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[[File:Stalin and Ribbentrop.jpg|thumbnail|left|275px|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 Nazi 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 Nazi 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 Communism throughout the world. Despite being ideological rivals, Nazi 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 Nazi 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 greeting a German diplomat (September, 1939).]]
Much of the Pact was secret. The reasons 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 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====The agreement between Hitler and Stalin meant that the German state was free to pursue its interests in Poland. Hitler wanted ‘living space’ in the east, to enable the German nation to grow and expand and to fullfill the destiny of the ‘master race’. Hitler was intent on wiping out Poland. There were tensions between Warsaw and Berlin over the city of Danzig and areas in Poland where German speakers were a majority.<ref>Moorhouse,p. 178</ref> Hitler used these tensions as a pretext to invade Poland. He wanted to conquer the country and remove it from the map of Europe. The Molotov-Rippentrop Agreement, allowed Hitler to attack Poland because he knew that Stalin would not intervene to stop his plans. In September 1939, Hitler’s forces invaded Poland and later, when the Poles were on the verge of defeat, the Soviets invaded eastern Poland.<ref>Davies, N. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0231043260/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0231043260&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=1be37f6e09199031a2b3e044956a88c0 God's Playground]'' (Oxford University Press. Oxford, 1986, p. 187), p. 213</ref> The German invasion of Poland led to the western allies, France, and Britain declaring war on Germany and the start of WW II.
====Strategic Implications====The agreement between Hitler and Stalin meant that Pact delivered enormous strategic advantages to the Nazi state was free to pursue its interests in PolandGermans. Hitler wanted ‘living space’ in the east, The Pact allowed them to enable concentrate their attacks on the German nation western allies. They did not have to grow divide their forces and expand fight a war on the western and the eastern front. In 1914, Germany had been forced to fulfil divided its forces and this slowed down its advance in the destiny of the ‘master race’west and possibly cost them a swift victory. Hitler This was intent not the case in 1939, the German war machine could concentrate on wiping out Polandits western rivals. There were tensions between Warsaw and Berlin over Freed from any threat from the east, by the agreement with Stalin, the city of Danzig and areas in Poland where German speakers were army launched a majorityBlitzkrieg on western Europe.<ref>MoorhouseSoon Norway, Denmark, the Netherland,pBelgium and France fell to the Nazis. 178</ref> Hitler used these tensions as It is highly unlikely that this would have been possible if the German’s had been forced to fight a pretext to invade Polandwar against the Soviet Union. He wanted to conquer The Pact neutralized the country and remove it Soviet threat from the map of Europeeast. The Ribbentrop- Molotov-Rippentrop Agreement, pact had allowed Hitler to attack Poland because become the master of Europe and Stalin must have begun to wonder if he knew that Stalin would had not intervene to stop his plansmade a strategic mistake. In September 1939However, Hitler’s forces invaded Poland and later, when he continued to hold to the Poles were on terms of the verge of defeatPact, as he feared a war with the Soviets invaded eastern PolandGerman War Machine.<ref>DaviesTaylor, NAJP. ''God's Playground[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684829479/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684829479&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=a360376fd1f8c5f43d87219e7636bbc4 The Origins of the Second World War]''(Oxford University Press. Oxford, 1986, pLondon: Simon & Schuster. 1871961), p. 213111</ref>. The Nazi invasion of Poland led to the western allies, France, and Britain declaring war on Germany and the start of WW II.
==Strategic Implications==The end of the Pact====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====The end Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was initially seen as a triumph for Stalin. He was able to secure large swaths of territory that had once been part of the old Tsarist Empire. It also secured his western borders against attack. Stalin Pact==allowed the Germans to dominate Europe and then allowed them when they were strong enough to attack the Soviet Union, with the real possibility of success. Ultimately, the Pact exposed the USSR and nearly led to their defeat of the Soviet Union. If the Soviet Union had collapsed it is difficult to envision the Allies defeating Germany.
<references/>
[[Category:German History]] [[Category:Military History]][[Category:World War Two History]] [[Category:World War One History]]
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