Soviet Union for a long time unsuccessfully tried to secure an alliance with Britain and France, and they refused to commit to any defensive cooperation.
France did sign a mutual assistance treaty with the Soviet Union in 1935, but it was a completely worthless treaty because Britain and Italy had to approve of any action performed under it, and also France answered every Soviet request for mutual military plans with “ehh, we’ll get back to you.”
i believe it’s commonly understood that French PM Pierre Laval torpedoed the treaty on purpose because he himself was a fascist piece of shit, like an actual Nazi
Freakish take. The NAP with the Soviets occurred after UK, France and many other countries signed NAPs with Germany. Previously the Soviets pledged troops to Czechoslovakia and Poland against Germany but this deal was declined, largely because Poland aligned with Germany against Czechoslovakia
Previously the Soviets pledged troops to Czechoslovakia and Poland against Germany but this deal was declined, largely because Poland aligned with Germany against Czechoslovakia
The Soviet Union was so hostile to Poland over Munich that there was a real prospect that war between the two states might break out quite separate from the wider conflict over Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Prime Minister, Molotov, denounced the Poles as "Hitler’s jackals
Fun quote. Honestly a lot of decent quotes from contemporaries in that section talking about how Poland was gladly partaking in imperialism with Hitler and legitimizing Germany’s actions.
Like lumalo said, but also Poland also went to war with Czechoslovakia during the interwar period (1919) over Tesin Silesia. You can find many bourgeois nationalist sources saying the Czechs were the aggressors here, however the fundamental issue is that Tesin Silesia was an important conduit for western weapons reaching Poland for the fight against the Red Army. Also Poland broke a previous agreement for dual custody of the area by starting federal elections in Tesin Silesia. Similarly, the Czech workers in the area were actively blockading the railway because they supported the Soviets and the Poles would have loved to stop that.
Regardless, Polish nationalism was very crazy in this period. They went to war with all of their neighbors, including against independent governments in Ukraine. I think that in itself is very telling.
I’m sure that some apologists say that, but even among liberal historians more serious than Conquest, there’s an understanding that there was an unwillingness on the part of Britain and friends to even explore making an antifascist alliance with the Soviets and others and crush Germany, which might have something to do with all the politicians and other public figures loudly proclaiming that the Nazis are a bulwark against communism.
wow maybe if there had been something called the Triple alliance negotiation where the Soviet Union proposed a security agreement with France and the UK in 1939, a month before the pact with Germany, maybe then the UK and France would have had more confidence in a hypothetical conflict with Germany
and maybe there wouldn’t have been a Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and maybe WW2 could have been prevented but who knows
They didn’t need to march against Germany immediately, but perhaps you might wonder why Britain and France didn’t immediately then say yes to an anti-nazi alliance.
Removed by mod
Soviet Union for a long time unsuccessfully tried to secure an alliance with Britain and France, and they refused to commit to any defensive cooperation.
France did sign a mutual assistance treaty with the Soviet Union in 1935, but it was a completely worthless treaty because Britain and Italy had to approve of any action performed under it, and also France answered every Soviet request for mutual military plans with “ehh, we’ll get back to you.”
i believe it’s commonly understood that French PM Pierre Laval torpedoed the treaty on purpose because he himself was a fascist piece of shit, like an actual Nazi
Freakish take. The NAP with the Soviets occurred after UK, France and many other countries signed NAPs with Germany. Previously the Soviets pledged troops to Czechoslovakia and Poland against Germany but this deal was declined, largely because Poland aligned with Germany against Czechoslovakia
Ooh can I get a source for this
I know that’s just Wikipedia, but it’s a good primer. In 1938 Poland annexed Zaolzie, of course the article defends Poland as to not present them as collaborators to the annexation of Czechoslovakia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Olza#Part_of_Poland_(1938–1939)
Fun quote. Honestly a lot of decent quotes from contemporaries in that section talking about how Poland was gladly partaking in imperialism with Hitler and legitimizing Germany’s actions.
Oh we wanted to become an imperial power, with Madagascar being the most serious ambition. https://polskieradio24.pl/artykul/2207321,madagaskar-i-ambicje-kolonialne-ii-rp-zobacz-infografike
Like lumalo said, but also Poland also went to war with Czechoslovakia during the interwar period (1919) over Tesin Silesia. You can find many bourgeois nationalist sources saying the Czechs were the aggressors here, however the fundamental issue is that Tesin Silesia was an important conduit for western weapons reaching Poland for the fight against the Red Army. Also Poland broke a previous agreement for dual custody of the area by starting federal elections in Tesin Silesia. Similarly, the Czech workers in the area were actively blockading the railway because they supported the Soviets and the Poles would have loved to stop that.
Regardless, Polish nationalism was very crazy in this period. They went to war with all of their neighbors, including against independent governments in Ukraine. I think that in itself is very telling.
I’m sure that some apologists say that, but even among liberal historians more serious than Conquest, there’s an understanding that there was an unwillingness on the part of Britain and friends to even explore making an antifascist alliance with the Soviets and others and crush Germany, which might have something to do with all the politicians and other public figures loudly proclaiming that the Nazis are a bulwark against communism.
wow maybe if there had been something called the Triple alliance negotiation where the Soviet Union proposed a security agreement with France and the UK in 1939, a month before the pact with Germany, maybe then the UK and France would have had more confidence in a hypothetical conflict with Germany
and maybe there wouldn’t have been a Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and maybe WW2 could have been prevented but who knows
Modern reading by who?
Robert Conquest, famously modern historian.
Westoids and other flavors of Nazi apologist.
They didn’t need to march against Germany immediately, but perhaps you might wonder why Britain and France didn’t immediately then say yes to an anti-nazi alliance.