The Importance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact make the Second World War more likely? - Summary
The Nazi-Soviet Pact, signed in August 1939, made the Second World War more likely. Before the pact, there was uncertainty about whether the USSR would support Poland or oppose German expansion. The agreement between the Nazis and the Soviets removed this uncertainty, making it clear that the USSR would not interfere with Germany's invasion of Poland. With this assurance, Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939.
The pact demonstrated to other countries that Germany and the USSR were willing to cooperate for their own benefit, despite believing in opposing ideology. This cooperation between two powerful nations made it clear that diplomatic efforts to contain Hitler's ambitions through the policy of appeasement had failed. This increased the likelihood of another world war.
The USSR's aims for the Nazi-Soviet Pact
The Versailles Settlement created the Polish Corridor
This was a section of land that gave Poland access to the sea
It cut Germany’s territory into two separate areas
After Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, it was clear that Hitler would attempt to gain the Polish Corridor for Germany
Hitler and Stalin (the leader of the USSR) were enemies because:
They believed in opposite ideologies
Hitler was a fascist. This is a far right-wing belief
Stalin was a communist. This is a far left-wing belief
They had different aims for Europe
Hitler wanted Germany to dominate Europe
Stalin wanted to gain land to implement communism
On 23rd August 1939, Germany and the USSR formed the Nazi-Soviet Pact
It is also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The signing of the pact shocked the world
Why did Stalin sign the pact?
Germany's Aims for the Nazi-Soviet Pact
Hitler sent a telegram to Stalin on 20th August asking for the pact. This was surprising because:
The USSR had a large Jewish population which was hated by Hitler
It was a common, but incorrect, belief that many communists in the USSR were Jewish
Hitler considered the Slavs as subhuman
Taking the USSR’s territory was necessary to fulfil Hitler’s foreign policy aim of Lebensraum
Why did Hitler sign the pact?
Exam Tip
You may need to remember the different motivations of Stalin and Hitler for the Nazi-Soviet Pact. In your revision, draw a Venn diagram. The aims in the middle should be shared aims between Hitler and Stalin.
Terms of the Nazi-Soviet Pact
Date | Terms | Impacts |
|---|---|---|
August 1939 |
|
|
The Partition of Poland
Worked Example
Source A is critical of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A cartoon in an American newspaper on 24th August 1939, the day after the Nazi-Soviet Pact. It uses the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
Answer:
Source A is critical of the Nazi-Soviet Pact because of its content. The cartoon depicts Poland as Little Red Riding Hood and Germany and the USSR as pretending to be Grandma to attack Little Red Riding Hood. In August 1939, Poland was much smaller than Germany and the USSR. It was also geographically between Germany and the USSR. A secret clause of the pact agreed to partition Poland between Germany and the USSR. Therefore, the cartoon makes Germany and the USSR the aggressive nations wanting to harm the defenceless country of Poland.
Source A is also critical of the Nazi-Soviet Pact because of its provenance. The cartoon was published in the USA the day after the Nazi-Soviet Pact. This means that the source was critical because the USA, whilst not involved in European affairs, had concerns over the behaviour of Nazi Germany. The cartoonist wanted to show the danger of the Nazi-Soviet Pact and how no country in Europe was safe from Germany and the USSR’s aggression. The cartoonist was correct to be worried. War would break out in September 1939.
Exam Tip
When approaching the "How do you know" question, ensure that you have selected two parts of the source that are relevant to the question and that you have relevant knowledge for. If the worked example above did not mention any knowledge about the Nazi-Soviet Pact or Poland, it could not get more than 3 marks.
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 4-mark “How do you know” question.
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