went into hiding for several days, during which time the Soviet Union was left leaderless. Stalin had apparently gained very much for the pact however, he had really been duped by Hitler. The Pact had served Hitler very well it had allowed him to attack first the west and defeat the British and French. When he was completed he was able to invade the Soviet Union.<ref> Davies, p. 77</ref>
*[[How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?]]
Admin moved page The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact- Stalin’s greatest mistake? to The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact- Stalin’s greatest mistake
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[[File:Stalin and Ribbentrop.jpg|thumbnail|left|275px250px|Stalin greeting German Foreign Minister Rippentrob.]]
On August 23, 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression treaty, popularly called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. It shocked the world. The two countries were bitter ideological enemies and many expected a war between the two to be imminent. Instead, they had pledged not to attack each other. They had gone from sworn enemies to allies in the space of months. This article will discuss the impact of this diplomatic agreement on Europe and on the origins of the Second World War. It will argue that the pact was a strategic mistake by Stalin and it allowed Germany to take control of western Europe and this gave them to strength to attack the Soviet Union.
====Background====
In 1939, the Soviet Union was something of a ‘rogue’ state.<ref>Bendersky, Joseph, ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118294785/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1118294785&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=ef7d32545f1ecdddb1c073906b750f1b A History of Germany: 1919–1945]'' (Rowman & Littlefield, London, 2000), p. 78.</ref> It had little or no relations with the western power, who suspected Moscow of trying to spread spreading Communism throughout the world. Despite being ideological rivals, Germany, and the Soviet Union began secret negotiations in 1939. The situation in Europe was tense , and many expected another general European war. They were conducted in secret and were overseen by the foreign ministers of the respective countries. In 1939, the Pact was announced by the foreign ministers of Germany (Ribbentrop) and of the Soviet Union (Molotov). The Ribbentrop- Molotov pact, named after the negotiators, as it came to be known, was composed of two parts, a public agreement, and secret protocols.<ref>Bendersky, p. 56.</ref> Publicly, the pact stated that Germany and the Soviet Union would not engage in any aggressive actions towards each other. The parties to the agreement stated that they would not go to war with each other.[[File:Molotov.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Molotove left|Molotov greeting a German diplomat (September, 1939).]] Much of the Pact was secret. The reasons reason for this was that it allowed both Hitler and Stalin’s regime to further their national and strategic interests.<ref>Moorhouse, Roger. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465030750/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0465030750&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=08750b91a33dc7c11ca385a6d821b1cb The Devils' Alliance: Hitler's Pact with Stalin, 1939–1941]''. (The Bodley Head. London, 2014), p. 78</ref> In fact, many of the protocols were denied by the Soviets until 1989 and the fall of the Berlin War. The secret protocols involved dividing up eastern Eastern Europe into separate spheres of influence. Poland was to be divided between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was allowed to take control of the Baltic States and Bessarabia (now Moldovia). More importantly for the Soviet Union was the fact that , Stalin did not want a war , and some have speculated that he wanted Hitler and the Western Allies to fight each other and weaken themselves until their states were ripe for a Communist takeover.<ref>Bendersky, p. 66</ref>. Another possible reason for Stalin signing the Pact with his ideological enemy was that he feared an attack from Japan in the East.
====Invasion of Poland====
Hitler had always made clear that he considered the Soviets as his greatest enemy. However, Stalin was lulled by the Pact, into believing that Hitler would never attack his territories.<ref> Taylor, p. 134</ref> There had been many indicators that the Germans were preparing for an invasion of the Soviet Union. The German forces had been building up in Western Poland and elsewhere. Stalin refused to believe that evidence that his desperate Generals presented him with. He even refused to order a general mobilization of the Soviet Divisions. In fact, Stalin even permitted the export of important raw materials to Germany right up to the outbreak of hostilities.
====Conclusion====
*[[How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII?]]
*[[How did Vladimir Lenin Rise To Power?]]
*[[Causes of World War II Top Ten Booklist]]
*[[Why was France defeated in 1940?]]
*[[Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?]]
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