aug 26, 1939 - The Hitler-Stalin Pact (August 1939)

Description:

Adolph Hitler has been rebuilding Germany in 1930s
-Strengthening country, army, navy, territory, etc.
-Planning for war

He assumes all of his enemies are weak
-The March of 1938 Hitler takes over Austria
-Not a shot is fired, they welcome Hitler with open arms
-British/French say nothing

Sept 1938-March 1939
-Czechoslovakia is taken in parts
-British/French basically hand their ally over to Hitler

Poland is next
- British/French say they will protect Poland
-Problem: they don't share a border, no where near Poland
-So they need the Soviet Union to help

Stalin decides he doesn't want to sign up with the British/French; they aren't ready; need time

-Aug 1939, reps of Soviet Union and Germany reach an agreement
-Aug 23, the Hitler-Stalin Pact: divide Poland in half
-Soviets will also get the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
-The pact also contained a secret agreement in which the Soviets and Germans agreed how they would later divide up Eastern Europe. The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact fell apart in June 1941, when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union.

Germany invades Poland, Sept 1, 1939 (beginning of World War II
-British/French declare war on Germany (*not the Soviet Union)
-Stalin sends his troops a few weeks later
-By end of Sept fighting in Poland is over
-Stalin/Hitler friends - best buds
-In late 1940s, Hitler tells his general to begin planning invasion of Soviet Union

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