The road to World War II The Nazi-Soviet Pact 23 rd August 1939.

The road to World War II

The Nazi-Soviet Pact23rd August 1939

The Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939

• On 23 August, 1939, the world was shocked when, suddenly, Russia and Germany signed a Non-aggression Pact. People would have been even more shocked if they had known at the time that, in addition, the two countries had a secret agreement to invade and divide Poland between them.

The Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939

Why did Stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Why did talks fail with Britain?

Suspicion & Lack of trust

Stalin got fed up with Britain's

delaying tactics

Stalin did not believe Britain

would honour its promise to Poland.

Appeasement!

Germany & Hitler offered Stalin a better choice

Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact happen?

• Stalin was convinced Britain & France would never go to war with Germany• Stalin was annoyed that Britain and France had promised to help Poland

which he viewed as his potential enemy.

REMEMBER

Stalin's 2 choices1) if he made an alliance with Britain, he would end up fighting a war against Hitler over Poland.

2) if he made an alliance with Germany, he would get half of Poland, and time to prepare for the coming war with Germany.

Obviously Stalin chose the second option

Interpretations of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

This British cartoon of 1939

What is the message of this cartoon? Use the cartoon and your own knowledge

Interpretations of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

This British cartoon of 1939

What is the message of this cartoon? Use the cartoon and your own knowledge

A British cartoon from 1937. The figures on the left representBritain and France. The figure on the right is Molotov,the Soviet Foreign Minister

What is the message of this cartoon? Use the cartoon and your own knowledge

A Soviet cartoon from 1939. CCCP is Russian for USSR.The French and the British are directing Hitler away from westernEurope and towards the USSR.

What is the message of this cartoon? Use the cartoon and your own knowledge

What does this source reveal about Soviet attitudes towards Britain and France?

Why did Hitler & Stalin REALLY sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Because . . . .

Stalin was not convincedthat Britain and France

would be strong andreliable enough as allies

against Hitler.

He did not believe Hitler wouldkeep his word, but he hoped

for time to build up hisforces against the attack

he knew would come.

He also had designs on largesections of Eastern Polandand wanted to take overthe Baltic states whichused to be part of the

USSR

WAR• The Pact was perhaps the

pinnacle of Hitler’s triumphs. It cleared the way for Germany’s invasion of Poland.

• On 1 September 1939 the German army invaded Poland from the west. On 17 September Soviet forces invaded Poland from the east. Poland soon fell.

• But Hitler’s triumph was spoilt by a nasty surprise. Britain and France did keep their pledge. On 2 September they declared war on Germany.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMt2-o8Mrbw&feature=fvst

Task

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

What Hitler did and when

The reasons he gave for his action

The response from Britain and France

Germany’s armed forces to be severely limited

The Rhineland to be a demilitarised zone

Germany forbidden to unite with Austria

The Sudetenland taken into the new state of Czechoslovakia

The Polish Corridor given to Poland