The Nazi-Soviet Pact

* Purpose of lesson
Political motivations behind the Pact.
Why did Germany on one hand, and Britain and France on the other, try to come to an agreement with the
Soviet Union in 199!
Why wa" it im#ortant $or Germany to ma%e an agreement with the Soviet Union in 199!
&id Britain and France want Germany to attac% the Soviet Union!
'n ()g)"t 199, the Soviet Union "igned a non-aggre""ion #act with Germany* Why did the Soviet Union do
thi"!
Thro)gho)t the 19+", the Soviet Union wa" ho"ti,e to the Nazi"* -et in 199 the Soviet Union "igned a #act
with Nazi Germany* Wa" thi" .eca)"e the Soviet attit)de toward" the Nazi" had changed!
&)ring the ")mmer o$ 199 Britain and France tried to ma%e an agreement with the Soviet Union* 'n ()g)"t
199 the Soviet Union "igned an agreement with Germany* Why did the Soviet Union "ign an agreement
with Germany rather than with Britain and France!
* All pupils
Talk about changing friends especially girls friendship groups can change radically. Ask the pupils why
they changed friends .
Explain briefly about the Pact and ho! it staggered people that "ommunist #ussia could eve make an
alliance !ith $ascist %ermany. Explain that by the time they have finished playing the game they !ill
understand #ussias policy.
* Play the game.
&ivide the class into three groups 'of about () pupils*. Each group appoints a chairman.
%ive out the introductory background sheet. +ake sure the groups understand their seven basic foregn
policy options
Give out the first decision sheet. The groups discuss their options. Ask their decisions and WHY
they made them.
Tell them what they have scored, what the oviet !nion did, and discuss why.
"epeat for the second, third and fourth decision sheets.
There is a powerpoint to guide the pupils through their choices if you want to use it.
,eep a record of the groups accumulating score on the board.
* After the game the pupils discuss in bu-- groups.
/ !hy did the 0oviet 1nion not make an alliance !ith 2ritain3
/ !hy did the 0oviet 1nion make an alliance !ith %ermany3
then share their ans!ers in a plenary session.
Explain that the 4a-i50oviet Pact has often been presented as a piece of cynical self5serving
disgraceful opportunism by the 0oviet 1nion. &o the pupils agree3
&id the 4a-i50oviet Pact make !ar inevitable3
The 4a-i50oviet Pact %ame

6ou are 0talins advisers.
#ackground information
7n 898( there !as a "ommunist revolution !hich overthre! the capitalist system in #ussia. 6ou hate
capitalism and dislike capitalist countries like 2ritain $rance and America.
2ritain $rance and America all tried to destroy your revolution sending money and !eapons to the
:;hite troops !ho fought against you. 7t took you three years to defeat their :;hite army. 6ou
have never forgotten this.
The revolution and the !ar almost ruined #ussia and left you very !eak. 6our :$ive 6ear Plans are
slo!ly making #ussia stronger but it is a slo! process and #ussia is still !eak.
At first the "ommunist revolutionaries tried to cause revolution all over the !orld but after a series of
failures 0talin introduced a ne! policy of :"ommunism in one country. <is idea is to make
#ussia a strong !orld po!er first then to spread the revolution.
6our t!o 2A07" foreign policies are therefore.
a. PEA"E 5 so #ussia can continue to gro! strong 'and also so 0talin can stay in po!er*.
b. A 21$$E# =>4E of countries in bet!een you and your enemies 5 especially $inland and
Poland.
6ou consider your main enemies to be.
/ %ermany '!ho may attack by land* and
/ 2ritain '!ho may attack by sea*.
Your foreign policy options are$
a. Go to war with Germany
%. &ffer to make an alliance with #ritain
c. 'oin the (eague of )ations
d. *o nothing
e. (eave the (eague of )ations
f. &ffer to make an alliance with Germany
g. Go to war with #ritain
1ntil <itlers takeover of po!er in 89?? you have &>4E 4>T<74%.
*ecision &ne
+t is ,-...
<itler has come to po!er in %ermany and you are afraid of his intentions.
7n his book /ein 0am#$ <itler has openly said that you are the &)ngervo,% 'dung people* and that he
!ants to con@uer you take your land and give it to the %erman people !ho you !ill serve as
slaves.
4a-ism is the exact opposite of "ommunism and you hate the 4a-is. >n coming to po!er <itler
arrested many %erman "ommunists and either shot them or put them in concentration camps.
<itler has started to re5arm %ermany against the Treaty of Aersailles although his army is still very
small and !eak.
#ussia is still AE#6 !eak.
;hat !ill you do3
*ecision Two
+t is ,-./.
<itlers po!er has gro!n.
<itler has re5occupied the #hineland and taken over Austria. 4o! he has claimed and taken over the
0udetenland in "-echoslovakia. 6ou are convinced that these are merely the first steps in his
policy of ,e.en"ra)m 5 taking :living space for %ermans in eastern Europe and #ussia. 6ou are
AE#6 frightened of his intentions.
7n %ermany his propaganda minister %oebbels blames you and the Be!s for all the troubles of the
!orld. +ean!hile #ussian ne!spapers are :shovelling shit 'as 0talin calls it* onto %ermanys
reputation.
+ean!hile 2ritain and $rance are simply appeasing <itler 5 giving him !hat he !ants. They gave him
the 0udetenland !ithout even asking 0talin !hat he thought. 6ou are disgusted by their
!eakness. ;ith them in control the Ceague of 4ations is useless 5 it has failed in +anchuria in
Abyssinia and no! in the 0udetenland.
0ome #ussians think that 2ritain and $rance are trying to encourage %ermany to attack #ussia 'see
cartoon*.
#ussia is gro!ing stronger all the time 5 the $ive 6ear Plans are really beginning to !ork. 2ut you are
no!here near as strong as %ermany.
;hat !ill you do3
*ecision Three
+t is 0arch ,-.-.
<itler has Dust torn up the +unich agreement and marched into the rest of "-echoslovakia.
4o! he is claiming &an-ig and the Polish corridorE it is clear that he intends to continue to expand
!est!ards 5 into #ussia.
Poland is the buffer bet!een you and %ermanyE if it falls to <itler then you have lost one of your basic
principles of foreign policy.
2ritain has promised to defend Poland if <itler attacks it 5 but it is clear that this is a bluffE 2ritain
cannot send a land army to Poland. The only country that could defend Poland is the 0oviet
1nion 'you*.
6ou are much stronger than you !ere ten years ago.
;hat !ill you do3
*ecision 1our
+t is August ,-.-.
<ere is a list of events since your last decision.
FF Buly 6ou hear rumours that the 2ritish government !ants to make a trade agreement !ith
<itler. The 2ritish government denies it but you do not believe them. 6ou are frightened
that 2ritain is going to give <itler !hat he !ants again.
F August +any 2ritish +Ps are saying that 2ritain and #ussia ought to be allied together. 6ou ask
to meet Cord <alifax the 2ritish foreign secretary but he refuses. "hamberlain the
2ritish Prime +inister is openly saying that he does not like #ussian "ommunism or
0talins dictatorship.
8( August 6ou are very insulted but ask 2ritain to talk about !hat you both !ill do if <itler
invades Poland. 2ritain sends an unimportant foreign office official on a slo! boat and
train. ;hen he arrives he cannot negotiate because he does not have the authority to
make decisions.
6ou are convinced that 2ritain is going to give in to <itler.
F? August The %erman foreign minister Aon #ibbentrop asks to visit. ;hen he arrives he proposes
a peace pact !hereby #ussia and %ermany !ill promise not to invade each other but
!ill invade Poland together and divide it bet!een them.
6ou are convinced that %ermany is going to invade Poland.
<ere are t!o @uestions for you.
/ 7$ you make an alliance !ith 2ritain and then %ermany invades Poland !hat !ill be the result
for you3
/ 7f you make an alliance !ith %ermany and then %ermany invades Poland !hat !ill be the result
for you3
6ou are stronger than ever but you are still not strong enough to go to !ar !ith %ermany.
;hat !ill you do3
coring the game
'Teachers sheet*
a. %o to !ar !ith %ermany
b. >ffer to make an alliance !ith 2ritain
c. Boin the Ceague of 4ations
d. &o nothing
e. Ceave the Ceague of 4ations
f. >ffer to make an alliance !ith %ermany
g. %o to !ar !ith 2ritain
'nb. actual decisions taken by 0talin in red*
*ecision ,
a b c d e f g
8 F G F H 8 H
%ermany is
!eak. maybe
you:d !in. 2ut
this breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar
To seek an ally
against <itler
!ould be @uite
!ise.
Excellent. this is
!hat #ussia didE
the Ceague is
bound to uphold
Aersailles.
4ot very !iseE
%ermany is
gro!ing stronger
all the timeE you
must defend
yourself.
#idiculous
decisionE you are
not a member
yetI
An alliance !ith
your greatest
enemy3 And
!ould <itler keep
it3
#idiculousE
2ritain is your
best hope against
%ermany.
*ecision 2
a b c d e f g
H F H ? G H 8
0illy. 6ou are too
!eakE and it
breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar.
To seek an ally
against <itler
!ould be !iseE
but do you trust
the capitalist
countries3
#idiculous
decisionE you are
already a
memberI
4ot very !iseE
staying in the
Ceague !ill make
you look as !eak
as the Ceague.
%ood. this is
!hat #ussia did.
6ou do not !ant
to share the
Ceagues
humiliation.
An alliance !ith
your greatest
enemy3 And
!ould <itler keep
it3
#idiculousE
%ermany is the
real problemE and
it breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar.
*ecision .
a b c d e f g
F G H 8 H 8 H
4ot !ise. 6ou are
too !eakE and it
breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar.
6ou are in danger
and need an ally
against <itler.
This is !hat
#ussia did.
#idiculous. 6ou
do not !ant to
share the
Ceagues
humiliation.
4ot very !iseE
%ermany is
gro!ing stronger
all the timeE you
must defend
yourself.
#idiculous
decisionE you are
no longer a
member.
An alliance !ith
your greatest
enemy3 And
!ould <itler keep
it3
#idiculousE
2ritain has
promised to
defend your
buffer against
%ermany.
*ecision 3
a b c d e f g
8 H H ? H G H
4ot !ise. 6ou are
too !eakE and it
breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar.
4ot !ise. 6ou
!ill end up
fighting 2ritains
!ar in Poland.
7rrelevantE the
Ceague of
4ations is dead.
4ot very !iseE
%ermany is going
to invade PolandE
you must A"T.
#idiculous
decisionE you are
no longer a
member.
%ives you time to
prepare for !ar
A4& gives you
half of Poland.
This is !hat
#ussia did
#idiculousE
2ritain is too far
a!ayE and it
breaks your
policy to stay out
of !ar.