ID: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
When: August 23, 1939
Who:
- Nazi Germany: Represented by Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
- Soviet Union: Represented by Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (acting on behalf of Joseph Stalin)
What:
A treaty of non-aggression between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Publicly, the pact stated that the two countries would not attack each other for ten years and would remain neutral if either were attacked by a third party. Secret protocols divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence: Germany would control western Poland and Lithuania, while the Soviet Union would control eastern Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Bessarabia.
Impact: Why Significant?:
- Removed Soviet Opposition: Freed Hitler from fearing a two-front war when invading Poland, enabling him to launch World War II.
- Allowed the Invasion of Poland: The pact paved the way for Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, triggering World War II.
- Soviet Expansion: Enabled the Soviet Union to occupy and annex territories, including parts of Poland and the Baltic States.
- Shift in Alliances: This unexpected agreement stunned the world and temporarily altered the balance of power in Europe. It removed the perceived ideological barrier between Nazism and Communism, leading to confusion among supporters of both ideologies.
- Eventual Breakdown: The pact was ultimately broken by Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa). This event brought the Soviet Union into the Allied camp, fighting against Nazi Germany.