Foreign Policy 1929-1953 Flashcards
(32 cards)
Who were the ‘Riga Watchers’?
American foreign policy experts who used Riga, the capital of independent Latvia, as a listening post to observe Russia.
Why would Stalin be pleased about the rise of Hitler?
it would accelerate the collapse of capitalism
Why was the Rapallo period of cooperation with Germany put aside?
Stalin was more interested in collective security and improved relations with the West
What was the Stalin Doctrine of foreign policy in the 1930s?
wanting a war between Germany and the capitalist West that would weaken both sides while the USSR remained neutral
When were diplomatic relations established with the US? What happened?
1933
-An American embassy opened in Moscow
Who was the Foreign Commissar when the USSR joined the league of nations?
Litvinov
Who was Maksim Litvinov?
- Foreign Commissar
- Important in USSR joined league of nations
- acceptable face of Soviet regime, due to his polished social background, giving him credibility with Western diplomats
Why did the USSR join the League of Nations?
- Stalin and Americans worried about the rise of Japan
2. collective security against aggression of Japan and Germany
Where did Japan invade in 1931?
Manchuria
How did Stalin take further steps to supporting collective security in 1934 and 1935?
hard-line policy enforced on the Comintern from 1928 was scrapped.
What was the policy of popular fronts?
‘anti-fascist solidarity’ - divisions set aside to provide united action by liberals and the left.
What became official policy at the Comintern Congress in 1935?
popular fronts
What did the USSR negotiate in December 1932?
a non-aggression pact with Poland- made into a ten-year agreement in 1934
When was the Franco-Soviet Pact of Mutual Assistance negotiated and signed?
Negotiated: December 1934
Signed: May 1935
Why were the French worried about the rise of Nazism?
Hitler’s public announcement of re-armament in March 1935
What were the issues with the Franco-Soviet Pact?
- no specific clause on military cooperation
2. vague on the circumstances in which it might be activated
What were the terms of the Soviet- Czechoslovakia Pact?
USSR would intervene militarily if Czechoslovakia was attacked by a third party as long as France did also
Why did Stalin’s approach to international affairs and collective security face a set back in March 1936?
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland. France and Britain responded passively, which weakened Stalin’s faith in the Franco-Soviet Pact
What did the Popular Front government of France want in terms of the Spanish Civil war?
to prevent it becoming internationalised, they proposed a general agreement of non intervention in August 1936
What did France propose in 1936 with regards to the Spanish civil war and what did Stalin do?
a general agreement on non-intervention. Stalin when along with it at first but was anxious about French and British weakness in the face of fascism
When did Stalin intervene in Spain?
September 1936
When did the USSR enter the league of nations and why?
In 1934 as both the USA and Stalin concerned with japan
Why was Stalin concerned about Japan?
They invaded Manchuria in 1931
How did the USSR intervene in the Spanish civil war?
- sent hundreds of advisors, tanks, troops and aircrafts
2. soviet forces operated independently of Spanish republican government
