International situation on the eve of World War II

After hope Soviet Russia We were collapsed into the world revolution, the Soviet leaders had to think about how to tie with trade and diplomatic relations with "capitalists". An obstacle to the recognition of the Bolshevik government was a refusal to recognize the debts made by the royal and temporary governments, as well as to pay property to foreigners for their colors. But there was a more serious reason. In addition to the Foreign Affairs Commissioner, in Soviet Russia there was another body who conducted his informal foreign policy - the Comintern (Communist International), whose task was to undermine the state-owned countries, with the governments of which Soviet diplomacy tried to establish a normal relationship.

After watching the Communists, but at the same time, in need of the market for the sale of its industrial products and in Russian raw materials, European powers and the United States went on a compromise. Without recognizing Soviet power, they began with the advice of lively trade. Already in December 1920, the United States abolished the ban on trade transactions of its private firms with Soviet Russia. Their example was followed by many European powers.

On April 10, 1922, an international conference was opened in Genoa, which the Soviet delegation was first invited. Her head, the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs Chicherin declared the readiness of the Soviet government to recognize royal debts if it was recognized and if the loans were opened. The only one of all those present by the 33 countries adopted this proposal Germany, and on April 16 in Rapallo, she concluded with Soviet Russia not only a trade, but also a secret treaty - "Operation of Kama". According to which the Junkers plant was built, who released several hundred military aircraft for Germany for 1924, underwater boats were built at the shipyards of Petrograd and Nikolaev; In Lipetsk and Borsoglebsk, aviation schools were opened for German pilots and a whole network of airfields was built, on which, since 1927, German pilots were prepared; A tank was opened in Kazan, and in Lutsk artillery German schools.

In 1926, a neutrality agreement was signed between Germany and the USSR. German-Soviet cooperation continued on.

England occupied a particularly hostile position towards the Bolsheviks, while there were conservatives in power, led by Churchill. When, in 1924, the government moved to the working party, the England established diplomatic relations from the USSR. Its example followed almost all European states, as well as Japan, China and Mexico. Only Yugoslavia and the USA firmly kept non-recognition. This, however, did not interfere with the Americans to lead a lively trade with advice.

In 1927, due to the scandal around the secret documents of the British Military Ministry, the British government interrupted diplomatic relations with the Council, but continued trade between both countries.

During the first post-war 16 years, the situation in Europe, at the appearance, was calm. True, in Germany, after the Social Democratic Experiment, the people entrusted the power of Field Marshal Guindenburg, but his presidency had no threat to the world.

At the insistence of France, Germany entered the League of Nations in 1925. On October 4 of the same year, the conference on which England, Italy, France, Germany, and Belgium signed the Treaty on the mutual guarantee between these countries and the guarantee of the inviolability of Poland and Czechoslovaki's borders and Czechoslovakia was found in Lokarno.

British politicians wanted to and in the east conditions to exclude the possibility of the Herman-Soviet clash. But Germany did not want to abandon their claims in the east and reconcile with the loss of their lands, who left Poland, and rejected this proposal.

Germany is arming

While the winning countries enjoyed a peaceful life and dreamed of a long world, Germany was armed. Already in 1919, the German minister of retiene created the conditions for the restoration of the military industry. Many old factories and factories were redone, and new ones (built on American and English money) were built so that they could be quickly adjusted to the needs of wartime.

In order to circumvent the prohibition to keep the regular army, the German general headquarters, from the permanent hundred and contingent, created frames of officers and non-commissioned officers for the millionth army. Cadet corps were opened and many young people were created, in which military training was secretly held. Finally, the General Headquarters developed by the plan of the future war was created. Thus, everything was created so that under favorable conditions, it was possible to quickly create a powerful military force. It remained only to wait for the emergence of the leader, which would be broken by external barriers that prevent the creation of this force.

Hitler's arrival to power

In the 20s, a new one appeared on the political arena of Germany, until it was not a well-known figure - Adolf Hitler. Being by the birth of Austrian, he was a German patriot. When the war began, he went with a volunteer in the German army and survived to China Capral. At the end of the war, during the gas attack, he temporarily landed and got into the hospital. There, in his reflections, he explained his misfortune with the defeat of Germany. In search of the reasons for this defeat, he came to the conclusion that it was a consequence of betrayal from the Jews who drove the front with their intrigues, and the guests of the Bolsheviks - participants of the "World Jewish conspiracy".

In September 1919, Hitler entered the German Workers Party. A year later, he had already become her chief - "Führer". In 1923, the Occupation by the French of the Ruhr region caused the indignation of the German people and contributed to the growth of the Hitler's party, which has become called National Socialist since.

After an unsuccessful attempt to seize power in Bavaria, Hitler had to see 13 months in prison, where he wrote his book "Mein Kampf" ("My struggle").

Hitler's popularity grew rapidly. In 1928 he had 12 deputies in Reichstag (parliament), and in 1930 already 230.

At that time, Hindenburg was 80 years old. The leaders of the General Staff should have to find a deputy. Since Hitler sought to the same goal as they, then their choice stopped on it. In August 1932, Hitler was unofficially invited to Berlin. After a meeting with him, Hindenburg said: "This person is in the role of Chancellor? I appoint it to the postmaster, and he can lick the brand with the image of my head. " However, April 30, 1933 goals, although reluctant, Hindenburg agreed to appoint it to Chancellor.

After two months, Hitler opened the first Reichstag III of the Empire, the next day most (441 versus 94) deputies gave him extraordinary, unlimited powers for four years.

In 1929 in the United States, after the era of economic prosperity, the hard crisis unexpectedly broke out. He spread all over the world very quickly, he did not go and Germany. A variety of factories and plants closed, the number of unemployed reached 2.300.000. Germany has become unable to pay reparations.

When in April 1932, the International Conference on Disarmament was gathered in Geneva, German representatives began to make the abolition of reparation payments. After receiving a refusal, they demanded the abolition of all restrictions of weapons. Without receiving agreement and this requirement, they left the conference. It caused a stir among the representatives of the Western powers, which made every effort to return the German delegation. When Germany proposed equality in arms with other powers, her delegation returned.

In March 1933, the British government suggested the so-called "McDonald Plan", according to which the French army should be reduced from 500 to 200 thousand, and German can be increased to the same number. Since Germany was forbidden to have military aviation, the Allied States had to reduce their up to 500 aircraft each. When France began to demand a 4-year delay to destroy his heavy weapons, Hitler ordered the German delegation not only to leave the conference, but also the League of Nations.

Having received power, Hitler did not make a medal for the exercise of his idea - the association of all German nations into one state - Great Germany. The first object of his claims became Austria. In June 1934, he made an attempt to capture her. But the Nazis rebellion of the Nazis soon was suppressed, and Hitler decided to temporarily retreat. On March 9, 1935, the Government officially reported creating air force, and the 16th on the introduction of universal military service. In the same year, Italy moved to the side of Germany and captured Abyssinia.

After the introduction of universal military service, a special agreement with England, Germany received the right to restore the military fleet with submarines. The secretly created military aviation has already been equal to English. The industry openly produced weapons. All this did not meet serious counteraction from western countries and USA.

On March 7, at 10 o'clock in the morning, an agreement was signed on the demilitarization of the Rhine Region, and 2 hours after that, by order of Hitler, German troops crossed the boundaries of this area and took all the main cities in it. Until the mid-1936, all illegal actions of Hitler relied exclusively to the indecision of France and England and the US self-insulation. In 1938, the situation became different, - Germany could now rely on the superiority of its military power, working in the full power of the military industry, and to the Union with Italy. It was enough to start seizing Austria, which was needed not only to carry out part of his plan - the association of all Germanic nations, but also opened the door to Czechoslovakia and South Europe. After the corresponding diplomatic pressure, Hitler presented an ultimatum that was rejected. On March 11, 1938, German troops switched to the Austrian border. After the class of Vienna, Hitler proclaimed the accession of Austria to the German Empire.

In order to find out the combat capability of the Red Army, in the summer of 1938, the Japanese provoked a borderline incident in the Vladivostok area, which moved to this battle, which lasted for about two weeks, which ended with the fact that the Japanese retreated, and was imprisoned.

In May 1939, to test the Soviet-Mongolian defense capability, the Japanese invaded Mongolia. Soviet command, which was 120 km. From the site of hostilities, led the operations sluggish and ineptly. When the command was instrued to General Zhukov, the situation has changed. After 4-hovering stubborn battles, Zhukov managed to surround and destroy the main forces of the enemy. The Japanese requested the world.

Intense atmosphere in the Far East made the tips to keep there 400.000-yu army there.

Negotiations of England and France with fascist Germany

Despite the increasing danger of the German and Japanese aggression, the ruling circles of England, France and the United States tried to use Germany and Japan to fight against the Soviet Union. They wanted to destroy the Japanese and Germans with the help of the Japanese and the Germans, or at least significantly weaken the USSR and undermine his increasing influence. It was this and was one of the main reasons that led to the ruling circles of the Western powers of the "Decience" policies of the fascist aggressors. The reactionary governments of England and France, with the support of the United States, tried to speak with Hitler's Germany at the expense of the USSR, as well as the states of the south of Eastern Europe. The greatest activity was shown by England.

The British government sought to conclude a bilateral Anglo-German Agreement. To do this, it was ready to provide long-term loans, agree on the delimitation of spheres of influence and markets. The course for a conspirass with Hitler was especially intensified after the arrival of N. Chamberlain. In November 1937, the British Prime Minister sent to Germany his nearest employee of Lord Halifax. Record Galifax's conversation with Hitler in Oberzalzberg on November 19, 1937 testifies that the Government of Chamberlain was ready to provide Germany "Freedom of Hands in Eastern Europe", but provided that Germany promises to carry out political card Europe is in their favor peace and gradually. Under this it was understood that Hitler would agree to coordinate with England his concluded ideas against Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Danzig.

Shortly after this conversation of Halifax with Hitler, the British government invited the French Prime Minister Shotan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Delbos to London. The latter was stated that the support, which France considers to provide Czechoslovakia on the Covenant on mutual assistance, is far beyond what is approved in England. Thus, the Government of Chamberlain began to put pressure on France with the aim of its refusal of obligations on the Pact on mutual assistance with Czechoslovakia. In London, not without reason, it was believed that the Pacts about the mutual assistance that Czechoslovakia had with France and the USSR strengthened its international positions and therefore the Government of Chamberlain conducted tactics aimed at undermining these Covenants.

The policy of the implementation of Hitler's aggression in Europe was a goal of not only to "dew" Hitler and to direct the aggression of fascist Germany to the east, but also to achieve the isolation of the Soviet Union.

On September 29, 1938, the so-called Munich Conference was convened. In this conference, Daladier and Chamberlain, without the participation of Czechoslovaki representatives, signed an agreement with Hitler and Mussolini. In the Munich Agreement, Hitler achieved the implementation of all his claims, presented to Czechoslovakia: the dismemberment of this country and the accession of the Sunday region to Germany. Also, the Munich Agreement contained the obligation of England and France to participate in "international guarantees" of new Czechoslovak borders, whose definition was included in the competence of the International Commission. Hitler for its part has committed to respect the inviolability of the new borders of the Czechoslovak state. As a result of the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia lost almost 1/5 of its territory, about 1/4 of the population and lost almost half of its heavy industry. Munich Agreement was a cynical betrayal of Czechoslovakia by England and France. The French government betrayed its ally, did not fulfill its allied obligations.

After Munich became apparent that the French government does not fulfill its obligations under union contracts. This was primarily among the Franco-Polish Union and the Soviet-French agreement on the mutual assistance of 1935. And, indeed, in Paris gathered in the shortest possible time to denounce all agreements concluded by France, and especially Franco-Polish agreements and the Soviet-French Covenant on mutual assistance. In Paris, they did not even hide the effort to push Germany with the Soviet Union.

Such plans in London were even more actively launched. Chamberlain hoped that after Munich, Germany would send their aggressive aspirations against the USSR. During the Paris negotiations with Daladie, on November 24, 1938, the British Prime Minister said that "the German government may have the idea to begin the dismemberment of Russia by supporting agitation for independent Ukraine." Countries, participants of the Munich Agreement, seemed that the political course elected by them triumphs: Hitler is about to move to the Soviet Union. But on March 15, 1939, Hitler showed very expressively that he was not considered either from England, nor with France, nor with those obligations that he adopted before them. The German troops suddenly invaded Czechoslovakia, completely occupied it and eliminated as a state.

Soviet-German negotiations of 1939

In the spring and in the summer of 1939, anticipated by the political situation in the spring and in the summer of 1939, and then on political issues. The German government in 1939 clearly realized the danger of war against the Soviet Union. It has not yet been revealed by the resources, which by 1941 he provided a seizure Western Europe. The German government in early 1939 offered the USSR to conclude a trade agreement. On May 17, 1939, a meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany with a cord with an attorney in the affairs of the USSR in Germany G.A. Astakhov, on which they discussed the issue of improving Soviet-German relations.

At the same time, the Soviet government did not consider it possible due to the tension of the political situation in relations between the USSR and Germany to negotiate the expansion of trade and economic ties between both countries. For this circumstance, the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs indicated the German ambassador on May 20, 1939. He noted that economic negotiations with Germany recently began several times, but turned out to be unsuccessful. This gave the Soviet government to declare the German side that he has the impression that the German government instead business negotiations The trade and economic issues behaves a kind of game, and that the USSR is not going to participate in such games.

Nevertheless, on August 3, 1939, Ribbentrop in an interview with Astakhov said that there are no unresolved issues between the USSR and Germany and proposed to sign the Soviet-German protocol. Still counting on the opportunity to succeed in negotiations with England and France, the Soviet government rejected this proposal.

But after the negotiations with England and France went into a dead end due to their unwillingness to cooperate from the USSR, after the receipt of information about the secret negotiations between Germany and England, the Soviet government was convinced of the full inability to achieve effective cooperation with Western powers in organizing joint repraint with the fascist aggressor. On August 15, a telegram came to Moscow, in which the German government requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, but the Soviet government hoped for success in negotiations with England and France and therefore did not react to this telegram. On August 20, a new urgent request from Berlin on the same issue was followed.

In the current situation, the USSR government accepted the only correct decision to agree to the arrival of Ribbentrop to negotiate, which ended on August 23 by the signing of the Soviet-German nonsense. His conclusion for some time saved the USSR from the threat of war without allies and gave time to strengthen the country's defense. The Soviet government agreed to conclude this contract only after the unwillingness of England and France turned out to be revealed together with the USSR sporing the Hitler's aggression. The contract, the action of which was designed for 10 years, took effect immediately. The contract was accompanied by a secret protocol, a distinguished sphere of influence of Parties in Eastern Europe: Estonia, Finland, Bessarabia were in the Soviet sphere; In German - Lithuania. The fate of the Polish state was housed by silence, but with any scenario, the Belarusian and Ukrainian territories included in its composition at the 1920 Riga peace treaty should have been departed after the military invasion of Germany to Poland to move away to the USSR.

Secret protocol in action

8 days after the signing of the contract, German troops attacked Poland. On September 9, the Soviet leadership informed Berlin about his intention to occupy the Polish territories, which, in accordance with the secret protocol, should have moved to the Soviet Union. On September 17, the Red Army joined Poland under the pretext of the provision of "assistance to the Ukrainian and Belarusian Blood Brothers", which were in danger as a result of the "collapse of the Polish state". As a result of the agreement reached between Germany and the USSR, a joint Soviet-German communique was published on September 19, which said that the purpose of this action was to "restore the world and disturbed due to the collapse of Poland order." This allowed the Soviet Union to join the huge territory of 200 thousand km 2 with a population of 12 million people.

Following this, the Soviet Union, in accordance with the provisions of the Secret Protocol, turned its view towards the Baltic countries. On September 28, 1939, the Soviet leadership imposed Estonia "Agreement on mutual assistance", according to the terms of which she "provided" by the Soviet Union its naval databases. A few weeks later, such contracts were signed with Latvia and Lithuania.

On October 31, the Soviet leadership presented territorial claims of Finland, which raised along the border passing through the Karelian Isthmus, 35 km away. From Leningrad, a system of powerful fortifications known as Mannerheim Line. The USSR demanded to carry out the demilitarization of the cross-border zone and move the border by 70 km. From Leningrad, eliminate naval bases on Hanko and at the Aland Islands in exchange for very significant territorial concessions in the north. Finland rejected these proposals, but agreed to negotiate. November 29, taking advantage of a minor border incident, the USSR terminated an aggression agreement with Finland. The next day military actions were started. The Red Army, for a few weeks, did not manage to overcome the "Mannerheim Line", carried heavy losses. Only at the end of February 1940, Soviet troops managed to break through the Finnish defense and master the Vyborg. The Finnish government requested peace and under the contract. On March 12, 1940, the entire Karelian shelter with the Vyborg was given to the Soviet Union, and also provided him for 30 years his naval base on Hanko. This short but very expensive soviet troops War (50 thousand killed, more than 150 thousand wounded and missing) demonstrated Germany, as well as the most far-sighted representatives of the Soviet military command, weakness and unpreparedness of the Red Army. In June 1940, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were included in the USSR.

A few days after the Red Army entry into the Baltic States, the Soviet government sent Ulftimatum Romania, demanding to transfer to the USSR Bessarabia and North Bukovina. In early July 1940, Bukovina and part of Bessarabia were included in the Ukrainian USSR. The rest of Bessarabia was attached to the Moldovan SSR formed on August 2, 1940. Thus, within one year, the population of the Soviet Union increased by 23 million people.

Deterioration of Soviet-German relations

Externally, Soviet-German relations developed favorably for both parties. The Soviet Union carefully performed all the conditions of the Soviet-German economic agreement, signed on February 11, 1940. For 16 months, until the attack of Germany, he put in exchange for technical and military equipment of agricultural products, oil and mineral raw materials for a total amount of about 1 billion brands. In accordance with the terms of the USSR agreement regularly supplied Germany with strategic raw materials and food purchased in third countries. Economic assistance and mediation of the USSR had paramount importance to Germany in the context of the Great Britain of the Economic Blockade.

At the same time, the Soviet Union with concern followed the victories of the Wehrmacht. In August-September 1940, the first deterioration of Soviet-German relations caused by the submission of Germany after the Soviet annexation of Bessarabia and the Northern Bukovina of foreign policy guarantees of Romania. She signed a series of economic agreements with Romania and sent there a very significant military mission to prepare the Romanian army to war against the USSR. In September, Germany sent their troops to Finland.

Despite the changes in the Balkans caused by these events in the fall of 1940, Germany launched a few more attempts to improve the German-Soviet diplomatic relations. During the visitors held on October 12-14, very saturated, although they did not lead to concrete results, negotiations regarding the accession of the USSR to the Tripal Union. However, on November 25, the Soviet government handed the Memorandum to German ambassador to the German ambassador, set out the conditions for the entry of the USSR into the Triginal Union:

The territories located south of Batumi and Baku in the direction of the Persian Bay should be considered as the center of attraction of Soviet interests;

German troops should be derived from Finland;

Bulgaria, signing a mutual assistance agreement with the USSR, passes under its protectorate;

In the Turkish territory, the Soviet naval base is placed in the zone of the straits;

Japan refuses its claims to Sakhalin Island.

The requirements of the Soviet Union remained unanswered. On behalf of Hitler, the General Stashkta has already led (since the end of July 1940), the development of a plan of lightning war against the Soviet Union, and at the end of August, a transfer was launched to the east of the first military compounds. The failure of the Berlin talks with Molotov led Hitler to adopt on December 5, 1940 on the final decision on the USSR, confirmed on December 18, "Directive 21", approved on May 15, 1941, the beginning of the implementation of the Barbaross Plan. The invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece forced Hitler on April 30, 1941 to postpone this date on June 22, 1941. The generals convinced him that the victorious war would last no more than 4-6 weeks.

At the same time, Germany used a memorandum of November 25, 1940 to put pressure on those countries whose interests were affected in it, and above all in Bulgaria, which in March 1941 joined the fascist coalition. Soviet-German relations continued to deteriorate all the spring of 1941, especially in connection with the invasion of German troops in Yugoslavia a few hours after the signing of the Soviet-Yugoslav Treaty on friendship. The USSR did not respond to this aggression, as well as to the attack on Greece. At the same time, Soviet diplomacy managed to achieve major success, signing on April 13 an aggression agreement with Japan, which significantly reduced tensions in the Far Eastern borders of the USSR.

Despite the alarming course of events, the USSR until the very beginning of the war with Germany could not believe in the inevitability of the German attack. The Soviet supply of Germany has increased significantly due to the resumption of 1940 economic agreements on January 11, 1941. To demonstrate its "trust" by Germany, the Soviet government refused to take into account numerous reports from the beginning of 1941 on the attack prepared for the USSR and did not take the necessary measures on their Western borders. Germany was still considered by the Soviet Union "As a Great Friendly Power".

The Second World War was prepared and unleashed by the most aggressive states - the fascist Germany and Italy, Militarist Japan with the aim of a new redistribution of peace. Began as a war between the two coalitions of imperialist powers. In the future, it became taken from all states that fought against the countries of the fascist bloc, the nature of the fair, anti-fascist war, which was finally formed after the USSR joined.

The implementation of the policy of "peace" began with the destruction on the geographical map of Europe of the sovereign and independent state Czechoslovakia. On September 30, 1938, at the request of Hitler's Germany, the leaders of England and France agreed to convey German Sudetening Region Czechoslovakia. Together with Hitler and Mussolini, under this decision they had their signatures of Chamberlain and Daladye. In accordance with the signed Agreement, England, France, Germany and Italy guaranteed new borders of Czechoslovakia, subject to its refusal of contracts with the USSR and France, as well as the settlement of the issues of Polish and Hungarian minorities. Czechoslovakia, whose fate was solved at this conference, and the USSR, who had an agreement on mutual assistance with Czechoslovakia, were not invited.

The day after the signing of the Munich Agreement, the Polish troops invaded Czechoslovakia and, by definition of W. Churchill, Poland, "... with Geeien's greed took part in the robbery and destruction of the Czechoslovak state," rejected by him by the Tishinsky region. Hungarian troops occupied Transcarpathian Ukraine in Czechoslovakia.

The conditions for which England and France agreed to sacrifice Czechoslovakia became known. These were the promises of Germany not to attack these Western countries, which was issued in the Anglo-German Declaration and a similar Franco-German Declaration, which were considered as non-aggression parats.

Before the departure from Munich, Chamberlain met with Hitler and stated: "To attack the USSR, you have enough aircraft, especially since there is no danger of the basing of Soviet aircraft on Czechoslovak airfields." It was a kind of blessing Hitler in his politics directed against the USSR.

Growing over the sovereign country, betrayal by England and France of their Czech friends and allies had the greatest consequences for Czechoslovakia and the fate of Europe. Munich destroyed the treaty system of the USSR-France-Czechoslovakia to prevent German aggression in Europe and created the conditions for the "sewerage" of territorial aspirations to the East, towards the USSR.

In conversations with F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill, already during the war, I. Stalin said that if there were no Munich, there would be no nonsense in nonsense with Germany.

In just six months after the signing of Munich agreements, and on March 13, 1939, the "independence" of Slovakia was proclaimed, which immediately appealed to Germany with a request to recognize it as an independent state and place German troops on its territory.

The last point in the fate of Czechoslovakia was delivered on March 15, when the German troops entered Prague and the next day the remains of the once independent state were included in the Hermann Empire Under the name "Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia." On March 16, the "Garant" of the independence of Czechoslovakia Chamberlain said that in connection with the collapse of Czechoslovakia, the guarantees of post merchant borders lost their strength.

If England and France continued to indulge in Hitler's aggression, then the USSR, understanding the whole danger of a folding international situation, put forward on March 18, 1939. The proposal for convening in Bucharest of the Conference of the six states: USSR, England, France, Poland, Romania and Turkey to create "peaceful front "Against German aggression. Chamberlain rejected the Soviet initiative on the grounds that it is "premature".

Given the lack of opposition from Western states, Hitler decided to continue his conciliatory policies in the east direction.

On March 21, Germany demanded from Poland in an ultimative form to transfer Danzig Reihu and the extraterritorial strip through the Polish corridor for the communication of Germany with East Prussia.

On March 22, under the threat of an air attack, the Lithuanian government was forced to sign the Treaty on the transfer of Klaipeda and the adjacent district of Germany. On March 23, Hitler on board the baton "Doychland" triumphantly arrived in Klaipeda (Memel) and welcomed residents of the "liberated" city.

In April, under pressure from public opinion and parliamentary opposition, headed by W. Churchill Chamberlain was forced to start english-franco-Soviet political negotiations for discussion of the international situation in Europe.

On April 17, on the first day of negotiations of the USSR, concrete proposals on counteracting the Hitler's expansion, the essence of which boiled down to the following:

The USSR, England and France conclude an agreement for 5-10 years of mutual assistance, including military;

USSR, England and France provide assistance, including military, states of Eastern Europe, located between the Baltic and Black Seas and bordering the USSR.

Only three weeks later in London formulated their answer. From the USSR, it was unilaterally required to commit themselves in the event of engagement of England and France into hostilities. No obligations of England and France regarding the USSR were provided. On May 14, the Soviet government stated that such a position of Western countries does not contribute to the creation of a single front of the resistance of Hitler's aggression. Nevertheless, the Soviet government suggested holding the Anglo-Franco-Soviet military negotiations in Moscow. June 23, England and France adopted the Soviet proposal to send their military delegations to Moscow.

Possible rapprochement of England and France from the USSR caused serious concern in Berlin. On July 26, the Soviet Ambassador in Germany, Astakhov, a Soviet-German cooperation program was proposed in three spheres:

Economic sphere is the conclusion of credit and trading contracts;

Respectful political relations in the field of printing, science and culture;

Restoration of good policies in the sphere of politics, including the conclusion of a new agreement that takes into account the vital interests of both parties.

On July 29, the Soviet government gave Germany a completely neutral answer: "Any improvement in the political relations between the two countries, of course, would be welcomed."

On August 12, the Anglo-Franco-Soviet military negotiations began in Moscow. The composition of the delegations: from the USSR, the head of defense K. Voroshilov, the head of the General Staff B. Shaposhnikov, the People's Commissar of the National Bank of N. Kuznetsov, Commander of the Air Force A. Lactione, from England - the commandant of Portsmut Admiral Draka, from France - General Dumenk.

At the beginning of the meeting, K. Voroshilov presented his heads for the negotiation and signing of a military treaty to the heads of Western delegations and asked their Western colleagues to make their powers. Such powers from the governments of their countries of the delegation of England and France did not have.

During the first day of the meeting, the Soviet delegation proposed three possible variants of the joint actions of the Armed Forces of the USSR, England and France.

The first option is when the aggressor block attacks England and France. In this case, the USSR exhibits 70% of the armed forces that England and France will send against Germany.

The second option is when aggression will be directed against Poland and Romania. In this case, the USSR exhibits 100% of the armed forces that will express England and France directly against Germany. At the same time, England and France are negotiated with Poland, Romania and Lithuania about the passage of the Soviet troops and their actions against Germany.

The third option is when the aggressor, using the territory of Finland, Estonia and Latvia, will send their aggression against the USSR. In this case, England and France must immediately join the war with the aggressor. Poland, related to agreements with England and France, should oppose Germany and skip Soviet troops through the Vilen Corridor and Galicia for hostilities against Germany.

The main question of K. Voroshilov put on the negotiations on August 14: Will the Soviet troops be allowed to go through vigilance and Polish Galicia for combat contact with the Wehrmacht? If you do not implement this, the Germans quickly occupy Poland and come to the border of the USSR. "We ask for a direct response to these questions ... Without a clear direct answer, these military talks are useless to continue," he said.

General Dumen telegraphed to Paris: "The USSR wishes the conclusion of a military pact ... He does not want to sign a simple piece of paper ...".

Considering the brewing military conflict in Europe, it is impossible to bypass and not give an assessment of Polish politics, its roles in a folding explosive atmosphere. As of May 11, 1939, on behalf of the Polish government, Poland Ambassador to Moscow made V. Molotov's statement, which was the answer to the proposal of the Soviet government: "Poland does not consider the conclusion of the Covenant on mutual assistance from the USSR ...".

On August 18, when less than two weeks left before the attack on Poland, the ambassadors of England and France were asked for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Beck to give an answer regarding the skipping of Soviet troops and joint fighting. Beck stated the ambassadors that the Soviet troops "do not have military value" and that he doesn't want to hear about it. " The Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces Feldmarshal E. Rydz-Smiglay in a conversation with the French ambassador with a military station said: "Poland invariably considered Russia, whoever there is neither rules, his enemy number one. And if the German remains our opponent, he still starts our enemy, he is still at the same time European and a man of order, while the Russians for Poles are the power of the barbaric, asian, destructive and decomposing element, any contact with which will be wrapped by evil, and any compromise - suicide. "

Two weeks later, the Poles will meet on the battlefield with German Europeans who will install the German "order" in Poland.

While the British and French representatives created the visibility of negotiations, the Soviet government received reliable information about the actual relationship of the British government to the Moscow negotiations. So, on August 3, when the British delegation still packaged the suitcases, the Soviet government became known that in government circles "the power of the Red Army is low and that England war against Germany can be easily won." Therefore, for England there is no special need to enter into an agreement with the USSR and negotiations with it should be tightened until November, and then interrupted. The secret instruction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the English delegation in the negotiations in Moscow became known. Paragraph 15 reads: "The English government does not want to take on detailed obligations that can associate his hands under any circumstances. Therefore, it should be tried to limit the military agreement to more general conditions."

On August 21, due to the lack of an answer from their governments, Admiral Draka asked to announce a break in the work of the delegations before receiving answers to the Soviet troops pass. The response from the English government did not follow. Therefore, the Soviet delegation stated that he regretted in connection with the lack of an answer and believes that the responsibility for tightening the negotiations and their break falls into English and French parties.

During the Anglo-Franco-Soviet negotiations in Moscow, London made attempts to negotiate with Germany on all the most important international issues. Negotiations with Chamberlain should have been conducted by Goering, and on August 23, the Lokhid A-12 British special services arrived at one of the German airfields for the "famous guest". However, in connection with the consent of the USSR, Hitler canceled the agreed visit of Geering to London in Moscow.

Knowledge of the Soviet Government of Anglo-Germanic backstage negotiations was one of the most important factors when making a decision on signing the non-aggression Covenant with Germany. Stalin was not so afraid of aggression from Germany, as a Condition of Germany with England and New Munich at the expense of Poland.

Moscow Anglo-Franco-Soviet military negotiations in Moscow forced Hitler to intensify their east policies. He demanded a ribbentrop to take measures to signal the position of the USSR on the possibility of concluding a non-aggression agreement. For the first time, Ribbentrop made such an offer to Astakhov on August 3. But the Soviet government rejected him, expecting the arrival of the Anglo-French delegation and the results of the negotiations. Performing the instructions of Hitler, Ribbentrop again through Astakhov and the German ambassador to the USSR of Shulebourg returns to this issue, stating that England is trying to undress the USSR to war with Germany.

August 14, when the Soviet delegation at the negotiations with Western countries came to the conclusion that they enter the dead end, the telegram was sent from Ribbentrop V. Molotov, which said he was ready to go to Moscow to meet Stalin and solve all problems in space Between the Baltic and Black Seas. On August 16, V. Molotov replied Ribbentropo on the possibility of concluding a non-aggression Covenant and Ribbentront reported on its willingness to arrive at Moscow on August 18 to sign the non-aggression and guarantees of the Baltic republics.

We note in connection with this, the lack of results in negotiations with the Anglo-French delegation, including their unwillingness to guarantee the independence of the Baltic countries in the face of possible German aggression.

The negotiation process with Germany went to the finish line. On August 19, Germany signed an economic agreement favorable for the USSR as one of the conditions for the normalization of German-Soviet relations, and the Soviet government agreed to the arrival of Ribbentrop to Moscow on August 26-27. But in the negotiation process personally intervened by Hitler. On August 21, he sent Stalin to the telegram, which said that in relations in Germany and Poland every day a crisis could break out to which the USSR will be involved. "Therefore," Hitler concluded, "I once again suggest you to accept my minister of foreign affairs on Tuesday August 22, at the latest - on Wednesday August 23".

After the report K. Voroshilova I. Stalin, Stalin reported Hitler about his agreement on the lack of response to the negotiations from Western Governments, to adopt Ribbentrop in Moscow on August 22. At the same time, the Soviet government was forced to take into account the existing information on the upcoming agent of Germany on Poland on August 26, followed by the promotion of German troops in the Baltic Republic, which was an immediate threat to the USSR security.

Thus, the Soviet government had an alternative to: to sign the nonsense proposed by Germany and thereby eliminate the possible cooperation of Germany with England and France against the USSR or to stay under conditions of complete international isolation before the German troop attack on Poland, its inevitable defeat, the release of German troops to the Western The border of the USSR.

Weighing the position of Western countries, fierce battles on Chalchin-goal, the Soviet government in the interests of their country's security was forced to agree to the Ribbentrop arrival and the signing of the nonsense. These documents are more often called the Molotov Ribbentrop Covenant.

The military-political assessment of the Covenant today, when many events that have come acceded after its signing, shows that it provided the USSR a number of serious political and military advantages that played an important role in the first unfavorable months for the Red Army of the Great Patriotic War.

Firstly, thanks to the Pakt, the Red Army was able to put forward the front edge of the defense of the vital political and economic centers of the USSR for hundreds of kilometers to the west. Germany was forced to abandon his claims to the Baltic Republic, Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, Bessarabia and agree with the inclusion of Finland in the sphere of interests of the USSR.

Secondly, the Pact allowed to win for almost two years to prepare the country to reflect the German aggression in 1941

Thirdly, the threat of the attack of Japan was eliminated.

Fourthly, Western countries failed to create an Anglo-Franco-German Union, directed against the USSR.

Fifth, the Pact allowed the USSR to restore the historical territory of the Russian Empire and put the USSR into a number of great global powers.

Evaluation of the Covenant on the part of political and military leaders, contemporaries of those years are of undoubted interest.

I. Stalin: "If we were not going to meet the Germans in 1939, they would take the whole Poland to the border. We could not protect Poland, as she did not want to deal with us."

W. Churchill: "In favor of the Soviets, it can be said that the Soviet Union was vital to push the initial positions of the German armies as far as possible to the West to collect the forces from all over their huge country. If their policies were coldly calculated, then she was in That moment B. high degree realistic. "

Hitler: "Indeed, the Reich government, having concluded a non-aggression pact with Russia, significantly changed its policy towards the USSR: moreover, Poland died, and this means - the price of German blood contributed to the Soviet Union of the greatest foreign policy success for all the time of its existence" .

G. Zhukov: "The Central Committee of the CPSU (b) and the Soviet government proceeded from the fact that the pact did not save the USSR from the threat of fascist aggression, but made it possible to use the time in the interests of strengthening our defense, prevented the creation of a single anti-Soviet front."

Head of the General Staff of Germany Galder, having learned about the signing of the Covenant, said: "Major Day of the German Political Guide."

The head of military intelligence and counterintelligence of Germany Admiral Kanaris: "Reich concluded the citadel of communism into his arms, the eternal challenged with all of Europe and therefore be an appendage of the huge Asian Russia for him, and Hitler - Satrap Kremlin King."

Not all politicians and historians agree with a positive assessment of the Covenant. Moreover, the relationship to the Covenant has become a kind of watershed between supporters of strengthening national Security The Soviet Union on the basis of active foreign policy actions, as was the case in 1939, and supporters of the Western line aimed at weakening the Soviet Union. The Western CDA is initiated and received political and financial support from Western political figures, influential anti-Russian circles, Western media and finds support from some leading domestic politicians, historians, media.

On June 2, 1989, the first congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union was commissioned by A. Yakovlev's Commission to give a "political and legal assessment of the Soviet-German Treaty of nonsense of August 23 of 1939." At the second congress, A. Yakovlev submitted a report to the Commission, which was approved by the congress as follows: "Paragraph 5. The congress states that the protocols signed with Germany in 1939-1941, both by the method of their compilation and content are The departure from the Lenin principles of the Soviet foreign policy. The demarcations of the "spheres of interest" of the USSR and Germany and other actions were taken from a legal point of view in contradiction with the sovereignty and independence of third countries. " The ruling was adopted unanimously.

If you leave moral estimates aside, but to get up on a legal point of view, then it should be emphasized that according to international law Recognize an international agreement illegal or invalid is possible only if the contract was the result of violence against the state that signed it. As you know, nothing like that with the participants of the Covenant between Germany and the USSR was not. In addition, the text of the Covenant did not contain any requirements for territorial or political changes facing third countries, as was the place in the 1938 Munich agreements.

As we see, criticism of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Covenant, launched "architects of restructuring" M. Gorbachev and A. Yakovlev, served as the beginning of the audit of the history of the USSR in order to cover the international events of the past in accordance with the anti-Soviet historiography under the dictation of Western politicians and ideologues. As the first step for the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was an excuse to exit from its composition of the Baltic republics, which in accordance with the Covenant were "occupied by the USSR". Not only the results of the USSR diplomatic victory in August 1939 were distinguished, but also the results russian history Over the past three hundred years.

Critics of the Covenant argue that it was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that pushed Germany to attack Poland and thereby served the unleashing of World War II. There is an opinion that without signing the Covenant between Germany and the USSR, the Second World War could not begin.

Such statements do not correspond to historical facts. On April 3, 1939, Hitler instructed the German command to prepare a plan of military defeat of Poland. On April 11, the plan was prepared under the codenate name "Weiss" and reported Hitler. On April 28, Germany ruined the non-aggression pact with Poland and the German General Staff began a concluding stage in the development of operational documents. On June 15, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces General Burahich signed a directive about the attack on Poland, and on June 22, Hitler approved the Weiss Plan.

On August 22, Hitler gave the latest orders to the leadership of the Armed Forces: "First of all," he said, "Poland will be defeated. The goal is to destroy the living force ... If the war will even break out in the West, we first work in the defeat of Poland." These orders of Hitler gave at a time when Ribbentrop had not arrived at Moscow yet.

By August 26, the first term of the attack on Poland, all military preparations of Germany were completed, and whether the pact was signed or not, the attack on Poland was predetermined and the Wehrmacht did not need Soviet assistance to defeat the Polish Armed Forces.

War with Poland began on September 1, 1939 by massive blows of aviation and attacks of the ground forces.

Foreign and some domestic historians believe on September 1, the beginning of the Second World War. If you follow the facts, not political and ideological addictions, on September 1, the German-Polish War began. On September 3, England and France declared war in Germany, but in addition to the formal declaration of war, there were no specific actions in accordance with political and military agreements with Poland. At the time, when the German troops sowed death and destruction in battle Poland, England and France warned war "without hostilities", "Strange War", as she entered the story, and tried to avoid any military shares against Germany.

In the German-French border did not sound a single shot, no French or English aircraft rose into the air to support Polish Air Force in Poland's airspace or apply aviation strikes on military facilities in the German territory, no English or French ship came to Help Polish Navy. France and England were inactive for those weeks when the German military car destroyed Polish troops and peaceful population. Poland was thrown by its allies under the caterpillars of German tanks.

The Soviet government carefully followed the development of the German-Polish military conflict and the approaching complete defeat of Polish troops and Polish statehood. At the same time, the leadership of the USSR could not not take into account historical factThe Western regions of Ukraine and Belarus were not Polish territories, and were rejected from Soviet Ukraine and Soviet Belarus in 1920 as a result of the Soviet-Polish war unsuccessful for Soviet Russia and forcibly attached to Ethnically alien to Poland.

Thus, 8 million Ukrainians and 3 million Belarusians could be under the German occupation. In addition, by September 15, the military defeat of Poland and the ability of the German army in the shortest possible time to complete the occupation of the entire Polish territory and to come out for the approach to Kiev and Minsk did not cause any doubts.

With the information that the Polish government has lost the country's management and left the Polish territory, the Soviet government on September 17, 1939 gave an order to the chief command of the Red Army to switch to the Soviet-Polish border and take protection of the life and property of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus. In that military-political situation, the Red Army entered Poland not on the side of Germany as its ally, but as an independent third force, acting in the interests of the USSR's security from possible YRPOs from the West and the protection of the population of Western Ukraine and Western Belarus from the German occupation.

According to a prisoner in Moscow on September 28, 1939, the "Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation", the campaigning between the USSR and Germany took place at about the so-called "Line of Kerzon", which was still antenna in 1919 as the eastern border of Poland. The former Prime Minister of Great Britain during the First World War, Lloyd George wrote in the fall of 1939, that the USSR took "... territories that are not Polish and who were covered by Poland after the First World War ... it would be an act of criminal madness Put the Russian promotion on one board with the promotion of Germany. "

After the destruction of Poland, the Western powers still hoped that the next victim of the Hitler's aggression would be the USSR and continued to adhere to the strategy of the "strange war", as if giving Hitler "Green Light" to move to the East and guaranteeing the world not west. On the intensity of hostilities on the West Front, more precisely, on the western border of Germany, since there was no front, it can be judged by German data on almost 8 months: 196 people killed and 356 people were wounded. This is at best a local border conflict, but no Second World War. "Strange War" confirmed the correctness of the assessment by the Soviet government of the position of England and France - they did not want to fight with Germany, and still wanted to involve her in the war from the USSR.

The "Strange War" ended on April 9, 1940 by the attack of Germany to Denmark and Norway, and it was from this date that the Second World War began. We only note that in this case the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not play any role and all accusations against the USSR, which the culprit of the unity of World War II, along with Germany, is CCR, untenable and have one goal - to justify Munich, the policy of "peace" and remove the guilt From Western countries for supporting the aggressive policy of Hitler's Germany, which ultimately led to World War II, and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Covenant use to discredit the USSR's foreign policy in the anti-Soviet campaign.

To confirm such interpretation of international events of 1939-1940. In the West and in Russia are published by large circulation of the book, articles of historians and political figures are printed, multi-sieves films are published on television. There is an information war for the minds and hearts of people in a new international situation characterized by the US struggle for world domination, an informational attack on our country is to prevent the revival of strong Russia.

The words of the "Heart" poem of the poet of Vasily Fedorov, written by him almost 60 years ago, the words of the poem, written by him and today, are heard, but today it is in contemporary:

All having experienced

We know ourselves

What in the days of mental attacks

Hearts not occupied by us

Do not bag will take our enemy,

Will take, bring all the same scores,

Will take, it will be

We are:

Hearts!

Yes it's heights

Which cannot be given.

So the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not provide for cooperation between Germany and the USSR in defeating Poland, the pact was not the cause of the "strange war" between Germany, England and France, the pact did not have any attack of Germany to Denmark and Norway and, therefore, was not The cause of World War II. These are the facts of history that refute repeatedly repeated from year to year in the anti-Soviet, anti-Russian charge campaign against the USSR in unleashing together with Germany of World War II.