1) Under Stalin's policy of "Socialism in One Country", the Soviet Union pursued diplomatic relations that benefited its own interests above promoting worldwide communist revolution. 2) In the 1920s-1930s, the Soviet Union had shifting relations with Germany, China, Britain, and other countries based on its assessment of threats and opportunities. 3) By 1939, distrust of the West and a desire to avoid war led Stalin to sign the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact, dividing Eastern Europe into Soviet and German spheres of influence.

1. Soviet Foreign Policy 1924-1939
Socialism in One Country
By Mr. Rakochy
IBDP History

2. Perspective
• Important to look at Stalin’s foreign policy
through the lens of Socialism in One Country
– At odds with Totsky’s Permanent Revolution
• Nationalism replaced Marxist-Leninist
worldwide revolution
– Dependent upon Socialist revolutions in W.
Europe

3. Sino-Soviet Relations pre-WWII
• Revolution in China in 1911 left power
vacuum
• Lenin supported Chinese Communist Party
(CPC) and it was backed by Comintern
• CPC to be a wing of Guomindang (GMD) –
Chinese Nationalists
• Nationalists represented Chinese bourgeoisie
(middle-class)

4. Sino-Soviet Relations pre-WWII - 2
• Change of GMD leadership 1925 under Chiang
Kai-shek reduced CPC influence
• GMD increasingly anti-communist
• GMD still supported militarily by Soviet Union
despite anti-communist tendencies
• Stalin looked at Chiang’s nationalist regime as
an ally to the Soviet Union
• Why did Stalin feel he needed an ally in China?

5. Sino-Soviet Relations pre-WWII - 3
• April 1927 Chiang’s government massacred
30-40 thousand communists and workers in
Shanghai
• CPC under Mao Zedong introduced a policy
independent of Soviet Union and Comintern
• Trotsky’s claim Stalin is the gravedigger of the
revolution gains some ground in China

6. Anglo-Soviet Relations
• Under Lenin Anglo-Soviet trade agreement of
1921 slightly improved strained relations
– 1923 agreement strained by British Foreign Sec.
Curzon’s demand that Soviet agents stop agitation
in Persia, Afghanistan and India or agreement will
be terminated
• Soviet’s comply with Curzon Ultimatum
• MacDonald Labour government recognized
USSR officially - 1924

7. Anglo-Soviet Relations - 2
• Zinoviev letter 1924(which was a fake) further
strained relations bringing relations to virtual
standstill through 1925
– Letter suggested Comintern conduct major
propaganda campaign in British military and
elsewhere
• Arcos raid of 1927 on Russian trade mission in
London resulted in an end to diplomatic
relations until 1929

8. Soviet-German Relations 1924-1933
• Soviet-German relations 1924-1933
• Lenin had improved relations dramatically in
1922 with Treaty of Rapallo (open diplomatic
relationship established, secret economic and
military alliance)
• 1925 German/Western Treaty of Locarno
troublesome to Soviets
– Fear of Soviet isolation and erosion in Soviet
German relations resulted

9. Soviet-German Relations 1924-1933
• To alleviate concerns Germany signed a
number of trade and diplomatic agreements
with Soviets
• 1926 Treaty of Berlin reaffirmed Treaty of
Rapallo and both countries pledged neutrality
in case of an attack by a foreign power
• Militarily and economically relations improved
through 1933 (not politically)

10. Soviet Foreign Policy 1924-1933
Review
• 2 possible tracks – Trotsky’s or Stalin’s
– Permanent Revolution vs. Socialism in One Country
• USSR adopts Stalin’s policy of Socialism in One
Country
– Foreign communists subservient to USSR
– Stalin’s foreign policy impacted by domestic
priorities
• By 1932 USSR a European power once again

11. Fascism and Collective Security
• Collective Security: working together with other
States to stop fascism
• Litvinov (Commissar of Foreign affairs) helped
USSR to join the “robbers den” aka League of
Nations in 1934
– Denounced German appeasement as “suicidal”
• 1935 USSR signs mutual assistance pacts with
France and Czechoslovakia
– USSR only obliged to help Czechoslovakia if France
acted upon German aggression

12. Spanish Civil War
• Soviet Union main supporter of Spain
• Litvinov’s pursuance of collective security
against fascism made Spain important
• Stalin not totally committed as belief in
Socialism in One Country was paramount
• Aid came in limited quantity

13. Spanish Civil War 2
• Stalin’s intervention cautious and not a full
commitment
• Why did Stalin commit? See page 257 of Corin
and Fiehn
• Stalin sent supplies: 650 planes, 400 tanks,
18,000 machine guns, clothing and medicine,
3,000 advisors
• Stalin supported NKVD in mini-war between
POUM and NKVD

14. Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939- why the turn?
• Hitler’s aggression (Rhineland 1936, Anschluss
1938,Czechoslovakia 1938) left Stalin with few
choices
– West had shown tendency to choose fascism over
fear of communism
– Munich Conference and concessions by West to
Hitler did not build confidence in Soviets.

15. Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939 continued
• Historians disagree about Stalin’s motives
– Some believe west forced Stalin’s hand
– Others believe Stalin would do whatever benefited USSR
• May 1939 Litvinov replaced by Molotov (a move away
from Collective Security)
• August 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact signed:
1. Committed both sides to neutrality if other
attacked (in line with 1926 Treaty of Berlin)
2. Future spheres of influence secretly agreed
upon – E. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Bessarabia (part of
Romania) to Soviets.

16. Nazi-Soviets continued
• 1 September Hitler invades Poland from West
starting WWII. 17 September Soviets attack
Poland from East.
• 28 September 2nd Nazi-Soviet pact signed
– concedes more of Poland to Germany but gives
Soviets Lithuania.
– Hitler also got economic concessions from USSR
including grain and supplies passing through USSR
from the Far East.

17. Was Stalin blinded by Hitler?
• Stalin did not believe pact would last forever
but was caught off guard when Soviets were
invaded by Hitler in June of 1941