CAMBRIDGE AS HISTORY: POLAND 1939 AND THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT. It contains: Nazi-Soviet pact, three cartoons, Britain and Russia, Hitler and Russia, Stalin and Hitler, the shock to the system, homework and essay.

1. HISTORY CAMBRIDGE AS (PAPER 2)
PRESENTATION 16
PLUS HOMEWORK AND ESSAY
1933-1939 MODULE

2. The Nazi empire was created by violence, lived by violence and
was destroyed by violence. In contrast to other empires created
by armed might, which bequeathed art and literature that are
still widely admired, or administrations, customs, languages and
legal codes that Europeans and non-Europeans still adhere to,
from Ireland to India, the tawdry Nazi anti-civilization left
nothing of any worth behind, except perhaps its contemporary
function as a secular synonym for human evil… Nazism was
literally "from nothing to nothing": with its powerful imaginative
afterlife curiously disembodied from its pitiful achievements.
Rarely can an empire have existed about which nothing positive
could be said, notwithstanding the happy memories of wartime
tourism… Even in the limited terms of its own aesthetic
politics, the Nazi "New Order" was merely the universality of
ugliness.
MICHAEL BURLEIGH, The Third Reich: A New History

3. • On 23 August, 1939, the world was shocked when, suddenly,
Russia and Germany signed a 'Non-aggression Pact'.
• People would have been even more shocked if they had known
at the time that, in addition, the two countries had made a
number of a 'secret protocol' agreeing 'spheres of influence' in
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Poland.
• It amounted to an agreement to invade and divide the countries
of eastern Europe between them ... with Poland first on the list.

4. This 1939 cartoon was drawn for the American public by the US
cartoonist Herb Block. He was a liberal, who hated the dictators, but
cared most about America’s interests. Block, further away in America
and therefore more detached, NEVERTHELESS still thought the Nazi-
Soviet Pact self-serving, cynical and disgraceful.
• A small girl, labelled ‘Poland’ is confronted by two fairy-tale
predators. The little girl is vulnerable, weak and there-to-be-eaten;
to attack a little girl is a disgusting thing to do. Poland is in danger.
• The words ‘Nazi-Germany’ are on the wolf’s pillow; the wolf has a
‘Hitler’ hair-style. The words of the fairy-tale: ‘all the better to EAT
you with!’ Nazi Germany is a ravenous wolf (= an aggressive
predator state) wanting to devour (= annex) Poland.
• The words ‘Soviet Russia’ are on the bear’s pillow; the bear has a
look of Stalin. The bears tried to kill Goldilocks in the fairy-tale.
(Also, ‘the bear’ is a traditional symbol of Russia). Stalin’s Russia is
an frightening bear (= a dangerous predator state) wanting to kill
(= destroy) Poland.
• The wolf and the bear have got into bed together in order to catch
the little girl. ‘Getting into bed with’ is a slang term for making an
alliance, uniting with. Hitler and Stalin have united to conquer
Poland.
• The cartoon is a reaction of disgust to the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

5. • Stalin knew that Hitler’s ultimate aim was to attack Russia.
• In 1939, he invited Lord Halifax, the British Foreign Secretary to
go to Russia to discuss an alliance against Germany. The British
feared Russian Communism, and they believed that the Russian
army was too weak to be of any use against Hitler.
• In August 1939, with war in Poland looming, the British
eventually sent Reginald Ranfurly. He travelled by slow boat, not
by plane. He did not have authority to make any decisions, and
had to refer every question back to London. The talks dragged
on.
• The Russians asked if they could send troops into Poland if Hitler
invaded. The British refused. The talks broke down.

6.  Chamberlain did not trust Stalin, who was a Communist and a
dictator. In particular, he would not ever have allowed Russia to
control Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
 The Russians thought Britain wanted to trick them into war
against Germany.
 Poland did not trust that the Russians (who wanted to send
troops into Poland), once in, would ever leave.

7.  Britain could not send troops to fight in Poland, so if Stalin
supported Britain, he would end up fighting a war in Poland on
Britain’s behalf.
 On the other hand, Hitler was promising him peace, half of
Poland and a 'sphere of influence' over eastern Europe.

8.  After Munich, Stalin was convinced that Britain would break its
promise to Poland.
 He was convinced that Britain would leave Russia fighting Hitler
alone.

9.  At first, Lord Halifax refused Stalin’s offer of a meeting.
 When the British sent an official, he could not make any
decisions. Stalin got fed up with British delay.

10. • In August 1939, Hitler sent Ribbentrop, a senior Nazi, to Russia.
• He offered a Nazi-Soviet alliance – Russia and Germany would
not go to war, but would divide Poland between them.
• Germany would allow Russia to annex Estinia, Latvia, Lithuania
and Poland.
• Stalin knew Hitler was lying, but he did not trust the British
either – the Munich Agreement had convinced him that Britain
and France would never dare to go to war with Hitler.

11. Stalin had two choices:
• if he made an alliance with Britain, he would end up fighting a
war with Hitler over Poland.
• if he made an alliance with Germany, he would get half of
Poland, and time to prepare for the coming war with Germany.
He chose the latter. On 23 August 1939, he signed the Pact with
Hitler.

12. Stalin said: ‘We got peace for our country for 18 months, which let
us make military preparations’.

13. Stalin was sure that Russia could only gain from a long war in
which Britain, France and Germany exhausted themselves.

14. Stalin was insulted by Britain’s slowness to negotiate, and did not
trust Britain.
When the Anglo-Soviet alliance failed, he turned to Germany.

15. Hitler wanted the alliance because only Russia could keep Britain’s
promise to defend Poland.
He believed that, if he got a promise of peace with Russia, Britain
would be forced to back down over Poland and Danzig.

16. The British government had know about the Nazi-Soviet
negotiations since the beginning of August but the Pact came as a
complete surprise to the British public, who found it hard to
believe that communist, Hitler-hating Russia had made an alliance
with Nazi, Communist-hating Germany.
They judged, correctly, that the Pact was a cynical lie to devour
Poland.
The following Low cartoons reflect their amazement and outrage,
as well as the hope/feeling that the two liars would get their
retribution in the end.

17. This cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low appeared in the Evening Standard on 20 September 1939. The title of the
cartoon is ‘Rendezvous’. Hitler and Stalin meet in the rubble of the war to destroy Poland. Hitler says: 'The scum of the
earth I believe?' and Stalin replies: 'The bloody assassin of the workers, I presume?' Low hated Hitler, and believed that
he wanted to take over the world. Low is giving vent to all his loathing and disgust at Hitler (and Stalin), by showing the
true nature of their alliance.
• Hitler and Stalin meet. They are both smiling broadly. It is a
smug/greedy/evil/pleased-with-themselves smile. They are both
unpleasant, greedy, deceitful characters.
• Hitler and Stalin stand over the body of a dead Polish soldier. ‘United
over Poland’ has symbolic meaning. They have formed an alliance of
convenience, in order to invade/destroy/divide Poland between them.
• Both men are armed. All around is the rubble of their successful war
against Poland. Guns = militarism, violence, murder, conquest. Hitler
and Stalin, having invaded Poland from west and east, now meet in
the middle, having defeated Poland.
• Hitler and Stalin greet each other with exaggerated politeness and
smiles. Such actions usually are done by friend… but in this case they
are obviously pretending. They are only pretending to like each other.
• Despite the exaggerated greetings, they are saying nasty things to
each other under their breath. ‘Scum’ reflects Hitler’s racism. ‘Assassin
of the workers’ reflects Stalin’s communism. Really, they hate each
other on principle, and have only united to divide Poland.

18. This cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low was published in the Evening
Standard newspaper on 21 October 1939. Hitler and Stalin are tied at the ankle,
as in a three-legged race. Tied = allied/ bound to each other/ co-workers/
friends. Germany and Russia are allied by the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939.
Low hated Hitler. Low gets gleeful delight from the fact that – though Hitler and
Stalin had taken Poland – they now lived next to a treacherous neighbour, who
one day would try to kill them.
• The relationship is all smiles, hugs and flowers. ‘Everything in the garden is
rosy’. Hitler and Stalin are giving the impression that they are very happy
with their alliance.
• Hitler and Stalin stroll down the ‘Eastern Frontier’. Since the conquest and
division of Poland, Germany and Russia shared a frontier. They got what they
wanted … but now they have to live next-door to each other.
• They both carry a gun behind their back. Guns = war, attack. Although they
are pretending to be allies, BOTH are merely waiting the chance to attack
and destroy the other.
• The title reads: ‘Someone is taking someone for a walk’. This has overtones
of deceit – today we would say: ‘taking them for a ride’. Low invites the
reader to decide who is deceiving whom; the answer is that they are both
equally evil (it was Hitler who broke the pact and invaded Russia in 1941).
• On 30 September 1939, Germany and Russia had signed a treaty dividing
Poland between them. Low is reacting to the successful conquest of Poland.

19. Historians have argued that the Nazi-Soviet Pact was
instrumental in causing the Second World War.
1. Freed up Hitler to invade Poland - he knew that Britain couldn't
do anything to defend Poland (he invaded 9 days later).
2. Ended Britain's hopes of an alliance with Russia to stop Hitler -
people in Britain realised that nothing would stop Hitler now but
war.
3. Improved morale of British people for war - showed Hitler as
an opportunist and a trickster, who could never be trusted.

20. • H: Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact come as a shock to the rest of
the world?
• E: Write an essay: ‘Why did Stalin make a Pact with Hitler rather
than an Alliance with Britain?’ Your essay will have 2 sections,
each of 4 paragraphs, each paragraph having a Point, some
Evidence to support it, then an Explanation of how this worked
so that Stalin made the alliance with Hitler rather than Britain.
The first section will deal (4 para) with the four reasons that the
Anglo-Soviet talks failed. The second section will deal (4 para)
with the four reasons that the Nazi-Soviet talks succeeded.