POLAND 1939THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT

HISTORY CAMBRIDGE AS (PAPER 2)PRESENTATION 16

PLUS HOMEWORK AND ESSAY1933-1939 MODULE

The Nazi empire was created by violence, lived by violence and was destroyed by violence. In contrast to other empires created by armed

might, which bequeathed art and literature that are still widely admired, or administrations, customs, languages and legal codes that

Europeans and non-Europeans still adhere to, from Ireland to India, the tawdry Nazi anti-civilization left nothing of any worth behind,

except perhaps its contemporary function as a secular synonym for human evil… Nazism was literally "from nothing to nothing": with its powerful imaginative afterlife curiously disembodied from its pitiful

achievements. Rarely can an empire have existed about which nothing positive could be said, notwithstanding the happy memories of wartime tourism… Even in the limited terms of its own aesthetic politics, the Nazi "New Order" was merely the universality of ugliness.

MICHAEL BURLEIGH, The Third Reich: A New History

• 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 made a number of a 'secret protocol' agreeing 'spheres of influence' in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Poland.

• It amounted to an agreement to invade and divide the countries of eastern Europe between them ... with Poland first on the list.

NAZI-SOVIET PACT

This 1939 cartoon was drawn for the American public by the US cartoonist Herb Block. He was a liberal, who hated the dictators, but cared most about America’s interests. Block, further away in America and therefore more detached, NEVERTHELESS still thought the Nazi-Soviet Pact self-serving, cynical and disgraceful.

• A small girl, labelled ‘Poland’ is confronted by two fairy-tale predators. The little girl is vulnerable, weak and there-to-be-eaten; to attack a little girl is a disgusting thing to do. Poland is in danger.

• The words ‘Nazi-Germany’ are on the wolf’s pillow; the wolf has a ‘Hitler’ hair-style. The words of the fairy-tale: ‘all the better to EAT you with!’ Nazi Germany is a ravenous wolf (= an aggressive predator state) wanting to devour (= annex) Poland.

• The words ‘Soviet Russia’ are on the bear’s pillow; the bear has a look of Stalin. The bears tried to kill Goldilocks in the fairy-tale. (Also, ‘the bear’ is a traditional symbol of Russia). Stalin’s Russia is an frightening bear (= a dangerous predator state) wanting to kill (= destroy) Poland.

• The wolf and the bear have got into bed together in order to catch the little girl. ‘Getting into bed with’ is a slang term for making an alliance, uniting with. Hitler and Stalin have united to conquer Poland.

• The cartoon is a reaction of disgust to the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

• Stalin knew that Hitler’s ultimate aim was to attack Russia.

• In 1939, he invited Lord Halifax, the British Foreign Secretary to go to Russia to discuss an alliance against Germany. The British feared Russian Communism, and they believed that the Russian army was too weak to be of any use against Hitler.

• In August 1939, with war in Poland looming, the British eventually sent Reginald Ranfurly. He travelled by slow boat, not by plane. He did not have authority to make any decisions, and had to refer every question back to London. The talks dragged on.

• The Russians asked if they could send troops into Poland if Hitler invaded. The British refused. The talks broke down.

BRITAIN AND RUSSIA

Chamberlain did not trust Stalin, who was a Communist and a dictator. In particular, he would not ever have allowed Russia to control Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Russians thought Britain wanted to trick them into war against Germany.

Poland did not trust that the Russians (who wanted to send troops into Poland), once in, would ever leave.

FAILED TALKS: CAUSE #1 - SUSPICION

Britain could not send troops to fight in Poland, so if Stalin supported Britain, he would end up fighting a war in Poland on Britain’s behalf.

On the other hand, Hitler was promising him peace, half of Poland and a 'sphere of influence' over eastern Europe.

FAILED TALKS: CAUSE #2 - CHOICE

After Munich, Stalin was convinced that Britain would break its promise to Poland.

He was convinced that Britain would leave Russia fighting Hitler alone.

FAILED TALKS: CAUSE #3 - APPEASEMENT

At first, Lord Halifax refused Stalin’s offer of a meeting. When the British sent an official, he could not make any

decisions. Stalin got fed up with British delay.

FAILED TALKS: CAUSE #4 - BRITAIN DELAYED

• In August 1939, Hitler sent Ribbentrop, a senior Nazi, to Russia.

• He offered a Nazi-Soviet alliance – Russia and Germany would not go to war, but would divide Poland between them.

• Germany would allow Russia to annex Estinia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

• Stalin knew Hitler was lying, but he did not trust the British either – the Munich Agreement had convinced him that Britain and France would never dare to go to war with Hitler.

HITLER AND RUSSIA

Stalin had two choices: • if he made an alliance with Britain, he would end up fighting a war with Hitler over Poland. • if he made an alliance with Germany, he would get half of Poland, and time to prepare for the coming war with Germany.

He chose the latter. On 23 August 1939, he signed the Pact with Hitler.

STALIN AND HITLER

Stalin said: ‘We got peace for our country for 18 months, which let us make military preparations’.

WHY THE PACT? TIME TO PREPARE FOR WAR

Stalin was sure that Russia could only gain from a long war in which Britain, France and Germany exhausted themselves.

WHY THE PACT? HOPE TO GAIN

Stalin was insulted by Britain’s slowness to negotiate, and did not trust Britain. When the Anglo-Soviet alliance failed, he turned to Germany.

WHY THE PACT? UNHAPPY WITH BRITAIN

Hitler wanted the alliance because only Russia could keep Britain’s promise to defend Poland. He believed that, if he got a promise of peace with Russia, Britain would be forced to back down over Poland and Danzig.

WHY THE PACT? GERMANY

The British government had know about the Nazi-Soviet negotiations since the beginning of August but the Pact came as a complete surprise to the British public, who found it hard to believe that communist, Hitler-hating Russia had made an alliance with Nazi, Communist-hating Germany. They judged, correctly, that the Pact was a cynical lie to devour Poland.The following Low cartoons reflect their amazement and outrage, as well as the hope/feeling that the two liars would get their retribution in the end.

THE SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM

This cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low appeared in the Evening Standard on 20 September 1939. The title of the cartoon is ‘Rendezvous’. Hitler and Stalin meet in the rubble of the war to destroy Poland. Hitler says: 'The scum of the earth I believe?' and Stalin replies: 'The bloody assassin of the workers, I presume?' Low hated Hitler, and believed that he wanted to take over the world. Low is giving vent to all his loathing and disgust at Hitler (and Stalin), by showing the true nature of their alliance.

• Hitler and Stalin meet. They are both smiling broadly. It is a smug/greedy/evil/pleased-with-themselves smile. They are both unpleasant, greedy, deceitful characters.

• Hitler and Stalin stand over the body of a dead Polish soldier. ‘United over Poland’ has symbolic meaning. They have formed an alliance of convenience, in order to invade/destroy/divide Poland between them.

• Both men are armed. All around is the rubble of their successful war against Poland. Guns = militarism, violence, murder, conquest. Hitler and Stalin, having invaded Poland from west and east, now meet in the middle, having defeated Poland.

• Hitler and Stalin greet each other with exaggerated politeness and smiles. Such actions usually are done by friend… but in this case they are obviously pretending. They are only pretending to like each other.

• Despite the exaggerated greetings, they are saying nasty things to each other under their breath. ‘Scum’ reflects Hitler’s racism. ‘Assassin of the workers’ reflects Stalin’s communism. Really, they hate each other on principle, and have only united to divide Poland.

This cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low was published in the Evening Standard newspaper on 21 October 1939. Hitler and Stalin are tied at the ankle, as in a three-legged race. Tied = allied/ bound to each other/ co-workers/ friends. Germany and Russia are allied by the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939. Low hated Hitler. Low gets gleeful delight from the fact that – though Hitler and Stalin had taken Poland – they now lived next to a treacherous neighbour, who one day would try to kill them.

• The relationship is all smiles, hugs and flowers. ‘Everything in the garden is rosy’. Hitler and Stalin are giving the impression that they are very happy with their alliance.

• Hitler and Stalin stroll down the ‘Eastern Frontier’. Since the conquest and division of Poland, Germany and Russia shared a frontier. They got what they wanted … but now they have to live next-door to each other.

• They both carry a gun behind their back. Guns = war, attack. Although they are pretending to be allies, BOTH are merely waiting the chance to attack and destroy the other.

• The title reads: ‘Someone is taking someone for a walk’. This has overtones of deceit – today we would say: ‘taking them for a ride’. Low invites the reader to decide who is deceiving whom; the answer is that they are both equally evil (it was Hitler who broke the pact and invaded Russia in 1941).

• On 30 September 1939, Germany and Russia had signed a treaty dividing Poland between them. Low is reacting to the successful conquest of Poland.

Historians have argued that the Nazi-Soviet Pact was instrumental in causing the Second World War.1. Freed up Hitler to invade Poland - he knew that Britain couldn't do anything to defend Poland (he invaded 9 days later). 2. Ended Britain's hopes of an alliance with Russia to stop Hitler - people in Britain realised that nothing would stop Hitler now but war.3. Improved morale of British people for war - showed Hitler as an opportunist and a trickster, who could never be trusted.

THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT AND WAR

HOMEWORK AND ESSAY• H: Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact come as a shock to the

rest of the world?• E: Write an essay: ‘Why did Stalin make a Pact with Hitler

rather than an Alliance with Britain?’ Your essay will have 2 sections, each of 4 paragraphs, each paragraph having a Point, some Evidence to support it, then an Explanation of how this worked so that Stalin made the alliance with Hitler rather than Britain. The first section will deal (4 para) with the four reasons that the Anglo-Soviet talks failed. The second section will deal (4 para) with the four reasons that the Nazi-Soviet talks succeeded.