You will have read about most of these causes in previous units. Hopefully, they will only be a reminder and enhance your understanding rather than be new to you.
Rhineland, 1936
Munich Conference and Appeasement, 1936-39
Nazi-Soviet Pact, 1939
Listen to the podcast from the beginning to 21 minutes and answer the following questions.
- Why was the pact called ‘Faustian’?
- What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact? This is also answered from 17 minutes onwards
- When was it signed?
- What were the reasons why Hitler signed the Pact? These are explained throughout the podcast.
- What were the reasons why Stalin signed the Pact? Why did Stalin not trust the British and French?
- Which country reached out first?
- Describe the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union before 1939.
- What effect did the Polish Guarantee have on Hitler and Stalin?
- Where did the Soviets get their Nazi flags for von Ribbentrop’s visit?
- What else did Stalin do to improve the chances of the deal with Germany being agreed?
- How does Russia view the Nazi-Soviet Pact today? When does the Second World War in the Soviet Union begin?
AJP Taylor argued in Origins of the Second World War that Britain and France were also to blame for the war as they tried to engineer a conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union. Britain could have made an alliance or a deal with Stalin but chose not to, this only encouraged Hitler’s aggression. Listen from 21.00 to 24.00 and list the reasons why.
Perspectives and Historiography