Felix Dyrek

Investigation

The Nazi – Soviet Pact:

Why did Stalin make a Pact with Hitler rather than an Alliance with Britain?

A. Plan of the Investigation

The aim of this investigation is to find out why Joseph Stalin made a pact with Adolf Hitler of
Germany rather than an alliance with Great Britain in the 1930s. The investigation will cover
the aspects of the Nazi – Soviet Pact, such as the causes that led to the creation of it. I also
want to research the advantages and disadvantages for both Stalin and Hitler when they
signed the agreement and also to explore the reasons why Stalin didn’t make an alliance with
Britain. I would further like to investigate Stalin's political motives for accepting the Nazi-
Soviet Pact and thoughts of both leaders.

B. Summary of Evidence

The Nazi-Soviet Pact:

The Nazi – Soviet Pact was signed on August 23, 1939 and its aim was to take care of relations
between Germany and the Soviet Union. The aim of the pact was to guarantee peace between both of
these countries. It consisted of an official version and an unacknowledged secret protocol. The secret
protocol became known by other nations by 1945.
The official commencement clause was mainly a peace treaty where both countries agreed not to
affiliate with any country which was at war with the contractual partner. Conflicts between the
contractual partners were agreed to be solved peacefully. The secret protocol divided territories between
both countries. This arrangement became valid in case of a territorial rearrangement of Poland
and other Baltic countries as Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The pact was intended to
be intact for 10 years.

The backgrounds of the Nazi-Soviet Pact:

It had been evident by March 1939 that the relationship between Nazi Germany and the
Soviet Union had become better than it was in the past. This was because of negotiations with the
Western powers had been terminated.
The German ambassador to the USSR, Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg, had planned a
truthful peace treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union , which was supposed to solve the
German – Polish conflict in a friendly way; however, Hitler was not interested. The contract with the
USSR was supposed to make sure that Polish territory would be taken over. His motives for the
settlement were power political motives. The USSR was to be neutral until the preparations for
invasion were made. The fear of war on Soviet territory made the USSR come into the Nazi –
Soviet Pact, and it was also a chance for Stalin to extend Soviet territory.

- Economical reasons:

A trade convention was signed between Germany and the USSR in August 1938. It
was the basis of a commercial agreement. The USSR was dependent on import of technology for
the large-scale offensive against Japan on August 28, 1939. Germany allowed a credit of 200
million Reichsmark to the USSR, which was used to buy investment goods from the
Germans. As a quid pro quo the USSR was obligated to deliver commodities worth 180
million Reichsmark.
 Felix Dyrek

 Hitlers power political deliberations:

Hitler's most important strategic goal was freedom of action for the war against Poland
and the Western powers. He never lost sight of the war against the USSR but he had to agree
to a pact with the communistic states in order to be able to defeat Poland and the Western
powers.
Hitler's decision to attack Poland was certain at the end of March in 1939. He was
sure that Poland would strike him if he fought against the Western powers. The only way to
fight against the Western powers was to conquer Poland before starting another war. He
promised Stalin to support him in his war against Japan and also signed a trade agreement.
Thanks to the pact signed with the USSR on August 23, 1939, Hitler felt ready for a military
invasion of Poland. Since the pact guaranteed that Germany could invade Poland alongside
the Soviets, Hitler no longer had to worry about the USSR taking up arms and siding with the
Polish. The pact also reassured Hitler that Poland's western allies would be slow to help the
country, since any hostile action against Germany would also mean war with the Soviets.

C. Evaluation of Sources

1. Die Legende vom Hitler-Stalin-Pakt by Holger Michael (Book)

This book analyzes the Nazi-Soviet-Pact of 1939 and its effects on wartime Europe. It shows a very in
depth view of what happened behind closed door, during negotiations of German and Russian
dignitaries. It was very interesting to read and also very detailed. I think that its worth buying this
book because it actually contains all needed information about the pact and the secret protocol. The
author tried to show unknown facts and explain causal connections. He was successful in
explaining complicated facts and circumstances and simplifying the political motives for the
leaders.

2. Der Hitler – Stalin Pakt by Jost von Morr (Documentation)

The documentation „Der Hitler – Stalin Pakt“ by Jost von Morr was released in 1998. It is
actually pretty interesting. It starts in August 1939 when Ribbentrop is on his way to Moskau .
It is very detailed and informative even if its just a 45 minutes documentation. I would also
recommend everyone who is interested in the Nazi – Soviet pact and its secret protocol to
watch this movie.
 Felix Dyrek

D. Analysis

Stalin knew that Hitlers aim was to attack the USSR that’s why he wanted to ally with Britain.
He invited the British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax to Russia but the negotiations
terminated and were not resumed. The British were terrified by the Russian Communism.
Chamberline didn’t trust Stalin and he also believed that the Russians were to weak to be
useful in the war against Hitler. In August 1939 Hitler had sent one of his men to try to come
to terms with Stalin about a non-aggression treaty, which consisted of two parts. An official
one and a secret protocol., which split up territories of Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and
Lithuania. between Stalin and Hitler and promised Stalin a credit of 200 million Reichsmark,
which could be used to buy investment goods. Stalin decided to accept the contract.. He knew
that the British would never make such an offer and in case of an ally with Britain he would
have probably also had to go to war with Germany over Poland. It was the best solution for
the USSR. With his decision he bought time, because he knew that Hitler would also attack
the Soviets. He was hoping that the Germans would be weakened by the war over Poland. He
was also hoping to reconstruct the boundary line from 1917 by conquering East-Poland. It is
improbable that Stalin would have attacked Poland without having signed the pact with Hitler.
The polish army wasn’t weak during this time and was also supported by the British. He was
dependent on the Germans by weakening the Polish . So the pact was also a good deal for
Stalin. Hitler needed to expect that Britain would stick to the contractual commitments to
Poland. His advantage of the pact with the Soviets was that he wouldn’t have to fight a two
front war after attacking Poland. When he invaded Poland the Soviets didn’t join the war and
2 days later the British declared war and world war two had begun. Hitlers plan was
successful. The pact with Stalin was a economical and military collateralization for him. He
could fight against the Western-Powers without being attacked by the USSR. It bought him
time to prepare a war against the Soviets. Stalin and Hitler trespassed against the law of
nations by signing the secret protocol. It was a means to an end for both. The Nazi-Soviet
pact was only signed by Stalin because there was no support to expect from the Western-
Powers. If Britain would have agreed to the ally with the USSR then there would have existed
a strong ally against Nazi Germany but the fear of communism was stronger. The Western-
Powers failed forming a strong ally and Hitler could perform his actions to gain more power.
Stalin and Hitler haven’t seen the pact as a long term ally. It allowed them both to gain on
power before the final war between them would brake out. It was a contract between two
totalitarian states, which allowed them to take huge power political and territorial profits.

E. Conclusion

I can conclude that the Nazi-Soviet-Pact has been a compulsory agreement for Stalin. He wanted
to ally with Britain but the British feared him and the communism. I can not say if Hitler would
have attacked Poland or if Stalin would have risked to invade Poland without the Nazi-Soviet-
Pact but the facts show that Stalin and Hitler cooperated and profited by these cooperation. Hitler
started the war and Stalin joined it and world war II broke out. I can say that the Western-Powers
missed an opportunity to stop Hitler before he was able to spread out his territory over Europe. It
was a huge mistake not to ally with the USSR. The fear of the communism was bigger than the
fear of Nazi-Germany. The political view of the world dilapidated the opportunity of forming an
ally, which would have been strong enough to defeat Hitler.
 Felix Dyrek

F. List of Sources

1. Die Legende vom Hitler-Stalin-Pakt by Holger Michael

2. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch-sowjetischer_Nichtangriffspakt
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact
4. http://www.nazis.de/inidia/hitler-stalin-pakt.htm
5. Der Hitler – Stalin Pakt by Jost von Morr

Name: Felix Dyrek

Word Count : 1547