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️ #OTD 84 years ago, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Nonaggression Pact in Moscow. Signing the pact was a forced step for the USSR. The Soviet leadership made this difficult decision after taking account of the extremely unfavourable geopolitical situation that had emerged in Europe by August 1939. First, it was evident to everyone at that time that a large-scale conflict was inevitable. Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 and embarked on a policy designed to militarise the country and expand the German Lebensraum (living space) by occupying Eastern Europe. Second, the Western countries were openly condoning Hitler’s predatory plans because it was a pet idea of theirs to channel the Third Reich’s aggression to the East. Their appeasement policy enabled Germany to carry out the Anschluss of Austria in March 1938 and to partition Czechoslovakia in a most cruel and cynical manner later in September. The Soviet leadership did its utmost to create an anti-Hitler coalition. However, its attempt to form a tripartite military alliance against Hitler with Britain and France failed to gain traction. Moreover, Poland refused to allow the Red Army to cross its territory in the event of German aggression. Moscow had to take the Japanese factor into consideration as well, with Japan launching hostilities in the Khalkhin Gol area in May 1938 and the persisting tensions in the relations between the USSR and Japan. A war on two fronts – in the East and the West – was out of the question for the USSR. The Soviet Union was the last major European power to sign a nonaggression pact with Germany. This document made it possible for the Soviet Union to delay the outbreak of the war for two more years, enabling it to make better preparations for a clash with the world’s most powerful army. ️The dramatic events of 1938 and 1939 are graphic evidence of the fact that no one can ensure their security at the expense of the security of others. Источник: Russian MFA 🇷🇺
