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The Polish Guarantees and the Soviet Foreign Policy. British and French guarantees for Poland. Soviets preparing for war. Soviet declaration about possible alliances. Germany interested in negotiations with USSR. The British-French-Soviet Negotiations in 1939. Idea of three-sided talks.
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The Polish Guarantees and the Soviet Foreign Policy • British and French guarantees for Poland. • Soviets preparing for war. • Soviet declaration about possible alliances. • Germany interested in negotiations with USSR.
The British-French-Soviet Negotiations in 1939 • Idea of three-sided talks. • Representatives of Sides – Admiral Druks for Britain, Gen. Douménc for France, marshal Voroshilov for Soviet Union. • First talks. • Soviet Demands.
German Foreign Policy in 1939 • Ribbentrop’s first visit to Moscow – May 1939. • German foreign policy toward Britain in summer 1939. • Hitler’s decision to sign agreement with Soviet Union.
The Failure of Three-Sided Talks in Moscow • Second part of talks in Moscow. • Soviets asking for Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland), Bessarabia and Bukovina (then part of Rumania, Now Moldova). • Britain and France against such plan.
The Session of the Soviet Politburo – August 19, 1939 • The Secret Session. • Stalin’s speech: 1. Communist dictate is possible only as a result of “Great War”; 2. All the people who fall to the German rule will become our allies. 3. Democracies will be our allies in the war against Germany. • Decision to prepare 12 new armies. • Order to organize new armoured divisions. • Secret order to begin secret mobilization. • Decision to sign pact with Germany.
Soviet-German Pact • Count von Schuleburg’s report. • Ribbentrop’s urgent visit to Moscow. • The Treaty. • Both High Contracting Parties obligate, themselves to desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. • Neither of the two High Contracting Parties shall participate in any grouping of powers whatsoever that is directly or indirectly aimed at the other party. • Should one of the High Contracting Parties become the object of belligerent action by a third power, the other High Contracting Party shall in no manner lend its support to this third power.
The Secret Protocol to Treaty • In the event of a territorial and political rearrangement in the areas belonging to the Baltic States (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the northern boundary of Lithuania shall represent the boundary of the spheres of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. In this connection the interest of Lithuania in the Vilna area is recognized by each party. • In the event of a territorial and political rearrangement of the areas belonging to the Polish state the spheres of influence of Germany and the U.S.S.R. shall be bounded approximately by the line of the rivers Narew, Vistula, and San. • With regard to Southeastern Europe attention is called by the Soviet side to its interest in Bessarabia. The German side declares; its complete political disinterestedness in these areas. • This protocol shall be treated by both parties as strictly secret.
Gliwice Incident and the Beginning of War • Hitler’s decision to began hostilities on September 1. • The “Polish troops” (German special forces) capturing Gliwice. • German official forces overtaking Gliwice. • Beginning of War.
