Here we go, turning the corner on the IB History project. The test is close at hand - May 14th for Paper 1 & 2 in the afternoon and Paper 3 the morning of May 15th. In preparation for that we are ramping up the blogging process as way to extend our reviewing process. You will be marked on quality of answer and timeliness. As a participation exercise, being on time with your submissions will be essential. Late postings will be down graded.
Prompt 2.1: IB Test May 2011 Paper 3
17.To what extent was Stalin’s foreign policy dominated by the desire for security up until 1941?
You may either craft your answer in outline form or prose. Think opening paragraph - strong thesis and supporting concepts. Structural outline for what essay would look like. Remember, there is no peer response portion for this round. We will discuss the answers on Wednesday Dec. 11th with the IB rubric. Rubric will be posted Tuesday Dec. 11th.
Stalin’s Foreign policy was driven by the desire for security from 1924 to 1941 to a great extent because he wanted to stabilize the Soviet Union economically and industrialize the Soviet Union before coming in contact with any conflict.
ReplyDeleteIn the period between 1924 and 1941, Stalin sought to make the Soviet Union strong by destroying internal opposition. During this time, he shifted the foreign policy (in place from Lenin) to have less emphasis on “World Revolution” and instead strived for “Socialism in One Country.” For this, he avoided causing conflict by seeking collective security. The Soviet Union joined the League of Nations and resisted conflict by making compromises with other countries. The Soviet Union signed the Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance pacts with other European powers. In addition, ideologies were set aside to maintain trade relations and agree to the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Essentially, the Soviet Union was attempting to appear peaceful to other countries while it became stronger.
Stalin kept many affairs internal because of his desire for security- he didn’t want other countries to know of their struggle, which paralleled that he didn’t want Russians to know either. There were secret arrests, fake trials, forced-labor camps, and mass executions that were kept from the public eye. These were only exposed after his death. If these were kept hidden from citizens of the Soviet Union, then other countries definitely didn’t know exactly what was occurring either, which helped to protect them from external threats. Other countries did start to get suspicious though, which in some cases stopped the formation of alliances and relations. Stalin and the Soviet Union became secretive very quickly, which probably was not the best choice for the immediate future of the Soviet Union, but it was what Stalin wanted. Other countries didn’t just not know about the violence- they didn’t know about the positive changes within the Soviet Union either. With Stalin’s brutality came a constructive change in the Soviet Union. There was a shift from a reliance on agriculture to industrialization, which helped attribute to the World War II victory. This was not an immediate success, however, because it made other countries suspicious, leading to their demise in alliance and relation formations. Stalin’s desire for security was driven by his need to build the Soviet Union up to become a powerful, one-party state. By keeping other countries in the dark, he was able to accomplish security in the sense that he knew he was safe in raising the Soviet Union up, no matter how brutal he was being.
To accomplish building a stronger Soviet Union under security, Stalin introduced the Five-Year Plans. This sought after rapid and sustained economic growth, which would expand on industry and decrease agriculture. Because of this, the kulaks were wiped out, taking millions of lives. Despite the tragedy, the Soviet Union was able to transform into a leading manufacturing nation, which when combined with a very secretive foreign policy made the Soviet Union nearly unstoppable.
Stalin’s policies and plans were all aiming towards one goal: a stronger Soviet Union. Despite the deaths and oppression, Stalin was able to transform the Soviet Union into a leading industrial power. His desire for security dominated his foreign policy until 1941 to a great extent because his actions required secrecy. The Soviet Union became a nation willing to form diplomatic relations with other countries only to better themselves. By 1941, the Soviet Union had risen up to being a powerful nation. When the Nazis invaded in 1941, the Soviet Union was ready for war.
Stalin was obsessed with safety and security until 1941, as a result of the numerous attacks and invasions from 1914-1941. Because of this, his foreign policy was dominated by a primary goal to fortify Russia and protect it from future attacks of this nature. This concern manifested itself in the way Stalin chose allies. Stalin allied with Nazi Germany,which protected against a German attack and allowed Russia to achieve domination in places like Poland. He felt that the quickest way to attack his nation would be through Poland, and by taking over this territory, such an attack would be prevented. By outwardly expanding Soviet borders, Stalin continued to fortify his nation against possible foreign infiltration; he believed that Russia was vulnerable until its borders were extended, and as he accomplished this feat, his paranoia and desire for safety began to decline. With a land buffer and allies to protect him, Stalin felt that Russia was less vulnerable to attack, which lead to a priority change in 1942. Until 1941, Stalin's foreign policy was dominated by the desire for safety, from the way he chose allies to the way he acquired land.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy was dominated mostly by his desire for security. This was obtained through an expansion of Russia's borders and an alliance with Nazi Germany, who looked to Stalin and Russia as a way to achieve their goals in Poland and France. Stalin was obsessed with keeping his wide borders because he felt that without those large borders, Russia was vulnerable. This vulnerable feeling came from the fact that Russia had been invaded 3 times from 1914 to 1941. Stalin's desire for Russian security was driven mostly by his extreme paranoia. He did not trust anyone and wanted Russia to be secure from everyone he distrusted. This included the allies whom he continually blackmailed to scare so that Russia was more secure. Stalin was obsessed with his desire for security in his foreign policy and he did everything he could to obtain it.
ReplyDeleteEven before WWII, Stalin's foreign policy was clear. He consistently pursued a geopolitical policy. He did this because he thought that it would potentially expand the soviet borders in order to make Russia the largest land mass in Europe. Stalin's foreign policy almost stemmed from paranoia and an objective to keep the country secure at its border. When the war ended and Nazi Germany was on a rise, Stalin faltered and the borders were less protected. This however did not change the borders of Russia and the size of the country was still a sizable.
ReplyDeleteUp until 1941, Stalin was in a constant state of paranoia. This was seen being that he had many of his previously close friends arrested for fear that they would betray them. This in turn, caused his desire for security. Another factor adding to his desire for security was the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany alliance that had been established early in WWII, but eventually Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. In order to achieve this security, he expanded borders, though annexing Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova, and maintaining heavy economic and/or political influence in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria. Finally, Stalin felt threatened by the West's opposition to Communist governments. In order to achieve security from the west without antagonizing them, Stalin adopted the National Front Strategy. Thus, Stalin's foreign policy was mainly dominated by the desire for security, with other factors playing minor roles as well.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s desire for security was in part due to his struggle to gain power in the first place. Stalin had to go to great extent to be able to take Lenin’s place; such as removing Trotsky (the previous favorite), and attempt to sway the views of Lenin and the public towards him. Perhaps it was the fact that Stalin came from lower class that helped him to power and created a need for security in his life. Stalin had been from one end to the other, and he liked the power on top.
ReplyDeleteStalin did not trust anybody. This could be in part to his father who was extremely abusive to his mother and himself. Stalin learned at a young age that he could not trust anybody, even his friends and family. This was shown later in Stalin’s life through his strategies to maintain power by turning the people who adored him against his enemies. Then he would turn his allies against other people who were his allies. This style of Stalin’s shows his astronomical desire for security. Stalin shaped every move he did to ensure his maintenance of power and to shield the public of his horrific deeds (to gain support). Stalin even attempted to make an alliance with NAZI Germany in the Nazi-Soviet Pact before Hitler attacked Russia, because he knew Hitler had great power and could be a potential threat. Stalin’s purges were also security. The purges served as a way to blame people for the poor Russian economy for the lower class. Most people didn’t even know the purges existed at first because Stalin kept them a secret as another form of security.
This mentality ad sense of security followed Stalin to his grave. He died a man who could never trust another, and this shows in his foreign policy as well. Stalin did anything that would benefit the USSR. He didn’t even give much aid in the Spanish war possibly because he didn’t want to direct the attention away from the steps of communism. Stalin’s foreign policy was completely dominated by his desire for security. Stalin was in a way insecure about his position and power. He wanted everyone on board with him and he wanted the USSR to be the most powerful with him in charge.
Up until 1941, Joseph Stalin's main objective when regarding his foreign policy was security for Russia. Stalin was always very paranoid about being invaded by other countries and losing a sense of national security because Russia had been invaded before and he did not want something like this happening again. Stalin was also not a very trusting man and he could not even trust those closest to him, let alone other countries to the west. He tried to make Russia more secure by stretching out the borders of the country, making Russia the predominant and most powerful country in Europe, and by gaining allies to the west, especially Germany. Security to him, was Russia's greatest ally during World War II.
ReplyDeleteDuring the period between the first and second world wars, as far as Stalin was concerned, Russia was stable economically and politically as reflected by various plans and policies. He further built up his military and industrial forces for expansion across Europe through Communism and industrialization. In turn, his neglect of economic stability is shown in the downfall of his system towards the beginning of World War II. Up until 1941, Stalin’s foreign policy wasn’t so much dominated by security, but rather expansion of Communism and industrialization that he believed would result in the country’s security.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy prior to 1941 was formed with security in mind due to:
ReplyDelete1) Hitler's Mein Kamph: Hitler proclaimed that slavics were sub-human and land could be taken at the expense of the soviet union.
2) Japan:Japan was concerned with imperial expansion which prompted Stalin to sign a non-aggression pact with Afghanistan, Lithuania, Fineland, Latvia, Poland and Fance. This was in response to Japan's capture of manchuria and the threat they posed to Russian boarders.
3) Hitler's signing of the Anti-Comintern with Japan and Italy in 1937: This caused tension within the USSR which caused Stalin to act aggressivly with other countries such as Germany and Czechoslovakia.
4)Stalin soon became paranoid and avoided Briatin and France's request for a treaty out of suspision that it was western manipulation. Instead he sought agreement with Hitler as well as invading poland in 1939.
Under Stalin, Soviet foreign policy was that of a paranoid isolationist, with a large focus on expansion and control.
ReplyDeleteStalin was keen on industrializing Russia, and ensuring it did not continue to lag behind other western powers. Economic security as the sole Communist power was quite important to Stalin during this time. The country propagated the villainy of capitalist nations, which was supported by the occurrence of the Great Depression.
As the Nazis gained power however, the isolationist perspective began to fade away as Stalin began to fear the power of Hitler's fascist regime. The Soviets became adamantly against fascism, joining the League of Nations to advocate this position.
Yet as the League repeatedly failed to stop Hitler's rise, allowing him violation after violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Stalin continued to value the security of the Soviet Union above all else. He reversed his position on fascism, and instead made treaties and pacts with the German government.
Stalin's foreign policy was one that constantly shifted in order to maintain the security of the USSR.
Despite the desire of communism to be a universal policy, Stalin's foreign policy did not reflect a desire to extend communism beyond the USSR's borders. Between his consolidation of power in 1924 and the Nazi invasion of the USSR in 1941, Stalin's foreign policy sought mainly to ensure the continued security of his own government and the maintenance of the present Soviet borders. It was in large part, all security against Germany. While parts of his actions were motivated by his Socialism in One Country theory of strengthening the communist power internally, his actions were also motivated by fear of external forces. Communism was never popularized in other countries and attempted revolutions failed. It was seen as dangerous to other countries, and Stalin’s foreign policy reflected, in part, an attempt to prevent foreign powers from intervening on USSR interior matters. The vast majority of documents signed under Stalin’s government were non-aggression pacts, or pacts of neutrality, such as the Treaty of Berlin. Stalin attempted to maintain relevance between the European nations, and looked at Germany as its greatest threat – the largest power the closest to the USSR. By involving itself in the League of Nations, the USSR was able to accomplish both and signed mutual assistance treaties, like the Franco-Soviet one, in order to intimidate an increasingly unruly German state. By allowing its foreign policy to be dictated by a monitoring of Germany and an aim to keep the USSR’s power both free from and felt within the European nations, Stalin allowed the policy to be deeply rooted in security.
ReplyDeleteUntil 1941, Stalin's foreign policy was dominated by security desires to a moderate extent due to the USSR's political instability, foreign tensions and the state's agricultural and industrial policies.
ReplyDelete• USSR’s Political Instability
1. At the time of Stalin’s rise to power, the country had recently lost their leader Lenin.
i. This caused a power vacuum in the central leadership position.
ii. As Stalin assumed the role of central leadership and expanded his influence and power as the general secretary, party opposition became significantly larger.
iii. As a result, foreign governments found the USSR unstable and easily manipulated.
2. The power struggle impacted the decisions of exiling party members and Stalin did so to consolidate power and make the USSR look strongest and unified.
i. Trotsky and other political opposition were either exiled or purged.
ii. Those who spoke out against Stalin were sent to work camps deep in the countryside.
iii. Power struggle ended as Stalin consolidated power and strengthened the party within the country.
• Foreign Pressures
1. The USSR signed a treaty with Germany in order to appease this outcast power.
i. This provided full diplomatic relations and the renouncement of any claims between them.
ii. Developed sorely needed trade to help end the Russian famine.
iii. Seemed to assure close bond and non-aggression pact with Germany.
2. The USSR strengthened the Eastern Army and restored diplomatic ties with Eastern Asian countries.
i. Offered a non-aggression pact to Japan and sold the Japanese railway interests in Manchuria.
ii. Encouraged Chinese communists against the Japanese in order to keep them from becoming too influential and threatening.
• Agricultural and Industrial Policies
1. The Five Year Plan
i. Succeeded in turning the USSR into a major world power.
ii. Caused the great famine and huge labor shortages as well as waste of products.
iii. Massive rearmament of the country and made it into a world power.
iv. Helped the USSR resist the initial German invasion of 1941.
2. The Famine
i. A massive drop in production caused the death of millions of Soviets.
ii. Without enough food, Stalin had to employ foreign policy in order to secure trade with neighbors for resources to feed the starving.
Do to Stalin's paranoia before the war and 1941, his foreign policy was obsessively based around a desire for security in the means of expanding Russia's Soviet boundaries and avoiding war to make the country a dominant power of Europe. Stalin sought to execute this plan through an alliance with Nazi Germany. With his geographical policy, he made the pursuit of territorial diplomacy of high importance, while making sure to maintain a good relationship with the Nazi party and avoid a seemingly inevitable attack.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy from when he took power until 1941, when the Nazis invaded the soviet union, was primarily based on avoiding conflicts with other foreign powers until the Soviet Union could fix the domestic issues, such as the economic depression. Also, after Stalin's purges of the Soviet Union's higher ups in the military, it was not strong enough to fight other military powers, such as Germany and Japan. Until the military returned to its prior strength, Stalin avoided conflict through treaties and non-aggression pacts. Two of these were the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact and the Japanese-Soviet neutrality pact. There were many warning signs that the Nazis were going to attack the Soviet Union, but they were all ignored by Stalin in the hope that they could remain neutral in World War II. However, the non-aggression pact was violated by the Nazis in June 1941, ending the good relations between the Nazis and the Soviets. The neutrality pact with Japan was signed in 1941, and throughout World War II, both sides honored this agreement despite fighting on different sides.
ReplyDeleteThesis: Stalin's paranoia and increasing power across Europe accompanied by alliance made security his chief concern and he became obsessed with geopolitical policy and expanding Soviet boundaries to make Russia the most powerful country on the Eurasian landmass; however, he was forced to reconsider this policy as Russia retained an increasing reliance on other Allies and he began to embrace collaboration.
ReplyDeleteParagraph 1: Stalin's security objectives remained the same throughout the war when he began seeking alliance with Nazi Germany for safety because he was anxious about British and French intentions. He feared a Germany-Britain-France alliance that would turn against the weak Red Army.
--Nazi-Soviet Pact, Churchill
Paragraph 2: In 1942, Britain refused to talk about borders with Russia any longer until peace was discussed; their changed objectives forced Stalin to reconsider and eventually change his foreign policy and view of collaboration, which became less of an obstacle to his desires.
--Stalin began to rely on the Allies (Russian Economy would need
recovery help from the Western World)
--National Front strategy implemented across Europe.
Conclusion: Up until 1941, the formation of alliances throughout Europe and Russia's frequent attack history made Stalin paranoid about the country's safety and aimed solely to expand boundaries. This continued until 1942 when he started to see the value in coalition and made the appropriate adjustments to his policy.
- Stalin intended to create a larger, more powerful Soviet nation
ReplyDelete- security became a primary concern due to his paranoia of opposing forces
- accused Britain and France of wanting a separate peace with Germany
- had a negative view of the League of Nations and capatilist nations in general
- avoided war because of a weak Red army and the possibility of the Communist regime being overthrown
- maintained an alliance with Germany for an advantage in the possibility of an attack and for a European balance of power
- signed the Nazi Soviet Pact in 1939 to take land in Poland and the Baltic States, give the Red army time to recover, and extend borders further away from cities
Thesis: Stalin’s main failure in foreign policies before WWII was the lack of agreement with Western powers to establish security within and outside of Russia. The missed opportunity to find security in other places drove Stalin to depend on Hitler and Germany as a nation which lead to Hitler’s confidence that Germany could take on a major war and get through it with success, and ultimately World War II.
ReplyDeletePhase 1= Rise of Hitler and increasing problems with the Japanese push Russia to turn to the West for security. Russia signs non-aggression pacts with some European countries in 1933. In 1934, Russia joins the League of Nations were the relations between Russia and Germany worsen as Russia looks for western alliances for security.
Phase 2= The unknown between Stalin and Hitler only added to the problems that began in the League of Nations. However, because France left out Russia in the discussion over a section of land, Russia became suspicious of the Western powers working with Hitler for the larger purpose of giving up Eastern Europe to Hitler. In 1939, due to the attacks by Hitler on the Czechs, Russia, Britain and France form a mutual alliance to go against Hitler and what he was doing.
Phase 3= The mutual pact against Hitler between the 3 major powers was no a success. Foreign commissioner, Molotov, signs a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939. There were secret bonuses involved and Stalin chose to stay away from collective security provided through working with other countries like the failure with France and Britain. The distrust between the two countries and their leaders and the countries that surrounded them, left many of the people in fear for war by an upset group of people.
Russia was attempting to find secure choices for the country in the hard times, but Stalin was untimely and disorganized with his choices, which allowed the order of events to occur. Stalin was so involved with this problem that he is said to have ultimately triggered the beginning of WWII because of the chaos of alliances and ideas of power.
Due to the invasion of the Soviet Union three times between 1914 and 1941, Stalin's main focus in his foreign policies was to protect the Soviet Union from external threats. This desire for security dominated foreign policy to a great extent, exemplified by his appeasement in the late 1930s as well as joining the League of Nations and maintaining trade relations with Nazi Germany, despite political differences. All of these policies were intended to avoid conflict while the Red Army grew stronger.
ReplyDeleteTowards the beginning of the Stalin era in the mid-1920s, Stalin's foreign policy focused on economic recovery, claiming it was essential for the complete establishment of the Communist state. As part of Stalin's first Five Year Plan, it emphasized the production of capital instead of consumer goods. By the mid-1930s, however, the foreign policy of the U.S.S.R. shifted focus to security and external threats. The USSR sought friendly relations with its neighbors, declared a renunciation of imperialistic expansion, and advocated total disarmament. This is most likely due to the reluctance and a failure of European nations and the U.S. to recognize the Soviet Union as an official state, and the mutual distrust each shared. The U.S. only acknowledged the U.S.S.R. in 1933, and the nation was admitted to the League of Nations in 1934. Stalin relentlessly pursued a geopolitical policy, which aimed to satisfy his obsessive pursuit of security by expanding the borders of the Soviet Union outwards, making Russia the dominant power in both Europe and Asia, with buffer states to the west. His goal was driven by a mix of pragmatism, ideology, and Stalin’s own paranoia, which made security his chief concern. The Western nations did not invite the USSR to take part in the negotiations with Germany leading to the Munich Pact (1938), and a radical shift in Soviet foreign policy ensued. Stalin’s security objective did not change in response to Western policy, however his methods for achieving it did. Before the war and until 1941, Stalin sought an alliance with Hitler, who used Stalin so that he could accomplish his aims in Poland and France. Stalin believed that this was the best way to achieve a balance of power in Europe and delay a German attack that was expected sometime in the future. Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in fear of Great Britain and France. He was suspicious of British and French motives, and feared they would make an ally of Germany. It also was in his best interests, as Great Britain would not allow Russia to annex Finland and the Baltic states, whereas Germany would.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin’s foreign policy was dominated by the desire for security in order to keep the Soviet Union safe from war or attacks. He did this through his pact with Germany and his desire for certain countries to strengthen the Soviet Union from attack.
ReplyDelete1. His pact with Nazi Germany
a. He wanted to maintain neutrality to be safe from the oncoming war
i. The Soviet Union was still weak politically, socially and economically, compared to the rest of Europe
ii. The Soviet Union was still lagging in its process of industrialization
iii. Its military forces were not very strong yet
b. He felt Germany was a strong power compared to England and France
i. Since the Soviet Union was in no condition to fight they needed a strong ally, even though Germany was a Fascist regime
ii. Their main goal was to not be attacked or brought into the war
2. His desire for certain countries to strengthen the Soviet Union from attack
a. The desire for the Balkans
i. Stalin felt that Bulgaria and the other Balkan states were key to protecting Ukraine from attack
ii. Although the Soviet Union was very large it was still extremely weak and Stalin thought the countries could be used as a buffer would protect weaker parts of the Soviet Union
b. The desire for Latvia and part of Poland
i. These countries were also to be used as a buffer from attack
ii. Stalin claimed he was restoring Latvia to its ancestral rulers
Stalin’s policy desired socialism in one country. He believed the USSR people should be united and tried to avoid conflict at all costs. Because of these desires and belief’s Stalin prioritized security in Russia. In the 1920’s Stalin began to have little relations with other countries and focused mainly on internal relations. However, Stalin did continue to support communists abroad and the republican government in the Spanish Civil War. To maintain with Stalin’s attempt to not get involved, Stalin sent money and arms to the republic government rather than actually sending troops. Stalin also signed a few non- aggression acts because there were so many domestic problems in Russia at the time. Stalin continued to industrialize Russia and built a strong army made up of his own people. This helped him to ensure the dedication of the army, knowing they supported his efforts. The army was able to help enforce rules and security within Russia and protect it from the invasion of other countries. Ultimately, Stalin was focused on becoming a powerful dictator and believed by prioritizing security in his foreign policy, Russia would be safer. Other aspects such as expansion and power.
ReplyDeleteThesis: Stalin's foreign policy was dominated by the desire for security up until 1941 through his paranoia residing in his worry of being invaded.
ReplyDeleteBody 1: -Nazi-Soviet Pact: nervous about them invading, so tried to deter them and keep Hitler close.
Body 2:-Britain, France and Germany were going to make pact- allegiance against Russia to suppress communist activity.
Body 3-Propaganda to gain international influence so as not to be invaded. Security measure.
Stalin's foreign policy was greatly dominated by the desire for security up until 1941, because of his desire to maintain and obtain control of Europe before world war 2. Stalin's foreign policy was to dominate the countries surrounding Europe because of his desire and obsession to overthrow and gain control of many territories surrounding him. He was very worried and obsessed with maintaining control, probably in fear of the approaching world war. He foresaw that many countries seemed to be at a stand-still, and he was concerned about the stability of Russia. Throughout events over history, it was clear that Stalin had an obsession similar to Hitler where he wanted to take control of an extremely large territory and eliminate a large mass of people. Until the war, it would make sense that Stalin would become more and more obsessive about gaining as much as he could before the war broke out. Because of his obsession and desire to over take territory, and his amount of fear towards being overthrown, Stalin's foreign policy was significantly dominated by his desire for security up until 1941.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy was dominated by his desire for security. He wanted to expand communism as much as he could, but as secretly as he could. While he was trying to expand communism amongst other countries, he was also trying to expand the Soviet Union's borders. His desire to make the Soviet Union the most powerful nation was his ultimate downfall in his foreign policy. The Soviet Union was ridden with economic hardships, Stalin wanted to believe that this wasn't the truth because he was so focused about spreading communism, and keeping it alive within the country, causing them to not be fixed. It is the combination of Stalin's lack of "multi-tasking" that lead to the domination of his foreign policy because by not being able to balance his internal affairs with his desire of making the Soviet Union the most powerful nation.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy up until 1941 was largely based around the notion of national security. Stalin's belief was that national security could be achieved through more and more land. This belief led to a craving for geographical expansion; that it, Stalin attempted to expand Russia as much as possible. Ultimately, this desire for security led to Stalin's foreign policy. In addition to overall expansion, Stalin attempted to have buffer nations between Russia and other major nations such as Germany. In conclusion, Stalin's obsession for security led to his expansion-based foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteStalin's desire for security increased up until 1941 because of his plans to expand the Soviet borders outward, making Russia much bigger and stronger than it initially was. Since Russia had already been invaded a few times before 1941, this need for security was urgent, and it was up to Stalin to get it. Before the war, Stalin's main objectives were to expand the borders outward, and provide enough security for the borders so that Russia wasn't invaded again. Stalin sought an alliance with Germany, so that he could he could continue expanding outward into Poland and France. Stalin established the National Front Strategy, which allowed for him to achieve his goals without upsetting the Western territories and causing issues. After Stalin became aware of how strong and important Russia was to the rest of the allies, growth and expansion were reached with greater ease and more confidence.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s foreign policy was largely dominated by the desire for security up until 1941. Although he appeared confident and powerful, Joseph Stalin was a man who suffered with great insecurity and a constant concern of who would and could take power from him. Both this and the fact that Russia had been previously attacked resulted in this foreign policy focused on security. After these earlier attacks, Stalin was concerned with protecting the nation and therefore sought allies that would aid in Russia’s security. Specifically, Russia’s pact with Nazi Germany was created in 1939 to protect Russia. To conclude, up until 1941, Stalin was greatly concerned with securing Russia and protecting the nation from foreign invaders.
ReplyDeleteIn the years leading up to 1941, Stalin was faced with the daunting task of allowing the USSR to recover its strength (“turn inward”) while simultaneously ensuring that the nation did not become isolated from world affairs altogether.
ReplyDelete· Japanese betrayal of the Kellogg-Briand Pact (invasion of Manchuria) left Stalin paranoid and wary of other nations’ motives
· Stalin essentially worked to avoid entanglement in other nations’ conflicts until the USSR had recovered both economically and militarily
· Stalin sought security from other nations; joined League of Nations in 1934
· Perceived Germany as a threat and worked to maintain diplomatic and trade relations so as to protect the USSR’s borders; Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939
· Stalin insinuated himself into the Spanish Civil War in order to crush the Nationalist movement and deter the spread of Fascism; supplied weapons to the Republican effort
Stalin was obsessed with borders because he believed that without their extension Russia was vulnerable; she had after all been invaded three times between 1914-1941. Stalin’s principle foreign policy objectives were clear, he pursued consistently a geopolitical policy, which sought to quench his relentless desire for security by expanding the Soviet borders outwards, making Russia the dominant power on the Eurasian landmass with buffer states to her West. This objective was sought before and throughout the war and was driven by a mix of pragmatism, ideology and Stalin’s paranoia- which made security his chief concern.
ReplyDeleteIn 1941, Joseph Stalin's foreign policy revolved largely around isolationism, while still spreading socialist values to the rest of Asia, and the world. The policy relied on Soviet production and manufacturing to provide for the nation, and through this, the nation was able to limit their international trade and activity. This was difficult because at this time, the Nazi army had invaded Russia, forcing them to participate in the world war. During this time, the Russian army did what they had to to maintain their way of life, and production. Stalin feared the spread of fascism in the people, and due to this, the Nazi's posed a great threat to the Soviets. Up until the invasion, Stalin had attempted to keep Hitler close to him to prevent such an invasion. This, however, did not keep the army from invading the nation and after the fact, Stalin could only try to maintain the Socialist way of life while fighting off the invading force.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s foreign policy was centered upon the strive for security up until 1914. Thus to a great extend Stalin policy was dominated for security.
ReplyDeleteSecretive foreign policy was his solution to maintain this internal security and go forth with the consolidation of his single socialist Soviet union. The methods used to attain security: was to purge all opposers, to the extent of executing his own party members for his arising ruthless and suspicion. The five-year plan established , which expanded industry thus showing the strengths of his dictators voice leading Russia as a world manufactory power unified through communism. Extending western borders, and allying to Germany to avoid any territorial loss which could destroy the unity he was striving for. Therefore all his foreign policy plans were secure through this dictators secret manipulation within his borders.
To what extent was Stalin’s foreign policy dominated by the desire for security up until 1941?
ReplyDeleteThesis: Up until 1941 Stalin’s foreign policy was dominated by his desire to avoid conflict, and fear of conflict itself, until the Soviet Union achieve economic stability become a one-party state. Stalin wanted to protect the Soviet Union from all external threats.
Collective security:
-Joined the League of Nations
-Signed Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance pacts with European powers
Make Soviet Union seem more powerful:
-Created a pact with Nazi-Germany, even though it was Fascist
-Believed Germany was the most powerful power
-All about protecting the Soviet Union
Stalin's desire for security dominated his foreign policy plan before the war significantly. This is because stalin was extremely obsessed with power and taking over countries. Before the war when there was a lot of turmoil between countries, he felt as though the russian boarders were at stake and potentially vulnerable, which was very threatening to him . because of this, Stalin made his foreign policy plan very dominant on the security of his country, because of his desire to obtain and maintain his land. Stalin, fascism and the desire to obtain land and territory made his foreign policy plan completely surrounded and detected to taking and protecting as much land as he could before war broke out and the boarders of his territory were at their most vulnerable. This is why Stalins foreign policy plan was significantly influenced and impacted by his desire for security before the war and 1941
ReplyDeleteStalin was greedy, and eager to make Russia as large as possible. He saw the threat that surrounding countries possessed, and because of his paranoia and obsession with being the best, he sought after allies in his quest. Stalin saw the power that Hitler demanded, and soon he had a pact with the Nazis to ensure protection. He wanted Russia safe, and he wanted to be responsible for it. He worked with foreign policy to cover his bases, and have the least amount of enemies possible. This can be viewed as a strategy, to keep other countries distracted while his army grew more powerful.
ReplyDeleteThesis: The main goal of Stalin’s reign was to secure and protect the state of Russia from the potential of invasions from other European countries. This was seen through his obsession with geopolitical policy and the expansion of the boundaries of the Soviet Union. These sentiments of paranoia were caused by the multiple attacks upon Russia from 1914 to 1941. However, his policy of security only held up until 1942 when he came to the point of having to rely on other allies.
ReplyDeleteBody 1: Stalin became worried that the British and French would invade during the war. Because of this, he sought an alliance with Nazi Germany and Hitler to serve as protection on the western border. If Germany allied with Britain and France, communism may be suppressed and the Red Army defeated.
Body 2: Britain would not talk with Russia about anything that related to borders until the possibility of peace had been discussed. This forced stalin to change his view on foreign policy and distaste of collaboration. In 1942, Stalin began to allow Russia to rely on the Allies for the recovery of the Russian economy.
Conclusion: Because of Russia’s history of being commonly attacked and due to the constant formation of alliances, Stalin was made to be paranoid about the security of the country. His sole goal was to expand Russia’s boundaries in order to ensure its protection. The desire for security had dominion over his policy to a vast extent. Once he began to see value in coalition and alliances in 1942, he made changes in his policy to allow for more help from foreign countries.
Up until 1941, Stalin's goal as leader of Russia was to protect it's borders. During this time, he was a very paranoid man who didn't even trust his close friends. He believed that unless his borders were expanded, Russia was vulnerable for another invasion. For further security, he made alliances with countries in the West primarily Germany. Despite his confident ego, Stalin was in constant concern about the security of Russia.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy leading up to 1941 was dominated by his desire for security. Previous attacks on his own nation prompted him to want to protect Russia from the external forces that could potentially hurt it. On a more personal level, Stalin felt a desire for power that drove him beyond just the foreign policy to protect his own power as well as the power of the major cities of Russia, without much thought for the rural areas, because they were not as well seen by outside forces.
ReplyDeleteAfter the death of Lenin, Stalin was able to take control using his power of General Secretary to eliminate those who oppose him and give himself more power at the same time. He changed the economy to a command economy which made the USSR industrialize quickly, turning it into a global industrial power. However the USSR had little foreign trade due to other countries opposition of communism. Stalin focused inward trying to give the USSR as much power on its own as it could using the industrialization a key tool. He also signed a pact with Germany in 1939 in an attempt to prevent Germany from attacking them. He viewed Germany as a threat and tried to keep his largest threat as close as possible by keeping trade open with them, however Germany was an exception. Stalin was paranoid about losing his power and so he was not concerned with countries that he didn't believe were much of a threat. This is also why he expanded the USSR's boarders westward in order to give the main contents of the country a buffer zone. Stalin's foreign policy was driven primarily by his paranoia, along with his nationalistic sentiment for the USSR and the ideology of isolationism.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s foreign policy was set up to provide security for himself. He made it so that his enemies would only be inside Russia and that he wouldn’t have to worry about external threats. In addition, Stalin cut off the Soviet Union from the rest of the world to isolate the country so it could be shaped to what he wanted it to be. He would take charge of the economy to advance it towards the current capabilities of the rest of Europe. This disconnection would also allow the public to be disconnected to a large extent and allow Stalin to retain his leadership even more by controlling what the public knows about foreign affairs and allowed Stalin to change history to better fit his purpose. So Stalin set up foreign policy for only to lesser extent of defensive tactics, but also so that the Soviet Union would be isolated so he could retain his leadership in the Soviet Union by controlling the economy and information flow.
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ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy was greatly dominated by the desire for security. This desire for national security arose from the Stalin's constant fear that he would be stripped of his power. His overall goal was for the unity of the Russian people under him and he felt that through expanding the borders of Russia, a potential invasion would be prevented. The expansion of Russia's borders was due in part to previous invasions which therefore lead to Stalin's enhanced focus on the security of his country. The larger Russia grew, the more powerful it became both in size and leadership. Overall, Stalin's foreign policy was largely influenced by the desire for security.
Stalin was very concerned with national security and his foreign policy reflected his paranoia regarding the supposed threats that he thought he felt from other European countries. Much of Stalin’s foreign policy was centered on expanding the Soviet Union’s borders outward to ensure that the Soviet Union was the dominant country in Europe. Stalin also sought a powerful ally in Nazi Germany before 1941. He used this alliance as an additional buffer between the Soviet Union and other powerful European countries, though obviously this alliance was broken by Germany during WWII. Stalin’s foreign policy focused on his desire to keep the Soviet Union secure while it was able to recover economically and fully establish the single-party state.
ReplyDeleteDuring the period before 1941, one of Stalin’s major goals was to strengthen the country politically by crushing internal opposition. Stalin used terror and class warfare outside the Party as well as inside the Party in order to deal with any and all of his opposition. Stalin’s paranoia also led to his direction of the Purges, where Stalin and other party members executed hundreds of people inside the party as a demonstration of the party’s strength and dominance. By purging the Party of members that Stalin considered threats, he was able to focus on maintain Russia’s security through other methods.
Stalin searched for collective security by allying the Soviet Union with other European countries. He joined the League of Nations and attempted to avoid conflict as much as possible with other countries by conceding to compromises. He also allied the Soviet Union with Nazi Germany in order to maintain trade relations, even though there were large political differences between Hitler and Stalin. Along with appeasing Germany by signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939, he sold the Manchurian railway to Japan. This helped to improve diplomatic relations with the Eastern Asian countries. Both of these policies were to help ensure the safety of the Union until the country became stronger.
Though Stalin’s foreign policy could be looked at as him reaching out to other countries around the world, the security of the Soviet Union was always the driving force behind his foreign policy.
Stalin's foreign policy was dominated by the desire for national security to a great extent. Because of Russia's past attacks and Stalin's greedy attitude towards land-expansion, the foreign policy focused on national security. But land wasn't the only thing that Stalin wanted to expand, Stalin focused on spreading communism as well. Knowing that Stalin was a man of contradictions already, all these simultaneous things/decisions took a toll on Stalin. His paranoia was a big factor in the creation of the foreign policy. In addition, Stalin allied with Germany so he wasn't concerned about a German attack. He also created the National Front Strategy which facilitated his land-expansion towards the western parts of Europe. To conclude, due to Stalin's current state of mind during this time and the past attacks on Russia the foreign policy revolved around national security.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s foreign policy was greatly dominated by the desire for security up until 1941. Joseph Stalin suffered from obsessive paranoia and was very insecure about his position and his power to the point where he couldn't trust anyone. He was very worried about being invaded because of the previous invasions of the Soviet Union. He seeked to gain more land for strength and security. Stalin was obsessed with maintaining control and was constantly watching his back for threats. His foreign policy was greatly dominated by his desire for security due to the previous attacks, and therefore he sought for allies to aid Russia. His alliance with Germany added to his sense of security and support.
ReplyDeletePrior to 1941, Josef Stalin's foreign policy was primarily concerned with national security due to the anxieties caused by the weak appearance of Stalin's government and the encroaching threat of fascism. His policies exemplified the ideal of "Socialism in One Country" in that protecting the USSR's communist government and assuring its continued existence and stability took the forefront of his concern. He established a treaty with Germany in order to prevent German fascism from spreading into Russia and also to prevent possible German military action against the USSR, as both countries promised neutrality if one was attacked by a foreign state. Stalin also sought to practice "collective security'" in which the USSR'S and its allies would attempt to halt fascism in Europe, thus removing the fascist threat against communism. In order to achieve this, The USSR joined the League of Nations and signed pacts with France and Czechoslovakia pledging assistance if these nations would assist the USSR in ridding Europe of fascism. Stalin supported the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War and provided them with military aid and supplies in order to prevent the spread of fascism to Spain. In addition, Stalin sought to encourage the spread of communism to other nations; he supported Chiang Kai-Shek's regime and considered China an ally, though this attitude dissolved when Mao Zedong took power, as Zedong attempted to isolate China from the Soviet Union. Through these methods, Stalin's foreign policy was preoccupied with security through increasing the number of communist allies, decreasing the fascist threat, and making his government appear stronger to foreign states.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin’s foreign policy was centered on the expansion and security of the Soviet Union. In the years leading up to 1941, the U.S.S.R. had been invaded three different times and Stalin sought to eliminate the threat of future invasions. He expanded the Soviet borders outwards, conquering and taking over land belonging to other countries. These countries acted as a border for the Soviet Union because even thought it had the largest landmass in Europe; the Soviet Union was still weak economically and militarily. He sought to make Russia the most dominant power in Eurasia. In addition, Stalin sought out an alliance with Nazi Germany, despite Germany’s political affiliation. Stalin made this alliance so that Russia would be safe from the oncoming war and for an advantage in the possibility of an attack on the other European powers.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin's foriegn policy was focused strictly on improving the security of Russia. He did this in two ways; he made a pact with Germany to help trade and commuication between the two nations. Stalin also created a sort of buffer zone between Russia and the rest of Europe by conquering and taking over land of some smaller countries. Because of the Soviet Unions relatively weak economic and military state this extra security was needed in order to protect them from the rest of the world. With the combination of this alliance with Germany and the buffer state that they created the Soviet Union put itself in a relatively safe place in order to focus on the domestic problems that had been facing them.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Stalin inputted a foreign policy to protect and expand the Soviet Union. He did this using a multitude of techniques. First, he created nationalistic feeling across the nation. This is key as it made this nation strong as a whole. Stalin also set up good relations with other countries that would support the Soviet Union. He supported communists across the globe to strengthen and protect the movement. One important country that Stalin allied with was Germany. Stalin respected Hitler but was also afraid of war with Nazi Germany. Germany did end up attacking the USSR therefore Stalin had to ally with the United States and Britain. Stalin was also effective as he was feared by others but was also respected by his country. He also industrialized Russia to also make it economically stronger.
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ReplyDeleteThesis: Until 1941, Stalin’s foreign policy was dominated by his desire to avoid conflict. Stalin wanted to secure and protect the state of Russia from the potential influence of other European countries. Stalin's policy revolved around isolating the country while expanding it, but it mostly revolved around spreading his socialists beliefs around the world. After 1941, Stalin could not rely on policy anymore, he had to rely on the allies he had. He built his foreign policy in fear of the events that were occurring when he rose to power.
INVASION
During WWII, Stalin had become worried that the Allies powers were going to invade his country. Stalin's fear caused him to seek for alliance with the Nazi Germans to protect his borders. His alliance with Hitler made Stalin stronger, he had more man power, technology, and support. He was able to support the famine in his country and also ensured that they would not be invaded or attacked by the Germans. Because of the Germans influence over the Eastern countries, Stalin was able to have some support from China.
INSTABILITY
By the time Stalin rose to power, Russia had lost one of its great leaders, Lenin. Lenin's death gave an opportunity to many leaders to rise to his power, this caused a dispute since many leaders wanted to take Lenin's central position. Stalin took the central position and began using his power to influence his people with his beliefs. As his power rose, many oppositions against Stalin also rose. Stalin was constantly afraid of the oppositions, he sent many of his peers to work camps or exiled; he basically took away the freedom of any political party that spoke against him. Stalin caused fear within his own country to maintain his power. People were either with him, or against him, as he exiled many, his strength and power grew. With the decrease in other political parties, Stalin was able to ensure the spread of his beliefs.
FAMINE
The famine caused the deaths of thousands of Soviets. Stalin had to seek support from his allies, but even their support was not enough to control the angered Soviets. Without food, Stalin could not support his armies or his people, this made many unhappy.
CONCLUSION
Because Russia was constantly being attacked and suffering from instability, Stalin believed that the only way to protect his country is by creating his foreign policy. His goal was to protect his country from others and also to gain strength and power. At first it did work, but as time passed the policy failed to stabilize the country. Once he saw the damage it was causing, Stalin made changes in his policy to allow help from the Allie powers.
Stalin’s foreign policy was dominated by the desire for security to a great extent.
ReplyDeleteFrom 1927-1941, Stalin participated in policies and treaties perhaps to avoid conflict and to ensure security of the Soviet Union as well as to ensure that invasions of Russia would be ceased.
• Concerned about Japanese invasion
o Stalin aided Sun-Yat-Sen (nationalist)
o Signed Anti-Comintern with Japan and Italy (1937), which caused conflicts with countries such as Germany and Czechoslovakia
o Stalin offered non-aggression pact
• Allegiance with Nazi Germany
o Protected against German attack
o Signed Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggresion pact to ensure protection against supposed French and British motives
o Wanted the security of not having a potential attack from Germany/Hitler
o Non-Aggression pact was infringed in 1941 (June) by the Nazis
Up until 1942, the alliances created throughout Europe’s frequent history of attacks created a sense of paranoia within Stalin about the country’s safety and thus, the desire to expand boundaries was created. In 1942, Stalin was able to see the importance of coalition and made adjustments to his policy.
Stalin's foreign policy was not purely driven by his desire for security, but rather his drive for security was an extension of his desire to increase his power. He rapidly industrialized Russia after achieving power, in part out of his desire to build up Russia's economy and military power, but also as a response to the rest of the world being fairly exclusive to the new Communist regime. He made Russia fairly isolationist, attempting to strengthen his power internally, and also secure Russia against outside threats. He attempted to strengthen Russia, and even allied with the Nazi's despite their political affiliation because he wanted an ally and trade partner, and wanted to protect his country for the coming war. Allying with Germany allowed him to create a buffer area around Russia, and made him more powerful as a result. He maintained this power oriented foreign policy till 1941, after which he still attempted to gain power, but the realities of WWII changed his foreign policy from trying to make Russia more secure, to trying to win the war, and thus gain power.
ReplyDeleteThesis: Before 1941, Stalin’s foreign policy greatly emphasized national security. As he gained more control over the Soviet Union, Stalin’s foreign policy emphasize a distrust of other countries on a geopolitical basis, which lasted until the beginning of World War II, when he was forced to join with Western European countries to maintain his security.
ReplyDeleteBody Paragraph 1: Stalin’s paranoia of foreign invasions stemmed from multiple attacks on the Soviet Union from European countries during previous war times. He hoped to achieve national security by expanding the borders of his country and placing measures to secure and protect it from invaders. He believed that by attempting to protect himself from most countries, he could uphold his communist regime and secure his place in the Soviet Union.
Body Paragraph 2: After bad experience with allied forces gaining up on Russia, Stalin decided to find his own ally in Nazi Germany. He wanted protection on his western borders since it was the closest to intimidating European powers, and he believed his Red Army wouldn’t be able to handle too much attack. Stalin also sought out this alliance as to prevent a partnership between Germany and other large powers such as Great Britain and France. He even allowed the Soviet Union to join the League of Nations to have better chances of lasting foreign protection.
Body Paragraph 3: But with the opposite effect, joining the League of Nations actually caused the Soviet Union and Germany’s alliance to weaken. European countries forced Stalin to begin to change his ideas on foreign policy by refusing to talk about the border without talks of peace. Eventually the Soviet Union joined forces with powers like France and Great Britain to rise against Hitler and put a stop to what he was doing. The alliance with more countries was also intended to help with the recovery of the decline Soviet economy.
Conclusion: Although his attitude on foreign policy was forced to change over time, Stalin always wanted to maintain a strong sense of national security throughout the Soviet Union. Believing in basic isolationism and expansionism was Stalin’s foreign policy style for many years, but as he realized the increased security advantages of alliance with other dominant countries, he changed his policy.
Stalin’s foreign policy from the mid-1920s was driven by a desire to avoid conflict until the Soviet Union could recover economically and fully establish the one-party state. From the mid-1930s by the pursuit of collective security and arguably also by appeasement in the late 1930s until the Red Army had recovered from the effects of the purges – all with the underlying need to protect the Soviet Union from external threats.
ReplyDeleteBefore World War II, Stalin's primary concern was protecting the USSR and communism within it from various external threats. The spread of fascism through Europe was seen as a threat, and as a result Stalin signed a treaty with Nazi Germany to prevent conflict between them, and also joined the League of Nations and made agreements with other nations to hinder the spread of fascism. These efforts included aiding the republican faction in Spain. Stalin also sought to spread communism to other countries, both by expanding their own borders and supporting communist regimes in other nations. The goal of Stalin's foreign policy was to strengthen the USSR's standing as well as communism in general, while combating the spread of fascism through Europe through various diplomatic means.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy was heavily focused on the idea of security in the USSR. Throughout his time as leader of the Soviet Union he was concerned with bettering Russia's economics and pulling her up to the status of European countries such as Great Britain, France, and Germany. Because of this he joined the League of Nations, made pacts with France, Poland, and more, and became defensive allies with France and Czechoslovakia. All of these actions were centered around the idea that in order to rise to the level of European giants he needed to become one of them. However, Stalin was not only concerned with old powerful countries but also with newly powerful countries such as Nazi Germany. Therefore, he made the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Hitler in an attempt to keep Russia safe from Hitler's military movements throughout Europe and also prevent the two front war that he would ultimately wind up fighting. After WWII Stalin sought to keep Russia secure through expanding her borders, spreading communism with satellite states and insulating his central concern, Russia itself.
ReplyDeleteStalin’s foreign policy was different than that of Trotskys in the fact that he was more interesting in creating allies for Russia and allies for the communist party. Joining The League of Nations gave Russia a larger presence within Europe and also opened up opportunities with other European countries. Stalin used the Communist International Movement to make sure that other communist party’s continued to support him. In 1939 Stalin signed a non aggression pact with Germany designed to ensure that the two would never go to war against one another. Stalin’s foreign policy focused on ensuring that Russia was considered a superpower in Europe in order to have the necessary power to promote and spread communism. Stalin also focused on making allies in Europe in an attempt to both be taken more seriously as a country and to ensure that Russia was secure.
ReplyDeleteStalin's foreign policy was focused on security until 1941 to a great extent because of his partnership with Nazi Germany and his conquest of Poland. Stalin's partnership with Nazi Germany clearly shows a great interest in the nation's security because he could see that Germany was about to start their conquest of Europe and didn't want to be on the wrong side of the conquest. Russia's conquest of places like Poland was intended solely to secure Russia's borders via extending their Western borders outward and neutralizing threats from near their borders. The reason for these protection efforts by Stalin was the spread of fascism throughout Europe at the time. Stalin wanted to protect Russia from fascism since they were running a Communisti government.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the interwar period, Stalin attempted to fortify Russia in many ways. This was vital to his ability to solidify Russia as a world power. This was done in many ways, whether it was through the "land buffer" that Stalin was able to establish in order to protect the "more vital" parts of Russia, or the immense focus on foreign policy which allowed Stalin and his allies to form a power network across the whole of the country. One other goal of Stalin's was to avoid conflict in order to give the Russian economy time to recover.Whether it was the "land buffer," the alignment of allies, or the avoidance of conflict through these things Stalin used the overall unity of the nation to solidify Russia as a global super-power.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of Stalin’s initiatives in foreign policy before 1941 may seem like offensive measures to increase Russian influence abroad, when seen through the lens of Stalin’s policy of “Socialism in one country” it becomes apparent that Stalin’s foreign policy was greatly dominated by the desire for security of the Soviet State.
ReplyDelete- While the Soviets gave political support to various revolutions and regimes (the GMD in China, the Republicans in Spain) and utilized the propaganda machine of the Comintern, these actions were used to help Stalin’s principal foreign policy goal of building up allies to prevent a united anti-soviet front in the west, ensuring the security of the Soviet union. This can be seen through Russia’s refusal to be involved in armed combat (all of these negotiations were peaceful – Russia never attempted to use force to make another entity submit to its will), and the way in which Stalin supported non-communist regimes (Republican in Spain and Nationalist in China) in order to reduce the influence of fascism in the West (a potential threat to the USSR’s role as the lone powerful communist state).
- The reactionary nature of Stalin’s actions during this time also points towards a foreign policy working towards the stability and security of the Soviet State. If Russia had been pursuing a single, more offensive goal like the spread of communism and power of the Soviet state, Stalin’s actions over his years in power would have been less contradictory in nature. Stalin, however, was working to further the security of Russia by pursuing alliance with whichever powers would help protect Soviet autonomy. Initially views the Nazi’s as allies and supports them through the KPD (German Communist Party). Only after German expansionist aims become clear does Stalin see Nazi Germany as a threat to autonomous Russia and seeks allies through the League of Nations and seeks to appeal to Western democracies through more democratic 1936 Soviet Constitution. After Anglo-French weakness in response to German threat, Stalin once again reassess risk to the Soviet State and makes a 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact to prevent Hitler from aggression against the Soviet State. This reactionary foreign policy style marks Stalin’s goals as primarily defensive reactions in response to threats rather than offensive foreign initiatives.
Gina Tolley --
ReplyDeleteBefore World War 2, Stalin's primary concern was security for Russia and his foreign policies reflected this. He believed that the only way to protect his country from the powerful European countries he needed to become one of them. He feared these nations, pushing him to make pacts with countries such as Great Britain and France, and defensive allies with France and Czechoslovakia. He even feared the growing power of Nazi Germany so he made the Nazi-Soviet pact to keep Hitlers armies out of Russia. He joined the League of Nations to further align himself with the other powerful nations. He wanted to prevent the spread of Fascism while protecting and spreading communism.