The Soviet Union's Double Game in World War II

1. The Soviets “In Soviet Russia, bullets fire you!” Rachael Evans, Duncan Tuomi, Zach Striar, Sutton Raphael

2. Background Information • Hitler’s plan for westward expansion after the domination of Poland appeased the Soviets, who were afraid of German invasion • Stalin set in place an accommodation with Hitler that would deflect the Nazi war machine westward • The westward movement of Germany allotted time for the Soviets to prepare economically and militarily for the inevitable war with Germany

3. The Kremlin’s Double Game • Soviet apprehension toward German invasion of Prague in combination with the allure of the formation of a second Triple Entente kept Russia interested in an alliance with France and Britain • Germany was also kept an optino by several gestures on Russia’s behalf, such as the replacement of Jewish foreign minister Maxim Litvinov with Stalin’s henchman, Vyacheslav Molotov

4. The Soviet Quest for Security • To get security, Russia wanted to expand • Wanted to gain control of Finland & 2 northernmost Baltic states. This would reduce the vulnerability of Russia’s second capital, Leningrad by providing it with a defensive buffer. • The recovery of the territory lost to Poland in the war of 1920 would restore the historic buffer between Germany & Russia • Finland, Latvia, and Estonia were all under Russia’s influence

5. Joining the Allies • After the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 23rd 1939, the Russians became allies with Britain and France, never officially establishing an alliance with the United States. • Germany thus invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd, 1941, taking out half of the Soviet Army in just three months.