East European Studies

This paper highlights in detail the events and the changes occurring in Soviet Foreign Policy from 1921 -1941. Soviet foreign policy is a function representing not only the pursuit of its international objectives but also its responses to external stimuli. It has changed several times during the era from 1921 to 1941, partly due to ideological basis and partly because of realistic and practical reasons. There had been a gradual shift from revolutionary path to socialism in 1920s in Soviet state and hence a less ideological approach was adopted with the rest of the world. A brief account of the events occurring in Soviet Foreign Policy between19211941 is as follows.
    Instantaneously after the rebellion, the Bolsheviks largely ignored the foreign policy considering that the revolution would flounce Europe. When it becomes obvious that it wont happen, the new leaders of Russia got occupied with civil war. After winning the war they started thinking of improving their relations with their neighbors, looking forward to maintain peace and enhancing investments and trade with them. It was not a trouble-free job as Western Governments were unwilling to be familiar with USSR.
    To conciliate the international attitude, the Bolsheviks down cast their revolutionary style, proceeding towards signing series of international agreements commonly known as United Front. The accord included the Treaty of Rapallo (1922), which re-established an ambassadorial relation with Germany. It further included the Treaty of Berlin (1926), in which Germany and Russia pledged to remain unbiased in the occurrence of any attack from the third power.
    During the closing of 1920, the relations with Germany initiated to turn sour and after some time both the nation started to search elsewhere for new associates. The policy had failed to remove Russias diplomatic seclusion. Stalin, in this regards set the state on another route, renovating Marxist revolutionary movements throughout the world.  This ideological swing reflected the coagulation of the domestic strategy, since Stalin came up with the strategies of central planning and collectivization.
    Socialist groups were instructed to cease all collaboration and help with the leftist group, whom they gave the name Social fascist. The outcome was devastating. The German communalist parties directed its opponents to the Societal Democrats instead of Nazis, permitting the Nazis to develop into the leading party in Germany. In four years Hitler became the leader and socialist party was prohibited.
    Stalin understood his blunder and changed his foreign policy again. He began seeking healthier associations with the Western Nations, in the desire of finishing Russias Diplomatic seclusion. As an outcome, United States, for the first time recognized Russia after Revolution (1933). Furthermore, USSR became the part of League of Nation (1934). Stalin, for the nations benefit signed agreements of alliance with Czechoslovakia and France in 1935. He offered international socialist parties to collaborate and form a Popular Front with the anti-fascist communities in Europe.
Regrettably, Stalins effort to persuade France and Britain into a coalition against Germany failed. Both France and Britain stood with Germany while it took possession of Rhineland, then attack Austria in 1938. When Hitler tried to get hold of Czechoslovakia, Stalin put efforts to get France to defend Czechoslovakia with the help of 1935s Treaty of Russia. However, France was unwilling to break a fight with Germany at that time. On the Munich Conference 1938, Britain and France gave Hitler the hold of the border region of Czechoslovakia.
In 1939, Stalin replaced the Pro-Western Litvinov with Molotov as the Foreign Minister. The Germans react by presenting Russia, large territory of land in Eastern Europe in exchange for Russian impartiality in their upcoming war with Poland.  This was a striking proposal for Stalin as it gave him a chance to assemble his forces and pull himself through the purge of the Britain and the French Army. It also gave him a protection against any upcoming German violence. (Riasanovsky and others. pg 10)
    When France and Britain were incapable of making equally acceptable proposals, Stalin thought that they were not interested in making any agreement with Russia. In 1939, he accepted German proposal and signed a ten year Non-Aggression Pact, the Nazi-Soviet Pact.  The pact contained a secret practice according to which, after getting hold of Poland, it would be divided in Russian and German and includes Finland, Estonia and Bessarabia in Russia.
    On September 1.1939, Germany succeeded in occupying Poland. And right after two weeks of this attack, the Red Army invaded Poland. Russian and German beforehand approved to divide Poland equally among themselves and abolish it as a state. (Riasanovsky and others. pg 4) 1
    Before the ink of the pact and the blood of the lane of Warsaw had dried, Stalin began preparing himself and his country against the attack he figured out, would come. Though, this time, he was without allies. All he could do was to calm Hitler by making him believe that he has no harm from Russia, thus holding the attack on USSR for as long as he could.
    By 1941, Russian foreign policy had split and altered many time. From the kind practicality of United Front to the ideological war against the Social Fascists to the anxious pragmatism of Popular Front to the pessimism of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.  It was this discrepancy which isolated the USSR during the era and which left it defenseless to an attack by its worst enemy, Nazi Germany.
 Riasanovsky and others, A History of Russia.